The Digesta - a belated sendoff and some updates
Folks -
With so much time having passed between our last correspondence and now, I’ll spare everyone a long and winding intro. I just wanted to touch base and provide everyone with a few quick updates. Let’s get right into it:
1) I launched my own professional writing website, joeymezzatesta.com
This is something that is both long overdue and that I’m very proud of. It feels like the most formal declaration yet that I’m a writer, and writing is what I do.
For creative work, a portfolio offering provides a comprehensive look at what someone can do - it’s a more complete statement of identity than a resume or a LinkedIn profile. I lacked one of these bad boys for quite some time, but now I’ve got one. I’m stoked about this!
First ask - I’m no web design/web copy/personal brand advocate wizard. If you have experience evaluating websites or evaluating talent based on how people present themselves, I’d love any and all feedback.
Second ask - I’m a writer actively looking to take on new clients! If you need written help, or you know of someone who might need written help, I know a guy you can talk to. (That guy is me! I am that guy!)
2) I’m writing my own pop culture stuff again
After a long hiatus (my last Digesta in December 2020 was actually also my last personal published work), I’m writing my own stuff again.
I published it on Medium - here’s the piece.
The article is about the online comedian Lil Sasquatch. I find him funny as hell - I attempted to explain why and deep dived the fellow a little bit.
Check it out! And I think on Medium, you give “claps” instead of likes? Hit your boy up with some claps.
3) A brief comment on the newsletter
I’d like to thank everyone who read the MezzaDigesta, reached out to me about it, shared it with a friend, or got even a little chuckle out of it over the 18 months when I published it regularly.
The Digesta was an important first step in public writing for me. I learned so much about what I like to write about and why. I also grew tremendously from the process of writing it - figuring out what my shortcomings as a writer were, what stressed me out about writing, what types of topics landed and what didn’t, and more. Most importantly, the Digesta was a phenomenal way to connect with friends old and new.
Why did I stop writing the newsletter? It’s a good question with many different answers, but I’ll try to boil it down as simply as possible: it just didn’t feel right to keep pressing onward with it. The most obvious but honest reason why is time. In order to keep doing the newsletter, I was draining precious time that at a certain point was better devoted elsewhere.
Hopefully this opaque answer makes at least some sense, and I’d be happy to chat with anybody at all about writing, my creative process, creative challenges, or shit - really anything at all.
So for the Digesta, let’s consider this a g’bye for now, though it’s entirely possible that it returns eventually in one form or another. But as you can see with the above updates, we’re pressing onward, and I’m really excited about what my writing future holds.
Toodles for now, Digesta heads.
Much love to everyone,
Joey