Hello Reader,

I found out recently that Shel Silverstein wrote several songs for Dr. Hook's first two albums.

Most people know Silverstein through Where the Sidewalk Ends, or maybe "A Boy Named Sue" for Johnny Cash. But "Cover of the Rolling Stone"? "Sylvia's Mother"? That was him too.

The first instinct is to say that doesn't fit. Which is exactly the wrong instinct. It fits perfectly — it just requires you to look at the right thing. Silverstein wasn't a children's poet who also wrote rock anthems. He was a creator who worked in whatever form the idea asked for. The vessel changed. The gift didn't.

I'm writing this from Boise, where I'm just finished attending Craft + Commerce — Kit's annual conference for creators. Podcasters, writers, coaches, photographers, educators. You walk into a room like this and the labels blur quickly. Everyone here followed something toward their work, and the work kept moving. That's not a coincidence. That's what creators do.

There's a quote I return to often: The meaning of love is discovering your gift. The work of your life is developing it. The purpose of life is to give it away.

What I keep noticing is how many people stop at the first line. They find the gift, name it, and spend years defending that name. The gift doesn't care what you call it.

I came here to sharpen my craft around an upcoming book, to see people I've known online for years, and to sit inside that particular energy of people asking honestly: what am I really here to make? That question doesn't have a final answer. It just has the next honest one.

Silverstein didn't hold a press conference before writing those songs. He just followed the gift to where it wanted to go.

That's the model.

The Final Flicker

The gift that built what you're known for was never meant to stop there. It already knows the next move. The only question is whether you trust it enough to follow.

See you later,
Mike

P.S. One of the things I value most about Kit is the Creator Network — a place to find creators worth knowing, cross-promote with people whose audiences align with yours, and grow without going it alone. It's the spirit of a room like Craft + Commerce, available any time. Click here to check it out.​

Thanks for reading. Your time is valuable, and I don’t take it for granted. In a world pulling us in all directions, thanks for choosing The Lantern.