Mind of a Maker
A daily blog inspired by Matthew Dicks
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
To become better at something, you have to practice. What better way to become a better writer and storyteller than to practice by making a habit of writing daily?
In this daily blog, we’ll discuss Maker-related topics as well as what inspires projects, including YouTube videos, Movies, TV Shows, Disney, Star Wars, LEGO, Books, and more. Everything is on the table, and nothing is off-limits.
Disclaimer: The thumbnail images featured on this blog are often AI-generated. See Disclosure page for more information.
5 Topic Frameworks For Writing A Maker Newsletter
Many know they need a newsletter, but worry they'll run out of ideas to write about, so steal these.
• The 2 Year Test
• What you wish you knew before starting
• Under/over rated techniques
• Quick, niche projects
• Unpopular opinions
What Newsletter Writers Can Learn From McDonald’s CEO Video
Would you from 2 years ago subscribe to your newsletter?
If not, it's too dense.
If so, you're on the right track.
Write for who you wanted to become 2 years ago.
4 Easy Ways To Find The Best Topics For Your Newsletter
Most Makers struggle to come up with ideas to write in a weekly newsletter, but with these 4 ways, you’ll never run out of ideas.
1. Poll your social audience
2. Find recurring ideas in comments
3. Give more details from recent videos
4. Expand winning short-form ideas
With these ways, you'll never run out of newsletter issue ideas to write about.
The Best Calls To Action Formats By Platform
Only 1, free value CTA per content piece.
• YouTube - Watch a video
• Newsletter - PS nudge
• Instagram - Comment a word
• Twitter/X - Direct to a pinned post
CTAs should simple, but give more free value.
The 1 Reason Businesses Should Start A Newsletter Now
Social media algorithms seem to change every day and more platforms seem to be moving to pay-to-play models.
On social media, you rent your audience.
You own your email list.
Valuable email isn't dead. Only emails that always pitch.
Notification & CTA-Only Newsletters Are Dead
Most people fundamentally don't like email newsletters.
Our email inboxes are already crammed full of bills, orders delayed in shipping, the 3 themed days for our kid's school this week, and updated terms and conditions for some streaming platform. Why would we consciously add even more things to sift through till we get to the emails we actually care about? And that's just our personal inboxes.
3 Reasons Articles & Newsletters Could Skyrocket in 2026
Visual content is more accessible than ever, so why would written content like articles and newsletters be on my radar for 2026?
2 Reasons You Shouldn't Discount Email Marketing For Makers
Your email inbox is already overflowing, so why should you even think about keeping up with your own newsletter?
Every website you go to has an annoying pop-up or "subscribe for news and updates" form buried at the bottom of the webpage. So if it's already so saturated (and usually annoying), should you even try?
3 Faulty Beliefs Maker Small Businesses Have About Newsletters
You've graduated from hobby to trying to build up your side hustle Making things, but dislike the idea of starting a newsletter.
I overall dislike most newsletters as well, but it's still an extremely powerful platform that can explode your business if done correctly.
To do that, we need to change how we think about it.
3 Reasons Your Maker Businesses Won’t Grow As Well Without A Newsletter
Taken the leap and are trying to turn your Maker side hustle into a business, but it’s not growing how you want?
Don’t worry, every entrepreneur has run into this and Maker businesses are no different.