Bored of hearing how you’re so far behind for not learning this week’s AI trick du jour to edit yapping videos you don't even want to record? Tired of seeing instagram ads that shame you for not creating 137 AI employees to run your business? Same, friend.
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​TBF, this week I used Claude to compile a database of my 100 favorite launch emails for future reference, Perplexity to find updated stats for a revised sales page and ChatGPT to de-escalate pettiness out of a sticky situation email. So I’m far from a hater.
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But this week I want to celebrate friends doing something interesting with their work - with nary an AI hack in the bunch.
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Frankly, it’s refreshing to talk about analog creative work for a minute.
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First up, my friend Sally Hope has created the most delightful monthly mail club called The Dear Hearts Club.
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And by mail club, I mean actual snail mail. The kind that shows up on your doorstep and is filled with hand-crafted artwork, poetry, a heartfelt letter and other unexpected bits of joy. Totally not infinitely scalable. Totally fun. I love getting this bit of sunshine in my mailbox each month. She's got a newsletter here, but I suggest signing up for her sweet $9 club plan (or gift it to a friend) to spread a little joy. It's like having a pen pal with great vibes and really good taste in paper. ​
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Next up is my friend Anika Horn. One of the smartest cookies I know, and her book launch last week actually got introverted old me out of the house and into a crowd of unknown people. On a school night no less.​
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Her new book, It Takes a Valley, details the people building the ecosystems that make entrepreneurship possible, and what it actually takes. My favorite part? Hand-drawn illustrated images for each featured entrepreneur (and my name listed in the thank you section). Anika writes a fortnightly newsletter that teaches you how to build ecosystems for social change without burning out. She's also a voracious reader, so grab her booklist recs.

you've got this,
Michelle
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p.s. my favorite analog find of the last few months is the Century Library.* In a world where anyone can prompt slop in seconds, finding imagery you can use that isn't AI junk feels beyond exciting. This site has thousands of graphic files scanned from centuries old primary sources. You name it, they've got it - from antique fonts to spooky academia. I'm currently obsessed with the Victorian natural history section.​
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p.p.s. got any analog finds you want to pass my way? Let me know what you've created or found that's lighting you up!