Taking The Olivia Muenter Approach to Writing Online

Paving my own way (with a little influencer inspiration)

I’ve quite enjoyed writing here on Substack. It’s served as a sort of weekly ritual where I sit down with my thoughts, put them on the page, and publish them without thinking any more about it (a huge feat if you know anything about me; and if you don’t know much yet, the title of this Substack is a strong summary). I’ve given myself no restrictions, just a goal of posting once a week on Wednesdays.

It’s something I’m affectionately calling The Olivia Muenter Approach.

If you don’t know Olivia Muenter, (first of all, you’re missing out) she is a fellow Substack writer, avid reader, podcast host, and content creator. And to me, she is an influencer. Yes, she occasionally posts links to things she wears or likes (and yes, she has great taste), but that’s not necessarily what I mean.

From what I can tell through her writing and her social media presence, Olivia is living a truly creative life. She writes from the heart, sharing a personal essay each week on whatever topic is moving her at the moment – an approach I admire greatly. She doesn’t pigeonhole herself into a specific niche, and in doing so, she frees herself to share any and all aspects of herself. It’s how I’ve come to feel like I know this person I’ve never met – this person I’ve never even talked to online (aside from a couple Instagram DMs). She shares about her home, the music she’s listening to, the books she’s reading, what she’s wearing – and most poignantly – how she’s feeling. She doesn’t limit herself to a single topic, rather, she lets herself be multidimensional.

This is something I struggle with, and it’s something I’ve convinced myself is the reason for any lack of traction across my creative pursuits. So many prominent voices on social media have a schtick, a series, or something they do time after time that keeps their followers coming back. It’s counterintuitive because you’d think someone essentially sharing the same thing over and over would fatigue the audience. Evidently, it has the opposite effect. They are instead able to carve out a specific space for themselves and become known for it. How they decide on that topic beats me because my issue has always been indecision, and therefore, overwhelm. The thought of cramming myself and my many (and varying) interests into a niche feels claustrophobic. How can I possibly pick one passion? And if I did manage to nail down just one, what if I end up wanting to change my mind down the line?

Then my friend Cassady told me about Olivia.

It was at the beginning of my freelance journey, when I was still getting my sea legs (update: they’re there, but they admittedly still wobble a bit). Cassady mentioned Olivia as someone she follows online who seems to have found success with it and suggested I look her up. So I did. I immediately began following her on Instagram, enjoying the photos of her dog, the beautiful view from her Hudson Valley home, and of course her writing.

Olivia was actually how I found Substack. I saw a Instagram Story of hers announcing she was moving her newsletter here. I had never heard of Substack, but I was curious. In poking around and reading more of her work, I was inspired, or “influenced,” for lack of a better word. Substack, at least according to Olivia’s, seemed like a safe, supportive space to share.

As I’ve gotten started, I’ve aimed to maintain that mindset, to follow that precedent I’ve perceived in Olivia. And you know what, it’s started to uncage my creativity.

I’m noticing how I’m starting to judge myself a little less. I’m starting to just write what feels right, without worrying about length or topic. Instead, I’m finding more ideas, feeling more inspired. I’m focusing on making writing a practice – something that feels good to me – and letting go of end results and anything else. I’m finding my voice and starting to trust that I will find my readers in my own time.

When you boil it down, Olivia’s approach is this: authenticity. Perhaps if she had to have a niche, this is what it might be. It is indeed what makes her stand out, not only to me, but to thousands of people across the internet. Because that’s just it: authenticity – this method of listening to your gut and following your feelings – will always lead you to the right people in the right places at the right time for you.

So, thank you, Olivia, for being you and for leading me here – to Substack and a sort of creative freedom.