👋🏽 Doors Opening

Hey! Welcome to the Creator Economy NYC newsletter — your weekly dose of actionable insights and strategies to help you build, monetize, and scale as a creator.

This week hit different. Heavy news, toxic social feeds, and that overwhelming feeling where nothing seems to work right.

As creators, we feel extra pressure to always be "on"… but sometimes you need permission to just... stop. So we’re exploring an approach to that.

Plus, we're hosting another Creator Walk at the end of the month! Details below.

Let's dive in.

🛍️ Brought to you by Shopify 

From creator to brand owner

There’s a creator in our community who turned audience feedback into a thriving business.

For years, AmandaRachLee’s YouTube fans said they wished they could journal like her but didn’t feel they had the artistic skill.

Amanda saw an opportunity: create the tools that would make it possible for them.

That idea became Shop ARL, her stationery brand built on Shopify.

What started as simple merch grew into a beloved line of planners, notebooks, and stickers, all tied to the friendly, creative face her community trusted.

Most importantly, Shopify gave Amanda the foundation to turn her art into sustainable income. 

Instead of relying only on sponsorships or the pressure of weekly uploads, she can now create on her own terms.

Her focus today is on steady, authentic growth and finding more joy in the creative process.

Ready to turn your creative passion into a brand?

✍️ Spotlight

When creators should stop the scroll

This week sucked.

The news was heavy, social media felt toxic, and honestly I couldn't focus on much of anything. Maybe you felt it too. That weird energy where everything feels harder than it should be.

As creators, there's this constant pressure to always be creating, always be consuming, always be "on." You open Instagram to scroll for inspo and suddenly you're hit with a wall of heavy news mixed in with the content you actually came there to see.

But some weeks the world is just a lot to stomach. And it feels wrong not to acknowledge that you're allowed to step back, both from creating AND from the endless scroll.

The creator's trap

I didn't accomplish what I wanted to accomplish this week. Frankly, I was overwhelmed and mentally distraught. I'm saying this almost as a way to talk to myself, but also to be honest with you, even we creators need permission to have shitty, low-energy weeks, and to step away.

Here's what happens: you feel pressure to maintain consistency, to keep showing up, to never break your posting schedule. So you open the apps to create or find inspiration, and you're immediately bombarded with whatever chaos is happening in the world. You can't just consume the content that's relevant to your work. It unfortunately all comes in one feed.

You tell yourself you need to stay active on these platforms for your business. But sometimes staying plugged in means absorbing way more than you bargained for.

What to actually do

When everything feels overwhelming:

• Close the apps making it worse (yes, even the ones you "need" for work)

• Step away from the endless scroll

• Let your posting schedule slip for a few days

• Stop consuming content for inspiration and just exist

• Go for a walk without your phone

Your audience will survive if you miss a few posts. The algorithm will recover. The fear that stepping away will hurt your momentum is usually way worse than the actual impact. Give yourself some grace.

The bottom line

Recognize that this isn't your equilibrium. You don't have to be creating or consuming 24/7 just because you're a creator. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is just... stop.

Take the weekend. Actually disconnect from the apps. Come back Monday when you're ready.

The work will still be there. Your audience will still be there. Your momentum won't disappear because you took a few days to be human.

🎪 City Happenings

Creator Walk returns Sept 27 in Central Park!

Join us in Central Park on September 27 for another casual stroll with fellow creators! A chance to connect, chat, and create some content in the heart of NYC!

Mixer, Panel, and New Branding Celebration with Teachable

Join us on October 21 as Teachable unveils its new brand identity and we explore what’s next at the intersection of creators and education.

This will be a more intimate gathering than our typical events, so please note that capacity is much more limited.

🫡 Perks & Recs

Tools and resources that'll help you build, scale, and streamline, with exclusive discounts when I can swing them.

• Stanley: New AI tool that's actually useful. Connects to your LinkedIn, analyzes your past content, and helps craft high-performing posts in your voice. Perfect for creators who want to nail LinkedIn but don't want to overthink it. And it’s free.

• Teachable: A platform I recommend to creators who want to monetize their expertise. Whether you’re teaching marketing, music, or Minecraft, Teachable makes it simple to create, launch, and sell courses without overcomplicating it.

• beehiiv: What I use to write this newsletter (85 weeks and counting). Clean interface, great analytics, and email delivery that actually works. 20% off your first 3 months.

📚 Resources

LAUNCHING SOON: "F*ck It, Create It" Course (Early Access)

I've been heads down working on our first creator education course: "F*ck It, Create It."

It's designed to break through the mental barriers that keep you stuck in planning mode instead of creating mode.

I’m looking for early testers to help shape the course. Jump in early and get a limited-edition hat plus access to resources, challenges, and community accountability.

2 FREE resources to accelerate your creator growth

The Creator Goal Setting Guide: A simple but powerful document to help you declare who you want to BECOME in 2025.

The Creator Accountability System: Your visual companion for consistent creation in 2025 (I’m using this now to send one newsletter a week!)

✌🏽 Stand Clear of the Closing Doors Please

Thanks for reading! I hope the only thing you scroll for the remainder of the day is this newsletter!

Brett