Parker Molloy: Interview with a Creative Person

Process, productivity, and feelings

Welcome to an occasional interview series in which I chat with interesting creative people about how and why they get good work done while staying alive.

I like talking to (some) people. My friend Parker Molloy of

The Present Age

is one of those people. We got to know each other years ago thanks to The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter, and then became text friends, and now we are REAL-LIFE FRIENDS. In fact, she’s a big reason I started publishing on Substack.

My sober friends and I often say the phrase “I want what they have” to explain why we were drawn to a particular role model. Sometimes what we want is material, and Parker certainly has that in terms of tens of thousands of newsletter subscribers, including a chunk of paid subscribers (with excellent taste!) and a highly engaged readership.

In addition, Parker has always struck me as incredibly productive, bold, and dedicated. But in recent years, what I have noticed more and more is Parker’s compassion and patience. Perhaps this is because I have begun to value those qualities more and to try to find tiny ways to be more patient and compassionate.

Her willingness to be openly political attracts dissenters who are not always logical, civil, or kind (to say the least.) Her visibility as a trans writer inevitably leads to blowback as a result of others’ notions of how she should or should not behave (or exist.) But I notice her giving a far more patient response in some cases than I imagine I would - or, as is often healthier, no response at all.

Parker is wed to the delightful Kayla, who is an artist and graphic designer (check out her stuff for sale here!) They live in Chicago, and I’m glad to share this interview with you today.

Tell me how you describe yourself as an artist/worker/creative human. 

I'm Parker Molloy, a Chicago-based writer, journalist-ish type who finds myself writing about culture, politics, media, music, baseball, LGBTQ issues, and pretty much anything that pops into my head. I write a newsletter called The Present Age. Before that, I was an editor-at-large at Media Matters for America.

Does being a child of Ye Ole Middle West inform what you do?

Yes! Or at least I think it does. Chicago has always been kind of a strange media environment in the sense that it's huge, but isn't home to a bunch of big name news organizations like New York or Los Angeles tends to be. I imagine that if I had grown up on one of the coasts, I probably would have tried to work my way up the ranks as a more legit journalist (as opposed to the internet shitposter I tend to be) at one of those larger institutions. With how the industry is going, though, I'd have probably ended up in the same place: writing a newsletter with a modest readership.

To what extent has mentoring been a part of your artistic experience, either as a mentor or mentee? (Maybe both?) 

Back when I was in college, there was a teacher who taught a class on public relations. Before teaching, he had a successful career as the head of a boutique PR agency for indie musicians. That teacher helped hook me up with some of my first jobs that involved writing, which helped pave the way for me to go ever since.

Can you share advice for artists - fellow writers or otherwise - that you wish you'd known when you started out? 

Don't be afraid to ask for money. Whether you're a freelancer pitching a magazine or you're starting a newsletter, it's easy to think, "Oh, I'm just lucky that anyone wants to read me at all. I don't know about asking for money" (And that may be true! There have definitely been times where I've felt like the "exposure" I got from writing for a place was worth more than a couple hundred bucks or whatever they'd pay). Still, your work is work, and you deserve to be paid for it.

At which time of day are you likely to feel most creative? 

In the morning. I tend to burn out later in the day. If there's something I need to get done, or if I need to come up with some fresh ideas for something, I have to do it first thing.

What supplies do you prefer to have around you? 

I've got my laptop, a monitor, and a mechanical keyboard (I like the clickity-clack noises) at my desk. One of my biggest investments has been in a good office chair. It's been so worth it, though, because if I'm not comfortable, I can't get much done. I also keep a couple guitars and an amp near my workspace, which is good if I need a break or a reset from the work I'm doing.

How do you set up your home in order to best suit your lifestyle? 

I try my best to keep all of my work-related stuff in my upstairs office. Since I work from home, it can be really easy to just let work and leisure blend together, which makes it that much more important to set boundaries for myself. Like, sure, maybe I'll bring my laptop downstairs from time to time, but I try to keep it separated.

Do you regard yourself as a confident person? Has your self-confidence changed as you've gotten older? 

Not even a little bit. It's one of the aspects of myself that I'm working on, though.

To what extent do you experience the "despair and compare" issue that haunts so many human beings? How do you return your eyes to your own paper, so to speak, and focus on your work? 

Oh, this happens a lot. I'll read something that's just so... good, and start wondering why anyone would ever pay for my slop. It can be difficult to quiet the little voice going, "You're not good enough to do this as a job!" but my tactic has always been to sit myself down until I have something written. From there, I can make sure that it's something good.

Do you consider yourself to be good with financial planning? 

Not at all. If not for my wonderful wife, Kayla, we'd be doomed, financially. She's the smart and savvy one in this family.

Are there any resources around finance that you think artists should check out?

[laughs]

Who are the artists to whom you return when you need inspiration? 

David Carr, Neil Postman, Marshall McLuhan.

Does physical activity play a part in your creativity? 

If it did, I think I'd probably be a whole lot healthier, but no.

Are there habits you've put in place to help enhance your mental health?

My mental health can be kind of a wreck, at times, so I'm probably not the one to look to for mental health tips. That said, there are a lot of things I want to do to make things a bit easier on the ol' brain, I just need to actually do them.

Do you ever have to set aside your work in order to take care of your mental or physical health?

Absolutely. Luckily, I work from home, so I can kind of duck in and out of my work to various extents.

If you decided to retire from your current career tomorrow and start a totally new one, what would you pick? (Imagine you've got enough money to live comfortably no matter what.) 

Easy. I'd make Brian Eno-style ambient albums.

Where can SARATONIN readers learn more about you and your work?

The best place to check me out is at my newsletter, The Present Age. You can find that at www.readtpa.com.