Welcome to my Substack

Or: Why am I doing this? (A question I should probably ask myself more)

You know how you never put down your phone after scrolling Instagram and think: “I feel better about myself. I’m inspired to go do something!”

Well, me, too. I’ve been challenged more and more to try and live my life with intention - to spend more time creating beauty than consuming algorithms.

That’s led me to be making a lot of new things, which is always a sign of health for me. Particularly in this season of my wife’s cancer (I’m currently writing this in the hospital next to her as she rests) where I just can’t “hustle” as hard as I usually do, I don’t have the ability to do everything I normally do (go on tour, be in the studio all day, work 9-5) but I can always find a few minutes to write down some thoughts or create a little music.

You feel it, too, right? It’s so easy to scroll the socials or binge Netflix or, maybe the worst thing for my soul, read the news for hours. None of those things, however, make me feel more alive, and I need to put energy into better places.

I think Substack might be one of those places. I’ve been reading a number of my favorite thinkers here for a while now and I really like it. It’s a place for writers to share their thoughts, and to connect with others. It’s a blog meets a newsletter meets social media. I love the idea of my time on the internet being more about how we think, how we act, and how we can grow to be better, kinder, smarter, more intentional and more caring for others.

For years, too, I’ve toyed with the idea of trying to become more of a writer. I’ve been so blessed to spend the last decade of my career in deep and engaging conversations about faith and culture and creativity and maybe, just maybe, I’m old enough now to have a little wisdom to share.

So I’m going to transition my email newsletter to Substack. If you subscribed at some point, you’ll still get my updates like before, about music and shows and all the rest, but I’ll also be sharing more of just my writing. Thoughts on faith and music and community and all sorts of other things.

I’d love to engage with you more, as well. One of the things I like about Substack is the ability to respond, to converse, and to interact in a non-algorithmic way. I deeply believe we are a lonely culture and we need more spaces where we can connect rather than be more divided.

I’ll share a few more posts this week. I hope you enjoy it. I hope we get to be more connected. I hope that we as a community can more and more represent dignity and thoughtfulness in a culture that’s increasingly demonizing and angry.

Thanks for following along. I am, daily, incredibly thankful for you.

- Andrew

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