Using Imagery as Invitation in Your Substack Publication

​You don’t need a design background to make your work feel more alive — just a clearer way of seeing.

​In this second Publishing Lab, we’ll explore how to think visually and emotionally about your online writing and in your Substack publication — even if you still identify more as a writer than an artist.

​We’ll talk about:

• ​Why visuals aren’t just decoration, but part of your emotional architecture

• ​How to add texture and differentiation without relying on flat, lifeless stock photos

• ​Ways to develop a visual rhythm and aesthetic identity — slowly and intuitively

• ​And how to make visual decisions by thinking like an editor, not a brand strategist

​You’ll walk away with:

• ​A practical framework from Amanda on how to think like an editor and identify the real energy of a piece — and choose an image or layout approach that supports it (literal vs. abstract, bold vs. subtle, etc.)

• ​Insight from Jane on building a creative practice that’s visual, tactile, and instinctive — even if it’s messy

• ​Permission to make your posts feel less generic, more expressive and more emotionally resonant

​Join us for a creative session, designed for folks who want their newsletters, essays and publishing practice to feel more human, more thoughtful and more theirs.

​Hosted by Amanda Hinton (publishing strategist) and Jane Pike (artist, writer + somatic educator)