We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the Gundungurra land on which WinWin is created.
I’m not the confessional type. I think friends would probably say that I might be a little tortoise-like to open up. Don’t exactly like looking stupid or feeling out of control. My flatmates in my 20s used to say certain topics were “not Jo-able”. It took me about ten years with one friend to finally tell her that I struggle sometimes with anxiety. “Well duh, Jo,” she probably thought!
Needless to say WinWin’s ‘Letter from the Editor’ prompts the jitters. The idea of an ‘authentic’ personal brand — which I’m told is essential for Ambitious Editors and Start-up Founders — makes me want to rip ALL of my social media accounts out of my life like a bandaid. As always, this Letter is the very last thing for me to write up and drop in, basically because there’s nowhere to go. I should remember it’s never as hard as I think it will be. So here I am. Fun! How meta.
But we’ll all agree that not everything has to be totally communicated and spelled out, right? That’s exhausting. I’ve mentioned only a few things above, in the least vague terms I could muster, and put a fork in me, I’m done.
Thankfully we have lots of ways to flesh out who we are. WinWin is a prime example. At the beginning of an Edition I might have a sort-of whimsical low-level interest in an idea. In this Edition, it was ‘grey areas’.
The spaces in between.
In recent years I’ve tried (really hard) to learn to be a little less black and white about things. If you haven’t gently mused over the concept, or quietly experimented introducing this positioning into your life, then having kids will crash it into your very living room in a most inelegant, often breakable way. Cute!
My ongoing task is to see that things are not binary: my relationship (not ‘good’ or ‘bad’); political issues (not straightforward); the love I have for my kids (not always demonstrated in relaxed strolls, dewy-eyed affection and goddess-like patience); my friendships (nuanced and evolving over time); my work (never perfect); me (circling back to not ‘good’ or ‘bad’).
With WinWin — and what’s far more interesting than my own reading of an idea — is what happens when contributors come into play. For example, I’d talk to WinWin’s writers about ‘grey areas’, ‘things not being black or white’, ‘being in the process’, and ‘being in the thick of it’, and they’d come back with their own unique interpretation, that reflects who they are, their expertise, experience and the work they do. Like I said above — there are many ways to flesh things out, and it is SO interesting.
These Letters are perhaps my least favourite part of the job, but working with writers and artists is by far my favourite. I’m really grateful to them.
You’ll see the thread of grey areas running through Edition 03. It would contradict everything about the theme to spell it all out — how one story relates to ‘this’ and another to ‘that’ — rather, I’ll leave you to imagine how each article slots into ‘the spaces in between’.
On the other hand, here are two substantial elements of Edition 03 that do not fit into the theme of grey areas, and are in fact very black and white:
1. We now have some necessary paid advertising and partnerships in the magazine. I won’t bore you with too much guff, but please know that we’re thorough in our approach. Advertisers are vetted. It’s very possible that they might even have a great product/service/event to offer you! At least, they are simply communicating their brand while helping us grow and become sustainable. And hopefully break even one day soon. Speaking of which: advertisers, please inquire within.
2. Climate change.
I hope you enjoy this Edition.
And please share WinWin with your friends.
Jo x
ps. apologies to London, who’s a little sensitive about being included in an Edition about ‘grey areas’. Even thought the weather’s a bit shit, there’s plenty going on.