Camille Prairie | Conscious Copywriter

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The Copywriter’s Guide to the Galaxy

Camille Prairie

"Your great mistake is to act the drama as if you were alone. As if life were a progressive and cunning crime with no witness to the tiny hidden transgressions. To feel abandoned is to deny the intimacy of your surroundings." - David Whyte

I read somewhere once that part of being a great writer isn't just writing yourself; it's collecting resources for your readers and sharing them. Curating, one might say.

I don't hold that to be true, necessarily. But I did run a newsletter from Substack for a long time before it went on hiatus because I had too much client work to keep up with it. I often shared some of my favorite poetry, art, and even meditations from it - curating, rather than writing.

In the belly of January, I just want to take a nap, catch Pokemon, and read a book this Sunday afternoon(when I write these). Tell me some part of that is not relatable.

So today, I'm going to do something a little unconventional for you all.

This Monday's blog post/newsletter/email(however you receive this) is going to be a collection of past articles, guided meditations by yours truly, poetry suggestions, good news, book and TV recommendations, and a collaborative music playlist. I encourage you to comment your suggestions below, too. This curated list is designed to support you wherever you are this Monday and to be an evolving resource for this community.

As I usually say when I do a post like this, "Take What You Need. Leave the Rest."

Whatever you leave with, I hope you let me know what you love in the comments.

Articles Worth Reading About Writing

"Learning Argentinian Spanish was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and it was also one of the easiest, and it broke my heart. " - The Language I Love Has No Place

Good Climate News

  • This Swedish startup is making wind energy even cleaner

  • Researchers in the UK have developed a way to turn human waste into jet fuel, which would reduce emissions due to flying by 90%. And ew, but also cool!

  • Paris is planning the first urban forest(in Europe, I think Central Park counts as an urban forest. you?)

  • Buying an EV is now more affordable thanks to upfront rebates offered to Americans.

Book Recommendations

  • Fiction: Mercury, Amy Jo Burns; The Collected Regrets of Clover, Mikki Brammer

  • Fantasy: Anything by Sarah J. Maas

  • Non-Fiction: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Anam Cara by John O'Donohue

  • Thriller: No One Can Know, Kate Alice Marshall

Good Overall News: Some Things Went Right This Week

  • Chile is set to be the first country to ratify a treaty to protect the world's oceans

  • The EU approved a landmark "greenwashing" law

  • Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon declined by half in 2023.

  • And perhaps you know this, brilliant readers, but how we present knowledge is everything. So despite reasons to be worried about the future, evidence shows there are plenty of reasons to be encouraged - including the fact that the air we breathe is cleaner than it has been in two centuries.

If You Need a Chuckle

I knew cats were agile, but this is… next level.

Tools to Boost Productivity in a Meaningful Way

My Favorite Ways to Access Joy

As one of my favorite teachers once said, life is just a series of days. Day after day after day until the end. And this can be morbid, or it can be a blessing. What a blessing that we get to live this ordinary life.

Yet, ordinary it is. Wouldn't it be wonderful to feel that happy, bubbly, joy feeling all of the time? If you're having a tough week or just kind of bored, here are some of my favorite ways to access joy.

  • Have a dance party!! Do it. No one is watching. Here's a great playlist for you.

  • Watch something beautiful in nature - a sunset, a sunrise, a river, the ocean, some birds.

  • Do movement that feels good - yoga, boxing, whatever gets you in your body.

  • Spend time with the people and animals you love.

  • Take care of yourself. There's a lot to be said for sending yourself the message that you are worthy of care. Drink water. Go to bed early. Don't overdo it.

  • Get lost in a fantasy world - enjoy a new fantasy book or play a video game. If you don't think you're a gamer, try something beginner-friendly like Mario Kart or Pokemon.

Podcasts Worth Listening To

  • On Being

  • Normal Gossip - also good if you need a laugh

  • If Books Could Kill

  • True Crime Podcasts. Some I've listened to this year are Scamanda and The Bakersfield Three

Guided Meditations For You

I know meditation isn't for everyone. If you've tried it before and not liked it, I respect that. Personally, it keeps me from chucking my computer out the window daily. If you love meditation or are curious about it, these are guided meditations I recorded, drawing on my experience as a yoga and meditation teacher. I will not know if you listen to them or not - so enjoy them if you'd like to.

Poetry Recommendations

  • Devotions, Mary Oliver

  • To Bless the Space Between Us, John O'Donohue

  • Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer - ongoing workshops and events

  • David Whyte (everything is waiting for you is my favorite)

Lastly, friends, I encourage you to add your favorite songs to this collaborative workday playlist on Spotify so we can be reminded through music that we are not alone.

Let me know what you loved from this collection of beautiful things and comment your additions below or send them to me via DM.

Have a wonderful week, and remember -

"- everything is waiting for you." - David Whyte

Yes, even a better SEO strategy. Even better content. A better way to land clients. And a better way to communicate with your audience. Talk to me about whatever it is you're struggling with today.