Edition 136 + My 3 Year Vision

A look back at my online writing journey...and looking forward

Sep 09, 2023

Hey friends,

Greetings from Ashoka University, India!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen many fellow writers celebrate their 50th or 100th weekly article online. This made me think, “How long have I been writing online?”

Many people know that I joined Write of Passage in 2022, an online writing school that accelerated by creator-trajectory.

What people don’t know is that I was already writing online for a year before that. I consumed all of WOP’s free material online, setting up my website and writing system by myself. For a year, I did everything on my own, making all the mistakes I possibly could (like starting to write on WordPress instead of Substack). But I’ve learnt and grown from it.

After diving into my archives, I realised that the first article I ever published was 135 weeks ago, making this my 136th issue!

At this milestone, I am revealing my plan for the next three years.

My 3 year vision

* If I achieve everything in this vision document, then I haven’t been ambitious enough. Also, I might add things to this as I move forward. We’ll have to wait and see.

My upcoming book - Wild Wanderlust

For the past two years, I’ve been working on my memoir. It is a compilation of my experiences exploring the natural world over the last six years. In it, I run after snakes and away from elephants.

Now, the book is in its editing phase and should be ready to publish by the end of 2023. Fingers crossed.

With this book, I hope to:

Get a feel for writing books. I suspect I’ll be doing a lot of that moving forward.
Get opportunities in this space (be that internships, collaborations, consulting gigs, or more).
Refine my writing so that it is more reflective and emotional.
Learn how to take photographs and make art for a book (this book has my photographs and artwork).
Connect with experts and like-minded people in this space.

Podcast about Nature, Wildlife and More

This is my next big project; my level up AFTER the book is out.

Our world is gearing heavily towards short-form content. TikTok and Instagram reels have shortened our attention spans to dangerously low levels. My belief (and bet) is that in this climate of ephemeral content, people yearn for long-form content.

I’ve been waiting years for deep, insightful conversations where we discuss ideas around wildlife and the environment. And podcasts are the best way of catering to that.

The podcast would be interviews with these professionals, where I dive into their journeys and mine them for insights that can help me. It is an excuse to have these conversations, provide value to my audience (and thus grow it), and strengthen my personal brand.

There are numerous other benefits I see by starting a podcast:

Connecting with experts
Improving my presentation and public speaking skills
Strengthening my brand
Getting used to this creator-life
Collecting insights for another book (this book would be WAY into the future
Getting a real-world education in ecology and conservation
It is an asset that compounds over time. (You put the effort into making the podcast once, and it lives online forever

I’ve already invested in some equipment, and I’m currently working on the branding, systems, guest list and more.

This may sow the seeds for a future media company I could build. Who knows?

Nilgai study in Asawarpur, Haryana, India

I currently study at Ashoka University, India’s leading Liberal Arts university located in Sonipat, Haryana. Surrounding it are fields of maize and mustard, where herds of nilgai antelope are almost always in residence. Since September 2022, I’ve been following these herds, monitoring their movements, location and behaviour. 5 days a week, I run a 10-kilometre circuit, scouring the landscape for these antelope (and getting in my cardio at the same time!)

I have been interested in wildlife biology FOREVER, but I haven’t been able to conduct a formal study until now. This is how I satisfy that inner wannabe-wildlife biologist in me!

I approached my professor with the data, and with her guidance, I devised a study that monitors three things:

How does their herd composition vary over time and space? How does their herd size vary during the year? Does the sex composition change during certain months? Does it have anything to do with the resources available?
What landscapes are they using, and what are they avoiding? What fields do they prefer, and what fields do they avoid? Where are they resting, and where are they grazing?
How they live in a semi-urban, disturbed landscape: Does the presence of the highway affect where they roam? How do they behave/move in a semi-urban, disturbed space vs. in the wild?

These objectives could change as I collect more data. I might even come up with new research questions. Conversely, I might not be able to answer some of these questions satisfactorily. But that doesn’t matter. All I can do now is collect the data and analyze the trends.

Heroes in 500 Faces

In May 2022, I published my project “Heroes in a 100 Faces”. It comprised 100 portraits/stories of common folk from across India. The goal was to celebrate the beauty in the ordinary person. It was my way of rebelling against this world of beauty standards and stereotypical good looks.

I could not believe how much people resonated with this project. Folks from several countries reached out, telling me how much they were moved. I couldn’t fathom I would receive such an outpouring of support.

I AM SCALING THIS UP because I believe so strongly in this message. Now, I’ve started work on Heroes in 500 Faces. The message is the same, but I hope to cover more states and get more portraits. I’m upping the quality of the photographs as well. Out of this project, only 20-30 will make it into the new project.

I want to make that into a book of its own. Publishers, hit me up!

Here is the link to Heroes in a 100 Faces.

One thing I thought I’d have more clarity on is HOW I’d define my personal brand. One thing I’m struggling with is having a concise phrase that sums up most of my work. (That is why I refrain from sharing ALL my work online; did you, for instance, know I am a sculptor?)

I am putting a stake in the ground and saying, “This is what I’m going to do. I’m here to achieve my dreams and more. I trust my passion and perseverance, and I’m not stopping for ANYONE. I’m going to do this."

The future belongs to those who stand up and seize it. Writing this vision has been my own write of passage.

Now watch me.

Reflecting on writing for 136 weeks

When I told my friends that I’d been doing this for 136 weeks (a little more than two years), they thought I’d be super elated. They said I ought to celebrate this in some grand fashion.

But to be honest, I don’t feel any different.

Writing this has become a part of my life. I need to do this. It is a weekly record of my work, of how I am trying to live the life of a creator. I will be writing this newsletter for the foreseeable future.

I can’t wait to see what else I have in store for me.

If you support my work (and want a free reading list), SUBSCRIBE!

Here are some links I enjoyed this week:

How to Write Online & Accelerate Your Career: Do you want to know what Write of Passage is about? Watch this.
How Squid Game Revived Netflix and Took over the World - Colin and Sameer are two creators who I’ve just stumbled into, and I LOVE them. Watch this video and you’ll love them too.
Angela Duckworth on “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance”: The Next Chapter by American Express Business Class is a podcast I’ve recently been introduced to.

Postcard

This is another sketch that just didn’t work out. It was too rushed, and the outlines has too many mistakes. This will not be in my book.

Considering how much I love snakes, I thought that drawing them would be a breeze. But shading them is a lot harder than one would imagine. This piece is proof of that.

Last week, I wrote about my experience attempting to illustrate my book. In that, I said that some pieces just aren’t going to end up the way you want. It’s all part of the process. I will just have to try again. Fortunately, I love making art!

Favourite Quote

I am sharing this quote again because it is my guiding principle. It is what I think of whenever I feel down, or when I feel uninspired.

The things that you feel most deeply, from the very bottom of your heart, will never deceive you in the slightest. - Genzaburo Yoshino

Have a creative, energetic and inspiring week!

If you’re new, welcome to The Owlet! My name is Ishan Shanavas, and I am an Artist, Photographer, Writer and Student of the Natural World.

Here I talk about my work, along with curating the most interesting ideas on the internet. I confine them to topics like Nature, Culture, Photography, and Art but often fall prey to other genres.

I would greatly appreciate it if you shared my newsletter and work with your friends. It really helps me out :)