The Copy Hostess Back Catalog: Copy’s Bruges Problem [Alcoves Optional.]

Originally published: September 25th.

CURRENT MOOD:

Yeah, there wasn’t a newsletter last week. I needed time to work on personal stuff.

“Oooooh, this is going to be a personal anecdote email!”

No it’s not, asshole. This is about you.

But I start with me, as I must: I suffer from an ailment common to many copywriters that is known as “head trash.”

Part of it’s because I genuinely do have depression and anxiety. My head’s not exactly Yosemite by nature. It’s more like Chinatown in New York.

But every so often, the trash starts piling up. I get intrusive thoughts, things that shouldn’t bother me really bother me… and I get a bit annoyed with everything.

That’s when I have to start clearing out my newsletters.

How does this relate to the city of Bruges, as per the title?

Namely, it refers to the movie In Bruges, not the super-cute medieval city itself. There’s a famous scene starring Brendan Gleason (an Irish national treasure) where he tells his hitman boss: