Will you leave me a message?

I'm serious. I built an answering machine for you.

I’ve been leaving you voicemails on and off over the past few months. It’s this little experiment where I improvise audio for you, thinking aloud, making connections in real time. Which is essentially having a conversation? Although “making connections” in real time does sound cooler.

Readers have been reaching out about the experiment over the past couple weeks. And most of them are pretty convinced that Voicemails needs to become part of homeculture’s…well…culture. I’m pretty convinced now too. With one big caveat. Voicemails needs you. YES, YOU. I want you to leave me a message after the beep! And then I want to leave you a message right back.

Let me explain why, and HOW, real quickly!

Can’t wait to watch the very embarrassing instructional video I made? Fine! Here it is! And yes, it appears at the end of the Why and How, if you decide you can wait to watch me humiliate myself.

WHY? + HOW?

I didn’t know what to call this thing I was doing the first time I did it. I just knew I wanted to talk to you instead of at you. And then after I released the audio, a homeculture reader said,

“Oh! This is a voicemail!”

And that was such an amazing collaborative breakthrough because, Yes! I was totally leaving you a voicemail.

A voicemail is kind of a simple offering. But I think that’s what so intimate about it. That intimacy also includes a lot of vulnerability. When I record voicemails, I have to admit I really have to keep myself from writing a script or editing things out. But I think there’s some collaborative discovery in the rawness of voicemails that makes that vulnerability worth it.

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The brilliant

Katy O.

was the one who recognized I was leaving voicemails. Her substance is an amazing resource for anyone who loves to read. Or loves people who love to read. I am very excited about her list of August releases.

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I want to share a comment from another homeculture reader that kind of helps explain one reason I am going to expand the voicemail experiment to include you.

By the end of the Voicemail last week, I reached an idea that surprised me. It surprised at least one homeculture reader too. Now, I couldn’t have had the idea without talking it through with you. But I also don’t know if I would have recognized it as an idea worth exploring if this reader hadn’t joined in on the conversation. (If you’re a paid subscriber, it’s worth heading over to this reader’s comment as they say some great stuff in the thread!)

Comments are limited to the paying homeculture community, so I usually wouldn’t share one outside that space. But I feel okay sharing this one, because it’s mostly a quote from one of my voicemails.

After reading that comment, I committed upcoming research hours to figuring out this idea in a more rigorous, post-Voicemails way.

This exchange got me thinking.  It seems like these voicemails could be a really interesting way for us to work together to make this space, and maybe even the spaces this newsletter is read, a home for all of us. To like even…sanctify the every day?! VOICEMAIL CALLBACK! AH! WHICH IS ALSO A PUN! Omgzies, as my fourteen year old would say.

Anyways.

I am asking you to leave me a message over voicemail or text. And every week, I’ll play or read a reader message (it can be anonymous!) before leaving you a voicemail right back. Homeculture readers will be able to listen to us leaving voicemails for one another. And as they hear our dialogue, they’ll engage in dialogue with each other, in the comments on the newsletter or in their friend chat threads. Or maybe by leaving a Voicemail themselves! Neat, right?

Not sure what to say? Don’t overthink it!

Just pretend you've picked up the phone to call me and I don't answer.

Which would be very typical because I don't like answering the phone. And you leave me a voicemail. It’s about something that happened to you or a thought you had or an experience. Something you want to talk with me about, but also maybe something that's easier to say without anyone hearing in real-time.

I think the inbox as a holding place is one reason I really love this experiment. I'm talking to you, but as an introverted person who has a hard time talking! Being able to talk to you in voicemails instead of the one-on-one conversation that requires eye contact and normal social behavior. It's easier for me to say things this way. What is it easier for you to say to me this way?

It could be a question about me and my work. It could be a question about things I write about, like: ”Who invented the touchless trashcan? What were the economic and cultural implications?” (The answer is bonkers!) It could be an experience you want to share! It could also be a prompt, kind of like how you prompt a large language model. Hi, I'm Meg. Large language Meg. Give me a prompt and I will respond. What is a prompt? Anything! An observation. A word. A few moments from a song you love.

Okay, so what happens when you say something and I respond? I guess we’re having a real conversation. And what happens when readers join in on the conversation through comments and shares? Not world peace, probably. (Probably.) But something pretty cool? I think so.

Not every voicemail will include a homeculture reader, but I hope lots of them do. Of course, I’ll need your input to make that happen.

Luckily, leaving me a message is very simple, and you can do it over audio or via text. Here’s a video explaining how it works right here! Witness my cheesiness for the second time! (Or first, if you were able to wait.)

Only paid subscribers can leave me a message, but everyone will be able to listen to the voicemail conversation I publish each week. If you are a paid subscriber, there’s a password at the end of this newsletter that lets you leave a message on my answering machine.

Messages will be shared anonymously. Or at least anonymous will be the default. You can tell me if you want your name attached. Otherwise, you’ll go by a delightful pseudonym.

Let's keep it clean. No solicitations or weird stuff. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does? It makes me feel uncomfy. So let's just assume that you're saying something that's easier to say without someone listening in real-time. But also, if your grandma happened to hear it or see it, she'd be okay with it.

All right, let's talk.

Hi! This is Meg. Sorry I missed your call, leave me a message after the beep. Beep! Don’t forget to get the password, it’s right below this button!