Well, you shouldn’t. You should go outside and plant a garden. You should start a band! You should go explore every part of the world you’ve ever wanted to see. You should learn Italian, French, or Tagalog. You should volunteer your time to an organization that works with disadvantaged youth. You should go teach an ESL class for immigrants at the local community college. You should spend your time tracking down abusive priests, like some sacred Avenger.
Those are the things you should do. And I encourage you to do them.
Feel free to subscribe to my newsletter because you want to. In addition to doing some of those things above.
How often will this shit hit my inbox?
Weekly.
Do you charge for the newsletter?
Nope. The newsletter is free. You can, however, gimme $2 a month to show your appreciation, and because you want to support independent writing. But everyone sees the same thing. I don’t have special hidden stuff for paid subscribers.
Who did that drawing in your newsletter header, and is it supposed to be you?
My friend, the wonderful Kate Bingaman-Burt. And yes.
This is already gone. No regrets.
Hey folks, no question this week because… honestly, I’m tired. It’s been a long exhausting week. However… I thought some of you might enjoy this question about Halloween candy which first ran here in 2024.
I’ll be back next week with a fre...
This Friday we wrap up Mule Spooky School with HOW TO BUSINESS GOOD.
Because nothing is scarier than running your own business, we'll explore the abandoned house on the corner which used to be a business school. We'll poke the dark corners full of the bones of long-dead consultants, and light the scary hallways with the oily remnants of business plans lurking in limbo. We will poke away the cobwebs of design thinking. And finally, we will solve the puzzle of business value, only to rip off the mask and reveal that none of it was real.
Progress report. This one is fun to work on.
🎃 SpOoKy sChOoL 🎃
Join me and Erika next Friday for How to Business Good. It’ll be a good hang.
This week’s question comes to us anonymously:
Is it worth it to be friends with someone when you know you are going to do all the w...
Hope everyone’s having a delightfully macabre week. This Friday, you can join Erika Hall and her ghost friends for a return engagement of HOW TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.
If you make interactive products for people, this class is for you—no matter what system you’re working with at the moment. Or, if you interact with people or software and want words for your frustration.
This is about to become a much more colorful thing. Then it’ll become an upsetting thing.
🎃 Mule SpOoKy sChOoL 🎃
TOMORROW! How to Negotiate! The most terrifying topic of them all!
This week’s question comes to us anonymously:
My spouse and I are going to start trying to h...
This Friday! Join me and Erika as we tackle to scariest topic of all—negotiation!
Whether you’re talking about client work, or salaries, picking a movie, or trying to get your entitled little dog to stop barking we are constantly negotiating with others. And while we’ve lost every single negotiation with our dog, we are pretty good at negotiating with people.
Come hang out this Friday, we’ll exchange stories and give you a few tricks you can treat yourself with.
Want to give your beloved a nice gift on Halloween? How to die (& other stories) is the perfect gift for the ghoul in your life. (Also the new Cramps record. Get both. Don’t be cheap.)
🎃 We’Re BaAaAaAck! 🎃
Next Friday, Mule Spooky School kicks off with How to Negotiate,...
I’m making voting zines. You can too!
🎃 OCTOBER IS PLEDGE DRIVE MONTH 🎃
If you’re enjoying this newsletter (and you are), it’s time to become a subscriber. $2/mo and your reward is I don’t send you a tote bag. (How many fucking tote bags does one person need?!?)
This week...
This Friday we are wrapping up Mule Summer School with a session we’re very excited about: The Self-Promotion Clinic!
Bring us your struggles with connecting with your audience, customers, readers, subscribers, anyone whose attention you need. Are the barriers in you or out there? We'll figure it out together and give you the type of advice we would give any of our clients.
We will help you get out of your own way and put your best self out there.
So big. So stupid.
🚨 LAST ONE 🚨
Join us next Friday for the final Summer School session of the season: Self-Promotion Clinic!
This week’s question comes to us from Norma Trevino:
Is it possible to be happy while desiring nothing?
I hope so. I think so. I don’t know.
Beca...
Every week I ask you for questions. I get so many questions from folks who’ve either just been laid off, are afraid of getting laid off, or have been laid off for awhile. It is heart-wrenching.
We’ve decided to do a Summer School session about the topic.
We’ll be covering why getting laid-off wasn’t your fault, the systemic reasons why this is happening, what to do if you’re laid off, and more.
We hope you’ll join us.
P.S. there’s a discount code on the event page for anyone who needs it.
