Recently, we introduced Hey CreativeMornings!, our experiment for swapping recommendations and know-how with you, our people. Every other week, we’ll continue to pose a question in our Weekly Highlights newsletter and here on the CreativeMornings blog with an invitation for you to email us with your answer.

We called on you to answer the third question in the series — What’s a newsletter you open and read the minute you get it? Why? — and you wowed us once again with your thoughtful, varied responses. The newsletters you shared, which you deemed the most-anticipated newsletters in your inbox, offered a peek into the topics you care about and the writers and curators you admire. (If you didn’t get a chance to email us with your favorite newsletter it’s not too late! Share your answer in the comments section below.)

After reading each one of your responses, we noticed some recurring themes and deeper truths. The majority of the newsletters you shared were written by an individual with a strong voice and a keen perspective, centering around a rich subject worthy of diving into week after week. Popular topics included pop culture, visual art and music, work and careers, personal development, local news, joy and inspiration, and the ins and outs of a creative life.

Your enthusiastic reviews underscored not only the subjects and substance of these newsletters — the words, the links, the images — but a deeper resonance. The power of these missives to expand your world, connect you to community, and brighten your day was palpable. Seeing how one newsletter can connect and inspire a whole tangled web of people was an uplifting reminder of how, as newsletter writers and curators, our words and creative projects have the potential to move people. And, as newsletter readers, we’re part of a rich ecosystem of sharing and learning and supporting creative work. Behind every email newsletter is a whole twinkling universe.

Here we have compiled a few crowd favorites and quotes, followed by an epic list of the newsletters you shared. Get ready to discover some new favorite newsletters!

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10 Notable Newsletters

In this sampling of fan favorites, which highlights popular newsletters with shining personal endorsements (in no particular order), you might discover a new go-to newsletter of your own.

1. Girls Night In

“My favorite newsletter is Girls Night In. They do a perfect job of itching my online shopping needs, and sharing fun memes and great articles. It genuinely feels like a friend reaching out with the things they’re enjoying on the internet recently so they always make me feel less alone at home. They also promote the joys of staying in and finding things to do with yourself (DIY projects, interior design inspiration, puzzles, recipes, etc.), which also help especially now during the pandemic. I really can’t recommend them enough.” — Emily A.

2. Crème de la Crème

“My immediate open: Crème de la Crème by Aminatou Sow. A stellar combination of deep thoughts, kind reassurances, hilarious memes, great links. — Ann F.*

*Okay, okay, this is Ann Friedman, whose newsletter The Ann Friedman Weekly also got shoutouts.

Bonus: Watch Aminatou Sow’s CreativeMornings/San Francisco talk, Shine Theory and the Art of Humility, and her friend and collaborator Ann Friedman’s CreativeMornings/Los Angeles talk, Taboo: So Magical It’s Dangerous.

3. Rusty’s Electric Dreams

“This biweekly zine by pop culture guru Rusty Blazenhoff never disappoints in having the latest and greatest links to funny, cool, interesting, kitschy, and often uplifting things happening across the internet. I have been a subscriber for several years and have even participated in some of the meetups and art card exchanges. It’s a very fun and unique community.” — Brittany H.

4. 3-2-1

“I love James Clear’s 3-2-1 newsletter. He’s the author of Atomic Habits, a great book on the power of small changes in your daily life. I’ve been getting his newsletter for about three months thanks to a friend introducing it to me, and I am still pleased to see these nuggets of gold arrive in my inbox every Thursday. He includes 3 ideas from himself, 2 quotes from others, and 1 question to think about — all succinct and insightful. I always find myself reaching for my journal to jot them down because they feel like pieces of wisdom I don’t want to forget.” — Kristen G.

5.Creative Independent

“I read the Creative Independent’s daily interview newsletter. They interview a wide variety of interesting humans from visual artists to metal bands. Each interview is personal and never feels canned. You always get the sense that you are sitting in on an intimate conversation between two old friends. Each interviewee is then asked for five recommendations to offer at the end of the interview, everything from people who have inspired them in their lifetime to their own work.” — Trilety W.

6.#jesspicks

“I recently subscribed and love it. It’s a curated list of content for people who have side hustles. I don’t have a side hustle, but I’m fascinated by them and people who have them. I think Jess’s newsletter is for anyone who likes helpful life hack-y type and inspiring content that’s written in a fun, but not goofy tone.” — Meredith R.

