01. The First Cut is the Worstest 🎶
Welcome! It's Sunday newsletter numero uno. Let's shake hands (is that okay do to again?), talk sexy M&Ms, and bad first drafts. Xoxo for being here.
Welcome to the Great Job Nat™ Sunday Newsletter! You can read it, listen to my VO of it (above) or BOTH. Most readers here are paid subscribers — if you’re a freebie subscriber, I love you, too. But if you want access to Great Job art, comics, tickets to comedy shows, and a soon-to-be podcast, consider leveling up here xoxo <3
Firsts are supposed to be bad. Drafts, kisses, coitus, this newsletter.
Remember? Being in high school? In your first relationship? Banging lips and hips for the first time, trying and failing to get into the groove? Me neither. I spent my entire high school experience trying to memorize the names of since-cancelled European explorers and trying too hard in PE. Ha ha - No, I’m serious. Street hockey on the blacktop was my Super Bowl.
My point is: this is our first time together. Let me light some candles and give you a hopefully better than average time, babygirl.
What should I expect from this newsletter? Why are we here? Where are you taking us, mama?
(I’m mama.)
(You are my children sitting in the backseat as I drive us fast and furious down the Autobahn.)
(I have Ray Bans on. And a stylish Hollywood headscarf. I could go on creating this scene forever —)
My point is: I don’t know what my point is yet, but you can expect to have fun and feel the wind in your hair.
Ultimately, I’m here, you’re here, we’re all here inside this newsletter on this fine Sunday because: 1) The Instagram and 2) The Internet. Let me explain:
The internet is, howyousay, overwhelming. Nothing new here. After all, what is modern life but an endless PowerPoint of tragedy after meme after Postmates-ed order of congealed Pad Thai? It’s too much.
Oppositely: Instagram is… well, a bit limiting. I started my account of the same name, @GREATJOBNAT, because it’s a great place to test jokes and show you my comics and post dumb pictures of my face. (One day, I hope to be brave enough to post a real thirst trap with absolute reckless abandon, but I digress.)
Problem is, I was so plugged in to the grid, I started cutting off the edges of my thoughts to be square. What jokes can I fit inside a 10 square slideshow? How can I turn my essays into soundbites? Make my long, scrollable cartoons less long and scrollable? I refuse to be limited! YOU CANNOT TAME ME. Imagine, if Michelangelo had to whittle The David to fit inside a snow globe. What a travesty! Not to compare myself to Michelangelo. I can’t. I had to Google: “how spell Michaelangelo,” which disqualifies me outright.
So: if Internet = TOO MUCH and Instagram = TOO SQUARE, then Substack = JUST RIGHT! At least, we’ll see, Goldilocks. Basically, it’s a way of narrowing my focus from the big digital E V E R Y T H I N G in a way that feels bigger and less rigid than a square. What can I say? I like to talk and I like people to talk back, so please talk back to everything I say. My dream, dare I say, is to have an active comment section. Go off, girlies. Be loud. Be proud. Be that incel who trolls other commenters. Make me angry. Make me gasp. Make me feel SOMETHING—
Until Next Time…
On future Sundays, we’ll have Some Feelings, Some News, Some Recs, and in the comments, please: Tell Me What I Missed This Week. Be it good news, horrible news, a song that you think is great, a song that cheese-grates your eardrums because you hate it so much.
I won’t promise to be consistent in what ends up in these letters. Maybe next week I’ll be so flipped-over tired after writing the same pitch AGAIN (I’m a screenwriter—did I mention that?—our lives are writing RED RUM on the mirror over and over until we die) that I’ll write you a bunch of nonsensical love poems. Maybe I’ll even write them by hand. Because I love you. Is it too soon to say that? Damn it. Told you I’m not good at first-times.
Until we meet again, Freebies & Subscribees can expect another newsletter in a week. Subscribees: Expect some doodles, random essays, intimate secrets for your eyes only. Become a Subscribee here if, ya know, you wanna. I don’t have favorites, but you’re my favorites.
xo,
nat
📚 Reading for Extra Credit 📚
For all you teacher’s pets out there, here are some things that tickled my brain this week. Click/tap the titles to read.
An unimportant story that’s candy-coating an important question: Can I still be a sexy chocolate girl when I grow up? Wait, that didn’t sound right. Ugh, I’m going to be quoted and cancelled for that.
Who run the world? Women, soon!! Ugh, I’m going to be quoted and beat up by some dude for saying that.
An Asteroid Almost Killed All of Us LOL
Meanwhile, you got in a fight about nothing with your stupid boyfriend.
READ A BOOK! Basquiat: A Quick Killing in Art
Just started it, already love it. Buy it. I’ll be blabbing about it.
Love how you think. Not just your comics, or what you write. You're by far the most genuine funniest person I know. Loved this essay too, and for the first time, great job Nat 👀✌️
I'm getting over a bad m&m breakup right now.