Part of a painting I’m currently working on. I’ll overcomplicate it.
🚨 MULE SUMMER SCHOOL 🚨
Join us next week, as Erika and I talk about How to Get Laid Off.
This week’s question comes to us from Kio Stark:
How do I figure out what is a me problem and what is a someone el...
This week’s summer school session is a return engagement of Erika and Kristina Halvorson doing HOW TO SELL. The first go-round was riveting, and several people contacted us that they wish they could’ve made it but had scheduling stuff. So we’re doing it again!
Come join us, it’ll be a good hang and you’ll learn something useful while having fun!
🚨 MULE SUMMER SCHOOL CONTINUES 🚨
Join us next Friday for another helping of HOW TO SELL, with Erika and Kristina!
Currently painting Flock cameras. (This will become part of something bigger.)
This week’s question comes to us anonymously:
What do you say to someone who wa...
Hey friends!
Mule Summer School continues this week with me and Erika Hall talking about how to have a conversation. Not only did Erika write the book on Conversational Design, but Erika and I have had many conversations over the years, most of which have gone very well!
We...
Hey friends!
Mule Summer School continues this week with me and Erika Hall talking about how to have a conversation. Not only did Erika write the book on Conversational Design, but Erika and I have had many conversations over the years, most of which have gone very well!
We...
What it looks like when I visit Mom and Dad.
Next Friday: Mule Summer School continues with me and Erika hosting How to Have a Conversation. It’ll be a fun, and useful hang!
This week’s question comes to us from David McCreath:
What is the best arcade game? Pinball or vide...
Mule Summer School continues this Friday as me, and Erika—and you—talk about how to do things.
So bring that idea that you’ve been mulling around, or that project that you wish you hadn’t shelved, or that dream that needs some dusting off, and let’s strap a rocket to it.
This is not an event for sensible people! This is an event for people who want to do the thing that everyone else told you was a bad idea.*
We promise that you’ll have fun and leave feeling inspired to cause good trouble and chaos.
Fun little painting I did a couple years ago. 11×14"?
Next Friday, Mule Summer School continues with me and Erika talking about “How to Just Do Things.” It’ll be a fun hang.
This week’s question comes to us from Liz Mikolaj:
How do you stay an artist in these times?
Ther...
This Friday, me and adventure cartoonist Lucy Bellwood will be talking about all things books. From writing them, to laying them out, to get them printed and bound, to gently caressing them, to marketing them—so that other people may gently caress them.
Also, fascists hate books. Therefore it’s our duty to keep making them.
Please join us. It’ll be a good Friday hang.
(Also, if you are an independent editor, proofreader, book designer, illustrator, etc, this session will be full of people looking to find someone like you.)
Some pins I made. People were weird about the DRUGS pin.
Next Friday, join me and adventure cartoonist Lucy Bellwood, as we talk about How to Make Books!
Today’s question comes to us from Carolyn Rosner:
What do you owe your family? If there is little motivation to keep ...
Hey folks, short mid-week reminder that on Friday, Steph Monette and I will be teaching a session on all things newsletters!
We’ll go over things like how to develop a writing habit, writing about what you really really really care about, where to host the dang thing, and how to let people know about it.
We’ll be asking lots of questions, so this will be more of a hang than a presentation. Actual fun! Plus, you’ll meet some cool people and you can be shady in the chat.
They can even be “trained!” It’s an LLM, kids!
Next Friday! Join me and Steph Monette and we will talk about How to Start a Newsletter. It’ll be a fun hang!
This week’s question comes to us from Geoff McIntosh:
A lot of people on the Internet who I once respected seem to h...
I hope shards of my heart embed themselves into your heart and you feel what I feel. Wax and razor blades. 2026. 80”x72”.
💰 Enjoying the newsletter? Gimme $2/mo, man. 💰
This week’s question comes to us from Amy Mabli:
If you had to leave the U.S. where would you live?
The ...
Waymo on Fire, 2025, painted by me.
Enjoying the newsletter? Gimme $2/mo, man. Writing is labor.
This week’s question comes to us from Jim Christensen:
Is there really a difference between being bitter or being petty? Most of the time I feel the latter is being confused wi...
Fuck ICE forever.
If you’re enjoying this newsletter, you can keep it going for $2/mo!
Read to the end for some exciting art news!
This week’s question comes to us from Jason Conant:
What’s your go-to piece of advice in life?
Be useful.
Earlier this year I bought a 3D p...
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