Ged Carroll

Category: newsletter | 通訊 | 뉴스 레터 | ニュースレター

Why a newsletter on a blog? I realise that there is a certain incongruity with the whole idea.

I had held off on turning this blog into an email newsletter, in the same way that other bloggers I respect have done over the years. This isn’t because I don’t like platforms like SubStack or the late lamented Revue that was sunset by Elon Musk owned parent Twitter.

An email newsletter constrains what I would cover and when I would cover things.

The reason for my newsletter move was inspired by LinkedIn’s newsletter platform as a way to reach people with my content that wouldn’t normally be reading a blog. It also allowed me to engage with professional peers and colleagues. I reproduce it here, because LinkedIn could sunset this functionality at the drop of a hat.

I have a formula which tries to remain true to myself and the ethos behind this blog. A wide range of items that inspired me:

  • Things that I have written.
  • Books that I have read.
  • Things that I have been inspired by.
  • Things that I have watched.
  • Useful tools that I have discovered.
  • The sales pitch. (As I have to put food on the table and pay the rent)

I do these once a month.. Spiritually, it comes from the same place as the rest of this blog:

  • renaissance – a range of esoteric interests covered because everything is connected and can fuel inspiration elsewhere.
  • chambara – originally inspired by Japanese samurai films, but keeping a weather eye on Asia for inspiration.

If there’s anything you would like to see covered by my newsletter, feel free to get in touch.

  • August 2023 newsletter – the pioneer edition

    August 2023 newsletter

    The August 2023 newsletter was inspired by LinkedIn’s in-built newsletter function. It’s almost the bank holiday so I thought I would spend some time to try out the newsletter function in LinkedIn.

    Strategic outcomes

    If you’re reading this, you’re a pioneer! If this goes well I will put one out each month. You can find my regular writings here and more about me here. 

    Things I’ve written.

    Books that I have read.

    • Chip War by Chris Miller. You can read my full review here. 

    Things I have been inspired by.

    Design render
    • How left wing politics inspired Prada’s clothing designs. 
    • Encouraging empathy for people with dementia in Japan with the restaurant of mistaken orders (scoll to the end here to find out more).

    Things I have watched. 

    • Three Body Problem. Chinese adaption by Tencent Video and made available for FREE on their YouTube channel. Don’t worry it has English subtitles. This is based on the blockbuster novel The Three Body Problem by Chinese science fiction author du jour Cixin Liu. The three books in the series are all fantastic and there is soon to be a Netflix adaption as well. 
    • The Peripheral on Amazon Prime Video. An ambitious adaption of William Gibson’s novel of the same name. Amazon Studios recently cancelled the next season of this drama, which is a real shame as its one of the stand out series amongst the content on Prime Video. 
    • Un Flic and Le Samourai – the magical formula of French new wave director Jean-Pierre Melville and actor Alain Delon created some iconic crime films that inspired directors in Hollywood, Hong Kong and Japan.  

    The sales pitch.

    Available for strategic engagements in the autumn. Contact me here.

    The End.

    Congratulations, you’re reached the end of the August 2023 newsletter. Until next month: be excellent to each other. Let me know what you think or if you have any recommendations to be featured in forthcoming issues.