Don’t read my blog, read theirs

Over many years, and many abortive attempts to run a blog, I have learned one thing very clearly: an awful lot of writing is theft.

This is my second iteration of Millennial Gent, and the fourth blog I have tried to run since I first started writing one about 20 years ago. In that time, I’ve also spent a fair few years making a living writing as a journalist and copy-writer, and I have about half a dozen nascent ideas for books and short stories, and a very limited poetry collection. As I have put together this melee of scribbles, I have realised the truth of the statement that most of what I am doing is reading other people’s stuff and using it to craft something of my own.

I don’t mean to diminish what I’m doing, with that statement, and I certainly don’t want to cast aspersions on the work of those who write far better than I do. But it does seem to ring true.

The French author and Nobel Prize winner André Gide put it better than me:

“Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again.”

See? Stealing.

The point of this is that I figure I should give back to those I have stolen from over the years, and who I continue to steal from today. So here is a list, certainly not an exhaustive one, of the people I read, emulate and steal from. I heartily suggest giving each of them a click. Their work is great.

Austin Kleon

I feel like I’m on safe ground here, as Austin Kleon is a NYT Best Seller with a book called Steal Like An Artist, where he extolls the importance of stealing in the creative process. The book is brilliant, as are his follow-ups Show Your Work and Keep Going. But what I am here to direct you to in particular is his blog and Substack, where he talks about artistic process and shares tidbits and insights which are a joyful goldmine of brilliance, curated and shared for our enjoyment. There is also lots about owls and biking. His two weekly newsletters are a treasure trove and a genuine delight.

The Londoner

I first started reading this blog soon after leaving uni and it quickly came to represent what I wanted a blog to be: a fun, personal window to someone’s life. In the years since, Rosie, the author, has evolved her style and her blog, and I really enjoy the fact it has grown with her. Two of her recipes, the avocado pasta and the slutty brownies, are also fixtures in my cooking set list.

Grey Fox Blog

This menswear blog by David Evans is a perfect example of what I wanted to – and still want to do – with ShortMan Style. His advice is tailored to the older gentleman and showcases the fact that style does not have an age. Mr Evans also works with and highlights some of the best British brands in the market, so it is an excellent armoire for style and brand tips.

Absolutely by Shaun Kitchener

This is the first of two on this list by people who I am lucky enough to know personally. Shaun is a fantastic columnist and writer, penning scripts for Hollyoaks and his own shows, as well as a column for the Metro and hosting a blog and radio show under his Electric Angels banner (also worth checking out). Absolutely is a decadent plunge into the cultural zeitgeist which has become my go-to way of trying to stay in touch with what the cool kids are talking about. It is also a masterclass in bringing a passion to life for others to share – or learn from.

Commitment Issues

This substack from Lucy Thackray is just a joy to read. Lucy is a brilliant travel writer and restaurant critic, who has featured in The Times, the Independent, Radio Times and Woman and Home, among others and is the person I would ask if I ever needed tips on the best places to go in NYC or a host of other cities around the world. In Commitment Issues she turns her wit and turn of phrase onto the question of not how to find a partner, but what happens next?

The Blogess

This blog just makes me smile. It is, to me, largely what I want a blog to be, which is a digital diary, a completely personal space for you to share with anyone who might be interested. Or who might not. Who cares? Written by bookshop proprietress and NYT Best Seller Jenny Lawson, it features a forthright and honest turn which both hits you in the face and lifts your soul.

The others I steal from most frequently are Editor’s Letters by the likes of Tom Hodgkinson in Idler and Wei Koh in The Rake, both well worth checking out if you have a moment.

But for now, that seems like plenty to be getting on with. Read. Steal. Enjoy.

Let me know your favourite blogs and Substacks in the comments, or drop me a line.