Creative License
Art is never finished, only abandoned. - Leonardo Da Vinci
I appreciate all the love and support I get from avid readers of Cook on Monday Morning. As many of you know, I took a hiatus from writing the newsletter from June to October. I had always planned to bring it back, but I wanted to take a break to figure out how to sustain the blog and if I should put my energy into an extended writing project like a novel, research book, or something autobiographical.
After much consideration, it became clear that I could engage with all of you through Cook on Monday Morning to explore all of these ideas and modes of writing. Some of these write-ups are autobiographical, others are research based, and some are completely fictional. The last story, We’re Expecting was an example of a fictional story to explore my interests in writing a novel. The story was inspired by a real relationship and a romantic fondness for Kenya, where I lived for a month earlier this year.
The common approach for elected officials is to use a newsletter to broadcast events that create the perception of meaningful accomplishments. That’s always been problematic to me. I decided to write a newsletter that would entertain, engage, and empower my readers to elevate themselves. I wanted the people I represent and whom support my leadership to get to know me in a different way. Finally, I wanted to give people something to look forward to on Monday Morning, which is typically communicated with a sense of dread rather than a time of possibility.
The cost to produce the newsletter is about $2000, which covers the cost of the website, email service, and vendors such as photographers that support the blog.. I spent a lot of my career as a nonprofit leader and politician raising money and I didn’t want to do that for this newsletter;it didn’t feel appropriate.
Therefore, to help cover the costs, I have experimented using affiliate links for the book recommendations and other product recommendations. That way if you decide to purchase something on Amazon going through the link I provide, I would receive a commission that wouldn’t add anything to your final purchase. However, the earnings would go back into helping to cover the costs of the newsletter.
There are many ideas I want to explore with all of you in the coming year. I will be sharing fictional and nonfictional stories, insights from my education policy work, and business opportunities that align with my values of strengthening the economic power base for low-income communities.
Cook on Monday Morning continues to be a journey. I’m grateful for the exchange we’ve built through this platform. Please continue to read and offer feedback.
Book Recommendation: Lean Startups for Social Change
Shoe Recommendation: New Republics
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