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Hey Reader,

“You’re so brave,” is what people always say when they find up I’m also a stand-up comedian.

Which makes me laugh for a bunch of reasons, not least that I find socialising with strangers MUCH more terrifying than standing on a stage.

But they don’t understand that, so I like to introduce them to something TRULY impressive: improv “gangsta rap” on cue that’s also verrrrry funny.

Last night we went to see MC Hammersmith at his show “Hippity Hoppity Get Off My Property” and he was brilliant. The MC is a skinny glasses-wearing nerdy white guy.

When you think “white rapper” you instantly picture either Vanilla Ice and cringe so hard you turn inside out, or Eminem who does it properly.

MC Hammersmith is neither. He avoids true cringe by creating this posh public school persona that works, makes you laugh, but doesn’t make you want to hide under your chair.

Then he impresses the socks off you.

For instance: during the second half he asked everyone to take out the weirdest thing in their bag or pocket and hold it up. Then he went around the room, rapping the entire time, riffing off whatever caught his eye that people were holding up: a small tub of vaseline, a packet of FemFresh, a National Insurance card, a melted bar of chocolate (Wispa, if you’re wondering).

His memory is impressive. His call backs masterful.

I can’t imagine having to do that for over an hour with different cues every night.

But then I remember: he didn’t start with an hour-long show. He probably started like we all start — with 5 minutes at an open mic.

Does this work? Yeah. Do it more.

This? Nope. Cut it.

How about this? Hmm, maybe with a bit of tweaking.

The creative process is the creative process, whatever you’re creating — stand-up comedy routines, music, a painting, your book…

The one thing I can absolutely guarantee is that MC Hammersmith did not bash out his fully formed one-hour show to great acclaim all at once.

He’s still not finished, either. He’ll be watching back the videos of his shows, seeing where we laughed, where we didn’t, what worked and what needs to go. Then he’ll iterate again.

That’s how we make stuff.

As for me? I had a supremely embarrassing (and also hilarious) encounter with the guy on the door in which I was covered with autism and you KNOW that’s going into my next stand-up show as an example of why I find peopleling so very difficult because EVERYTHING IS AN IDEA.

Is it brave to stand up in front of people and say, “Here, I made this for you — I hope you enjoy it”? Yes, very.

Is it scary? Absolutely.

Should we do it anyway? ONE HUNDRED PERCENT.

There are three ways to work with me to write your book in April and May — check out the bottom of this email.

Before you do, though — time for the Friday Goodie Bag. We’re back, baby!

Just Get Dressed online launch!

What are you doing on Tuesday, April 28 between 1-3pm? Oh, you have a little space in your calendar? EXCELLENT. Get yourself booked onto Samantha Harman’s online book launch party right here. I’m speaking at it, btw. Come see us!

And you can pre-order her book here.

I’ve been Samantha’s editor and I am SO PROUD of the work I’ve done on her book. I am SO proud of Samantha for doing it. It contains an incredible depth of ideas, research, and wisdom, and it’s NOT what you might be thinking it is. It’s not really about clothes.

Lemony Snicket’s advice on writing a thank you letter

You may know that I’m a huge fan of writing letters. I’m also a huge fan of helping people to write letters when they may not know quite how to start. So when I found this advice from Daniel Handler in his books A Series of Unfortunate Events, via his character Lemony Snicket, I had to share it.

Who could you write a thank-you letter to today?

QuillBot which makes citing sources soooooo easy

I’m constantly on the hunt for AI solutions that will make my life genuinely easier (rather than the lazy outsourcing of brains to write AI slop that is infesting the entire world right now) and while I was working on Samantha’s book, I found QuillBot. Samantha, as a former journalist, has done her research — which means her book is filled with references, which are a RIGHT PITA to list and cite. QuillBot does it quickly, easily, and for free. It saved us HOURS. You’re welcome.

It also checks for plagiarism and AI generated writing. Winner winner chicken dinner!

(Although when AIs check on their brethren it always makes me wonder if those snitches will get stitches when the robots take over)

Violating copyright, not the planet

I can’t remember where I heard about Mumumelon but once I’d picked myself up off the floor from laughing, I had a dig around. The first thing you see on their website is models who are not a size zero (first win) and the second thing is this tagline: “We copied lululemon’s designs and made them less terrible for the environment.”

This is the kind of guerilla changemaking I love to see. Exploitative designs? Cool. We’re gonna exploit YOU. See how you like THEM melons.

What I like best of all? They’ve only made 43 products with no plans to make more. This entire exercise is to embarass lululemon into doing better. Mumumelon is actually DOING SOMETHING. Read their story here. Get involved here.

Love in the time of mutually assured destruction

My buddy Marc Thomas messaged me a while ago to tell me he was working on some fiction and was overthinking it. “Okay awesome,” said I. “I’ll pester you next week via WhatsApp to show it to me.” We never got that far because a couple of days later he sent me Y Fallout, a weird postapocalyptic short story series in the form of a podcast. I love it. Mostly, though, I love that he MADE it and put it out there. They’re only about 15 minutes long and there are only 3 of them so far but you should go and listen. Then pester Marc to make some more.

What I’m reading

I’m currently deep in research mode for the book I’m writing, so I’m reading Autism in Adults by Luke Beardon — a short but interesting book.

And also Untypical by Pete Wharmby, which I’m not far into yet.

I have books about autism in women on reservation from the library, but there are fewer of those. Shocking, I know.

Between those, I’m reading The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks, which has already changed my life a little bit. I’m stepping up. Watch out world. I’ve got some big goals — financial and business and personal. By this time next year I want a half-million pound business. By the following year, a million. I want to make an obscene amount of money because with that money, I can make real lasting change in the world for ALL OF US. I want that for you, too. I want more money in the hands of women because women create community and build for the future. But first we have to stop feeling embarrassed or ashamed or whatever.

As an aside: living in this timeline has finally cured my imposter syndrome. It should cure yours, too. Just turn on the news and look at what these clowns are doing to the world. Now step up and do what you do best, please.

What I’m writing

Please see above, haha. Also writing my Brighton Fringe Festival stand-up set which I’ll be performing on May 9 eeeeeek. And resurrecting my podcast Notes in the Margin. Watch this space!

Word of the week

zenith

Because this was a random word shouted by an audience member that MC Hammersmith created a rap around last night. It’s also a brilliant word because I want YOU to reach your zenith. Reach higher. Level it up. GO.

Quote of the week

I don’t know if Yinka coined this, but she quoted it in her call this week about how women need to make our own money to create the change we want to see. And she’s damn right.

We should ALL be rich. Let’s make it so.

TTFN,

Vicky 🫡

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