Yrsa Daley-Ward is back with another dose of unfiltered wisdom in her latest Substack post titled, “living off your writing and other sexy fantasies”, and this time she’s tackling the unsexy truth about living off your writing.

Responding to reader questions in her signature warm, conversational style, Daley-Ward breaks down how her creative career actually works: yes, writing is at the center, but the money comes from “several lanes”—touring as a poet with music, speaking gigs, consulting, creative coaching, editing, and her beloved one-on-one sessions. “You are never prepared for how much other work writers and artists must do to make rent,” she admits, describing her approach as “a diversified garden” where every part grows at its own tempo and together they (mostly) keep the lights on.

It’s the kind of honest talk about the writing life that rarely makes it into the glossy author profiles, and it’s exactly why her newsletter, “the utter,” has become essential reading for anyone trying to build a creative career without losing their mind.

But the post goes way beyond career advice. Daley-Ward fields questions about knowing when a piece is finished (hint: are you making essential changes or just rearranging furniture because you’re anxious?), where emerging writers should publish now (build both a “window” for discovery and a “room” for depth), and even offers deeply compassionate guidance to a self-described “lazy artist” struggling with depression and isolation, though she immediately reframes “lazy” out of the question because “your patterns are a mix of history and the way your nervous system handles the world.” It’s Daley-Ward at her best: refusing easy answers, meeting people where they are, and insisting that you deserve a life that fits how your brain actually works. Read the full post and join the conversation over at her Substack, it’s the kind of writing that makes you feel less alone in the messy, beautiful work of making art.