Putting Myself Out There, Updates, & Media Picks

Nonya's Nonsense Newsletter for February 6, 2026

Feb 06, 2026

Hello Beautiful Soul, and Happy February!

I don’t know about you, but January felt like a whole year to me. I’m in the Northeast US, and I am longing for Spring! The world outside my window isn’t just frozen, it feels as if it’s been frozen in time. Here are a couple of pics for you!

While stillness rules the landscape outside, the world inside these walls is non-stop! I’ve been hard at work prepping for my next jewelry drop on the 12th, while still working towards the big updates I’ve mentioned in my previous newsletters.

I’m so excited about what I’m doing that it has been particularly difficult for me to stop when my body demands it. This week has been a painful reminder of what happens when I don’t heed my body’s warnings. I’m still rather sluggish today, but feeling much better!

The biggest thing I have been learning and planning for recently is putting myself out there. This has always been my weakness. Decades worth of jobs where traditional marketing was required of me, mixed with my introvertive nature and trauma-based conditioning, have made this quite difficult.

However, I know from experience that putting myself out there is a skill that can be learned and honed. I also know that you might struggle with this, so I wanted to share a few thoughts and resources you might find helpful.

I’d love to hear how things have been going for you! What are you creating? What are you struggling with? Feedback and helpful tips are always appreciated as well, so drop into the comments and say hi :)

💙 Trish

Putting Myself Out There

I hate it. I prefer to hang out in the background, and even basic online interactions can be quite challenging for me. Even the admin and customer service positions I’ve held throughout my life required sales tactics that always felt slimy to me.

It didn’t matter that I was truthful or if the “salesy” stuff might be helpful; it just felt wrong. It’s even more difficult now that I need to promote my own stuff. Being a creator adds a whole new level of insecurity and uncertainty.

Do I suck? Do my products and writing suck? Are my prices a problem? How do I tell everybody that my stuff is awesome when I have been thoroughly conditioned to make myself small and silent?

As it turns out, there’s a lot of helpful information out there for marketing strategies that don’t feel slimy at all, and I’ve proven to myself, in countless ways, that conditioning can be overcome.

I recently came across this quote and couldn’t wait to share it with you:

“Just because you’re trying to tell a good story about yourself doesn’t mean you’re inventing fiction - stick to non-fiction. Tell the truth, and tell it with dignity and respect.”

-Austin Kleon
From the “Steal Like an Artist” Trilogy

One more time: “Tell the truth, and tell it with dignity and respect.”

I don’t know about you, but these words reframed how I thought about sharing myself and my work. It’s not a brag, or grand claim - it’s a healthy sort of pride in who I am and what I do. Of course, marketing is still a challenge for me, but I now have a great rebuttal to my “am I good enough” thoughts.

Another challenge I face with putting myself out there is feeling like I’m bugging people. I don’t want to be a bother or seem spammy.

I counter the “bother” thought with the reminder that it’s a necessity - no matter how it feels. I also remind myself that someone out there will love what I’m promoting. For the spammy bit, I remind myself that I will always share helpful and free stuff more than anything that requires payment.

I think it will also be helpful to plan my drops and copy ahead of time, instead of winging it like I did last year. Before last year, I almost never shared my products outside of a brief appearance at the end of a blog post. This year, my goal is to promote my stuff regularly, and in a way that feels good for both of us!

I’d love to know if this is a struggle for you as well, and if you would like me to continue to share my marketing and business journey with you.

In the meantime, here are a few resources I think you might find helpful:
(links are not affiliate links)

The “Steal Like an Artist” Trilogy by Austin Kleon
I have this on Audible, but you can find the paperback set on Amazon here. All three are very short books but packed with great insight and advice!
“The Rogue Artist’s Art Marketing Guide: Put Yourself Out There” by Rafi Perez
I only just started reading this one, but I follow Rafi & Klee on YouTube, and they do most things in a great “outside of the box” sort of way. I was psyched to finally show a little support by buying one of his books!
Kelsey Rodriguez on YouTube
I’ve been consuming her content like a starving person at a buffet! She’s got a lot of great insight into marketing for creatives, particularly those of us who struggle with sales.