7. TheWorkout.Today

“This is my favorite newsletter by a mile. The writings at the top of the email are something I look forward to every day. And the workout program they’ve created is the only program I’ve ever actually enjoyed. And as a result, it’s actually worked. I can’t help but send one of their writings on relationships, quitting, habit building, or one of the other hundreds of topics they’ve covered over the years to my friends and family on nearly a weekly basis.” — Nathan H.

8. Austin Kleon’s newsletter

“Wow, he is prolific in every sense of the word. His newsletter is like a curation of all interesting and creative things on the internet and I love seeing how much he shares with the world, unabashedly.” — Rukmini P.

Bonus: Watch Austin Kleon’s CreativeMornings/Austin talk, A Writer Who Draws.

9. The Create Daily

“Felicia curates incredible job opportunities, grants, and resources for all kinds of storytellers and creatives. I’ve learned so much from her work and it’s super helpful for anyone who’s seeking inspiration and new opportunities.” — Erika S.

10. A Note from Nina

“Nina Bhattacharya’s short and sweet weekly newsletter of ‘odds and ends’ always brings so much light, inspiration, and curiosity to my days. Her link packs are thoughtfully curated bits of culture, imagination, radical and inclusive politics, and justice-oriented beauty. Plus, each issue contains an incredible visual collage by Nina!” — Alexa K.

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A mega list of your favorite newsletters

In each issue of CreativeMornings’ newsletter, called Weekly Highlights, we include a section called “Fun Stuff to Click On.” Consider the below list — which includes nearly every recommendation we received — a party-sized version of Fun Stuff!

(Also, thanks for all your fan mail about Weekly Highlights and the Fun Stuff to Click on section. We’re so happy you enjoy it!)

• Akimbo: An online network of artists, galleries and art lovers from around the world

• Anti-Racism Daily: Daily actions to dismantle white supremacy

• Ask Roulette: Strangers ask each other questions

• Chicken Shed Chronicles: Wonder, optimism, and inspiration by The DO Lectures

• Community Feelings: Musings, best practices, guides, and templates to help community managers build healthy networks

• Crucial Skills by Vital Smarts: On mastering crucial skills, gaining personal influence, and increasing productivity

• Curious Tribe: A weekly pep talk designed to help you live a healthier life

• Dense Discovery: A weekly newsletter helping you be productive, feel inspired, and think critically

• Honing Her Craft: About creative womxn from various industries making a living from their crafts

• Hope Mail: Personal musings on hope and faith

• Huddle Up: Breaking down the business and money behind sports

• Hung Up: Essays, interviews, recommendations, reviews, line readings, love notes, and gossip on pop culture

• Inky Memo: For stationery lovers

• Laura Olin’s newsletter: Insights and discoveries from a digital strategist

• Letters from an American: The history behind today’s politics

• Letters from Esther: Esther Perel’s monthly wisdom on relational intelligence

• Lovely Lydia: A mashup of politics, wine recommendations, recipes, and dressmaking

• Mary Kinney’s Dispatches: A monthly essay and playlist by a writer, teacher, and plant lover

• Minority Mindsets: Making financial education fun

• Mindf*ck Monday: Ideas that could potentially change everything

• Monday Morning Memo: On marketing, advertising, and creative thinking (with an audio option)

• Notes from Eva: About writing, art, and living more creatively

• Nick Gray’s Friends: Business research, tech gadgets, and productivity tips from the founder of Museum Hack

• OMGLORD: Thoughts on design and creativity, plus handy resources, by Gabby Lord

• Raw Signal: About management, leadership, and boss life in the modern workforce

• Remote Tools: Tips and stories about remote work

• Ron Orp: News and happenings around Zurich

• Selvedge magazine’s newsletter: A world of textiles

• Seth’s Blog: Insights on marketing and life from Seth Godin

• Silver Lining: Joy and affirmations for your week

• Sketchbook Skool’s Danny’s list: How to transform your creativity

• Spark Edition: Clever tools and inspiration

• The Broccoli Report: New and analysis for cannabis entrepreneurs

• The Friyay Fuel: Short, sweet, upbeat fuel for your Friday

• The Main Event: Who do we stand for? What do we decline to fall for?

• The Prepared: On engineering, manufacturing, and infrastructure

• The Red Hand Files: Letters from musician Nick Cave

• The Study: A bimonthly bookish newsletter for lifelong learners and wanderers

• Weekly Filet: Journalist David Bauer makes sense of the big issues of our time

GIF by Julie Smith Schneider

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We’ll be back next week with a brand new question, so be sure to subscribe to our Weekly Highlights newsletter to receive it straight into your inbox.

In the meantime, let’s keep the conversation going in the comments section below. What’s an email newsletter you always look forward to reading?

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