The Part We Don’t Post About

It’s been 22 hours since I opened registration for my first in-person Creativity Circle.

I sent a newsletter to 2,669 people. 30% opened it in 11 hours. No one signed up.

I posted on Nextdoor, Facebook, and Instagram stories—platforms I had intentionally stepped away from.

I reached out directly to over 20 people via email, text, and WhatsApp.

Two said they’re in but haven’t registered. Everyone else already had plans. Those two might come. Who knows?

This isn’t a pity post.

It’s just the truth of what this part looks like.

We’re told:

“Put yourself out there.”

“People want in-person gatherings.”

“If you build it, they’ll come.”

But what’s left out is how exhausting it is to hold that much hope and silence at the same time.

Even when you have a loyal newsletter community and years of online engagement, offering something in person feels like starting from scratch.

Especially when what I’m offering doesn’t come with a clear outcome or a skills checklist.

This isn’t a craft class.

It’s a small, quiet circle for creative presence.

No agenda. No pressure. No performance.

Which makes it even harder to “market.”

And yet, it still needs outreach. Multiple messages. Refined language. Different angles—not because I’m trying to manipulate people into showing up, but because I’m trying to help them see what this actually is.

The setting of our quiet creativity circle—right here in my backyard

That part is draining.

It’s not that I don’t believe in what I’m offering. I do.

But there’s a gap between believing in something and watching others pass it by.

That gap brings up doubt. Insecurity. The voice that says,

“Maybe it wasn’t clear. Maybe it’s too niche. Maybe you missed something.”

And I know it’s only been a day. But a day after opening your heart to strangers can feel like a very l-o-n-g time.

So I’m sharing this here not as a strategy, but as solidarity.

If you’ve ever put something out into the world—something real, something meaningful—and been met with silence, you’re not alone.

This part is real, too.

The part where we keep showing up.

Where we re-center. Reframe. Remember why we said yes to the offering in the first place.

Not because people rushed to RSVP.

But because it mattered to us.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

And if you have friends in the Bay Area, California, here’s the invitation.