One year of Magic, Noted
And some fun plans for the next few months!
To celebrate one year of this publication, paid subscriptions are 20% off this week. If you’ve been wanting to get your hands on a Magic Badge, have access to new forms of content, and support Magic, Noted in a different way, now is a great time to sign up and receive a substantial discount. Sign up using the button below!
My, oh my — it’s been one whole year of Magic, Noted (grabs a tissue). I’m back with another post to do what I do best — reminisce. If you’d like to check out my three-month and six-month reflections, I’ve got them linked below:
Like I’ve mentioned in the two aforementioned posts, I tend to use these milestones as an opportunity to think back on recent months, give a lil’ peek into the creative process, and set some goals for the near future. This time around though, we’ll also be celebrating one year of the publication.
I started Magic, Noted because I just wanted to talk about all things Disney — the history, parks, nostalgia, and more. I didn’t know how long I would be writing for, and I didn’t know if anyone would actually be interested in what I was writing about.
One year later, I’m so happy that I took the plunge on this lil’ endeavor. Not only is Magic, Noted an on-going education, but it can often serve also a wonderful escape from the heaviness of the real world. This space represents so much for me, and I couldn’t be any more grateful to have readers like you.
Alright — let’s dive in!
What I’m most proud of
Keeping with it! I will say this on each and every one of these milestone posts because it’s probably what I’m most jazzed about. One year of writing has amounted to 42 posts, including this one. Consistency is something that I’ve always struggled with and even though I’ve had my fair share of can’t-come-to-the-phone-right-now moments over the last several months, I’ve still shown up time and time again to yap about something that I love.
Becoming a more efficient researcher and writer. The great Maya Angelou wisely said, “nothing will work unless you do.” I’ve been on both sides of that statement — operated like a machine and frozen with (fill in the blank). But no matter where I’m at or what kind of mood I’m in, sitting down — usually with a fun treat or caffeinated beverage — to dig around, research, and write each week has chiseled my brain into something that actually enjoys(?) fiddling around with words and ideas and sentences. I could get used to this!
Recognizing where my strengths lie. To be honest, I feel a bit more connected to travel content. Because I’ve lived it, I can easily speak on my experiences and offer insight and advice where confident. Coincidentally, these posts are also some of the most popular on Magic, Noted. I don’t get to visit the parks too often though, so the figurative well can dry up after a certain point. Regardless, it’s something that I’m keeping in mind for the future, and I hope I can expand more on this topic moving forward. Stay tuned… (wink)
Sharing what I love, even if it doesn’t get the clicks. This is always one of the more humbling aspects of content creation and even though it can be sort of a bummer, it happens. Not every post is going to be a winner and that’s okay! Not to be all sappy ‘n stuff, but it’s in these moments that I really find my place (and trust) in the creative journey. It’s not always easy but it’s most certainly always worth it.
My favorite posts from the last six months
Magic Badges
From Skyliners to park maps to Mickey Premium Bars (yum!), we’ve seen it all over the last 12 months. It gives me so much joy to see these stickers laid out next to each other and if you received any of them in mail, I hope they made you smile too.
Since their launch last May, Magic Badges have been mailed out every month. While I enjoyed releasing new designs at this frequency, the process was a lil’ tough to manage. I gave myself a year to feel it out but paired with the changing economic landscape, I decided to switch things up. I explained it all in this post, but here’s the TLDR version: paid subscriptions are decreasing in price and Magic Badges will be designed for and mailed out every other month.
Additionally, paid subscribers can expect to see more die-cut stickers rather than the traditional circular stickers. This allows me more freedom to get creative with the designs, and I can already tell you that the June/July Magic Badge is sure to bring some delight!
Goals for the next three months
Lean into some different content, which will be coming soon! Don’t worry — it’s all still Disney-related. While I’m having fun on my trip to Walt Disney World, I’ll also be busy chippin’ away on several ideas that I’ve had stored away for many months. I’m hoping it’ll shake things up a lil’ bit and allow me to stretch my legs and explore some different areas of content creation.
As mentioned in this post, paid subscribers will receive early access to some of this content. Subscriptions are 20% off this week, so it’s a great time to sign up and (bonus!) also receive a Magic Badge in the mail.
Keep up with my on-going goals, like:
Recording and adding audio recordings to posts,
Being more active on Substack’s chat and social features, and
Creating a Magic, Noted content calendar for Instagram.
Continuing to grow our lovely group of Disney nerds, both on and off of Substack. Say it with me: self-promotion feels remarkably strange but it’s necessary! I’m not the best at it right now, but I’m working on it. Hopefully I’ll have an update on this for the next milestone post.
Things I’m looking forward to
Like I alluded to above, I’m really jazzed about introducing different kinds of trip-related content over the next couple months. I won’t give anything away just yet, but know that it will involve regular posts and video. Oh — and if you’re a paid subscriber, you’ll get early access to it when it drops!
Possibly taking a lil’ summer trip to visit one of my favorite places, the Walt Disney Family Museum. It’s still in the planning phase but hopefully — fingers crossed — we can make it happen! If we do hop over to California, you can bet that I’ll be documenting it for y’all this time around.
Well, that’s all, folks! I say this in each of these milestone posts, but if you’ve subscribed and interacted with my posts at any point in time, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It means so much that you choose to be here, and I hope you’ll stick around because I’ve got lots of things planned for the next few months!
Be sure to smash that lil’ heart icon below and leave a comment to let me know if you’ve got an idea for topic you’d love to see featured here! As always, thank you so much for reading. I appreciate you being here.
See ya real soon,
👋🏻 Lookin’ for more magic? Come say “hi” on Instagram!
☕ Help fuel those early mornings and late nights by buying me a coffee
💬 Found something in this post that resonated with you? Highlight and share it as a note to your Substack feed!
💌 Spread the magic by sending this post to a fellow Disney nerd
🗣️ Got a Substack of your own? Recommend Magic, Noted to your readers!