Introducing Random Patterns: a new and expanded Okay Lakes newsletter
Same great Okay Lakes taste, now with longer lasting flavor
What the hell is this?
Random Patterns is, still, the newsletter for The Okay Lakes. You know, the one you signed up for?
But now, on Substack, this newsletter can become more than that.
It’s a space with a lot more depth and breadth than a typical email newsletter. It can become a kind of digital liner notes, where I can do Deep Dives on the songs and stories behind Redshift. It’s also where I can share Writings on movies, music, books, and other art I connect with; and where I can compile ideas, insights, and exercises I’ve gleaned from artists who make stuff, and who’ve helped me make my own stuff. I’m calling it The Maker’s Almanac.
I don’t want to bother you with emails you’re not interested in. If you only want to hear Okay Lakes announcements, you can turn off email notifications for the sections you’re not interested in in your account settings.
Why the change?
There are plenty of stories to share about Redshift. But the work of telling those stories feels inherently disposable when I share those stories solely through email and on social media, which—great news, btw—is 🎉dying🎉!
Besides, I can chum the waters of social channels all I want. But without buoying my posts to the top of everyone’s feed by paying for ads (lmao no) a story I crafted will sink to the floor of the algorithmic sea.
Also: What happens when if these channels go the way Twitter is going, which is to say away? Where would all those stories go?
Why Substack?
On Substack, these stories can live online for anyone, not just subscribers, to find.
Instead of publishing to individual inboxes, I publish to an online space. Now, if someone discovers my music years after I’ve written about it, they can still dig into old newsletters and read the stories behind the songs.
Okay. Sorry for sending such a boring letter. Had to get it out of the way. Less boring stuff coming soon!