(Nimue mostly)
David has already had a pop at this on his substack, which you can read over here - https://davidbridger.substack.com/p/a-get-to-know-me-questionnaire and you might want to sign up for.
How long have you been a content creator?
I hate this term and I think it devalues creativity and those of us who work in the creative industries. I've been writing professionally since my mid twenties. I've been a writer performer, musician and generally creative person my whole life. Some things I do for the sheer joy of it, some of the things I do to pay the bills. I'm not into creating content. I'm into sharing ideas, stories, beauty, strangeness and charm.
What is your professional name and what is the significance behind it?
I've been through a few names at this point as a writer and as a person. Nimue is my middle name and it sits with my surname better than my first name does. It's a name from Arthurian legend - sometimes a lady of the lake, often embroiled with Merlin.
What inspired you to start writing?
Exposure to books, stories and poetry at an early age. My father was writing and that showed me that writing was a thing a person could do. He's still writing and has a weekly Hopeless, Maine column.
Is there a new style of content that you want to try?
I'm always easily tempted by new things. I find light novels interesting, but I'd need to find a story I could illustrate myself, or the right person to work with.
What are your hobbies outside of writing?
'Hobbies' is another term I'm uneasy about. My life involves reading a lot. I like making things - crafting and baking mostly. I walk, I dance, I play music and love live music. Druidry, folk and steampunk are the places I call home.
How do you plan out your content?
When I'm planning non-fic I figure out titles and content areas for chapters first. With fiction I have a list of key plot points which I fettle as I go. I prefer not to plan too much but not all projects allow me to wing them.
What are the tools of your trade?
A big mug, a good window, paper and pens. I do most of the typing on a laptop and much of the necessary self promotion from a desktop because it handles images more effectively.
As a content creator do you experience burnout? If so, what does that look like for you and how do you recover?
I've suffered with this a lot in the past, made worse by despair and physical illness. At the moment I'm doing well. I think the key things are to feed my brain good things, to have an emotionally satisfying life and plenty of inspiration. Happiness wards off burnout and when I focus on being happy I'm a better and more effective creator
Which work are you most proud of and why?
I've written a lot of books over the years, and how I feel about any of them varies a lot. I'm really not good at picking favourites on any front
Do you believe there are misconceptions about being a magical or pagan content creator?
That you should give everything away for free is a big one, which ignores how much privilege that requires. The main misconception about writing is that either you're a huge financial success, or you are a failure. In reality most of us live somewhere in between there, with small followings, selling books and not raking in the big bucks.
What do you like and dislike about being a content creator?
I dislike the term, and alongside it I dislike the way in which creativity is devalued in our profit orientated culture. I like pushing back, and celebrating the human soul, making beauty for the sake of it. I really like the days when I feel able to invest heart and soul in the worthwhile nature of what I'm doing, and when I resist the pressures to conform.
What are some of the challenges and struggles you face creating your content and how do you overcome them?
In the past the biggest challenges have been around having the energy to create while also needing to invest most of my time and energy in bill-paying work. Then for a while my biggest challenge was being too ill to do anything much. Currently my biggest challenge is time management because I have a lot of projects on the go and I'm having to be clever about juggling things.
What is your opinion on monetization, paywalls, and exclusive content?
I make a lot of my work freely available. Some of it I sell. I appreciate that everyone has to eat and I support all individual creators in handling that whatever way works best for them. It is frustrating when large, profit-making companies keep important information - like academic papers - behind paywalls, especially knowing that the people doing the work do not benefit financially from that.
Do you have any boundaries on this platform why or why not?
I am protective of other people's privacy, and I won't allow any comments that are abusive of other people who have commented. I do allow more malicious comments through because often this gives me productive opportunities to tackle issues and sometimes I follow through on that with blog posts.
Do you have any current goals for your output?
I just want to keep doing what I do and have fun with it. I'd like to be more economically successful but in the current economic crisis, too many people have no money for nice things, which is making it hard for all creative folk right now. I'd like to live in a kinder society that supports people in having good lives.
What are some of the mistakes that you made and how did you fix them?
I don't really think about my history in terms of mistakes. I learn from the experiences I have, I experiment and try different things. You can't know how some things will work until you try them so how can what you try be a mistake?
Have you ever wanted to quit writing content and why?
Many times when I was depressed and exhausted and no longer able to believe there was any point trying. Support and encouragement from others has kept me going.
What did you wish you had known before starting this journey?
To focus more on my own happiness.
Do you post on any other platforms?
I'm all over the place and feeling too lazy to put all the links in this post, but most of them are on the front page of the Druid Life blog, so if you poke about you can find them. I don't reuse content, so you'll find different things different places.
Do you have any advice for anyone starting this journey?
Do it for love, and do the things that give you most joy. The odds of making a living at this are slim and focusing on what makes you happy is a better life choice.
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