Half-Cracked Guru Updates

Free Domestic Shipping of my hand-made items!
I’m now offering free shipping on all my creations for customers in the US. All my shop links are listed in update #2 :)
I’ve added my shop to a few new platforms.
I’m also working on setting up a shop page here on Substack. Here’s the current list of places you can find my shop:
No more Daily Draws
I started these because I wanted to give my social media followers something to jump-start their day that wouldn’t take too much out of me. Despite using AI to help me create them, they required much more of my time and energy than I could spare. I want to keep my efforts on the quality stuff :)
New jewelry is scheduled to drop on the 12th!
I am currently in the process of doing all the footwork to list my new jewelry, and I’m soooooo ready to be done! I’ll share some of the pics I took in the next section.
Substack/Website updates:
I’ve been preparing to move my website to Substack and have made some good progress! Recent updates include adding new pages here to make it easy to find what you’re looking for, and I’ve updated my “About” page. I’m aiming to finalize the move in March.

What I’m Creating

The past two weeks have been all about prepping to release my newest creations into the wild!

This is going a little slower than expected because I’m also in the process of moving all my database stuff back to Airtable. I was using a different platform for a while, but I’ve found nothing that compares to Airtable, especially on the free tier. I’m a total nerd for this stuff, so building new databases definitely falls under the “What I’m Creating” headline!

Here’s another little sneak peek at my upcoming creations:
As always, feel free to message me if you want something before it’s listed - it’s one less thing on my plate :)

I’ve got some new styles, and I’m finally adding my intentional bag charms!

Media Recommendations

None of the links below are affiliate links. The book links are from Amazon, and the movie/series links are from IMDB.

What I’m Reading

Stephen King’s “Dark Tower” series, Dark Fantasy
I’m still on my umpteenth journey through this one, and currently on book 4, Wizard and Glass. I haven’t yet found anything to compare! Any other Dark Tower junkies out there? Let me know in the comments!
“The Rogue Artist’s Art Marketing Guide: Put Yourself Out There” by Rafi Perez
I only just started reading this one, but I follow Rafi & Klee on YouTube, and they do most things in a great “outside of the box” sort of way. I was psyched to finally show a little support by buying one of his books!

What I’m Watching

I’ve actually had the opportunity to watch some new stuff!

A Knight of the 7 Kingdoms - Fantasy series on HBO/Max (Game of Thrones Spinoff)
The first two episodes were good, but #3 hooked me!

IMDB’s summary: A century before GOT, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his squire, Egg, wandered through Westeros while the Targaryen dynasty ruled the Iron Throne, and dragons were still remembered. Great destinies and enemies await the incomparable friends.
The Bodyguard - Romance/Drama Movie on MGM+
Ok, this one came out in 1992, but I’ve never seen it! It stars Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

IMDB’s Summary: A former Secret Service agent takes on the job of bodyguard to an R&B singer, whose lifestyle is most unlike a President's.
The Running Man - Dystopian Sc-Fi & Dark Comedy movie on MGM+
This was an awesome movie! I will definitely be rewatching this often :)

IMDB’s Summary: A man joins a game show in which contestants, allowed to flee anywhere in the world, are pursued by "hunters" hired to kill them.

Music I’ve Got On Replay

Wait, you’re still here?

If so, you are seriously awesome, and I appreciate you!! Thank you so much for spending some time with me!! 🥰🥰🥰

Support the Magic:

Shop my Heart-Crafted Jewelry, Book a Reading, or Send me a Little Love on Ko-fi
Stay Connected: Join me on Substack, or find me everywhere else via Linktree.

Half-Cracked Guru

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