Missoula and the Third Minimalist

Missoula and the Third Minimalist Its been four months since weâ€"Joshua Ryanâ€"made tracks from Ohio to our mountainside cabin in Montana, in October 2012. After 120 days doing the  Thoreau-with-WiFi thing, were leaving our remote cabin on February 1, 2013, to write the next chapter of our lifelong story. But dont fret, well still be situated in the Treasure State. As youd expect, weve learned a ton in the two years since we started this site. Weve grown considerably after touring the US and Canada, after meeting and hugging thousands of people, after publishing several  books, after contributing to more than a million people with our essays, and after dozens of television, radio, and newspaper  interviews, whichve all helped spread our simple-living message to the masses. And now we must continue to move forward if we want to continue to grow. Henceforth, our next chapter will take us 78 miles west to Missoula, Montana, where well focus primarily on Asymmetrical Press, the unconventional indie publishing company we started last year with our friend Colin Wright. Colin  is running with us toward Missoula, taking on the role of the de facto third Minimalist, which seems apropos considering that hes the man who introduced us to minimalism in the first place. Why Missoula? Therere at least fiveâ€"likely moreâ€"motives for us to plant roots in Missoula: First, Missoula, a college town situated along the Clark Fork and Bitterroot Rivers at the convergence of five mountain ranges in Big Sky Country, is, umm, like just beautifulâ€"like,  indescribably  beautifulâ€"and is thus an inspiring place to create (it is, after all, the  inseparable  backdrop to Norman MacLeans classic novella,  A River Runs Through It). Second, the cost of living is relatively low here, which is an important factor whenever youre attempting to run a low-overhead business. Third, since we have lived only an hour outside Missoula for the last four months, were already somewhat familiar with the cultural landscape, and so the learning curve wont be as steep as it would be starting anew in an  uncharted  locale. Fourth, Missoula is a small town with a diverse creative scene composed of writers and artists and various other creative folks, making it a great community to embed ourselves in, a great community in which we can grow (the towns motto happens to be The Discovery Continues, which certainly seems germane to our journey). And fifth, the University of Montana has a solid creative writing program, from which well likely find passionate interns to work side-by-side as we grow. So whats next for Asymmetrical Press? With our collective self-publishing success and knowledge, were focused on reinventing the flat tire that is todays publishing industry by embracing  new technologies, methods, and ideas to help writers and creators reach an audience. Weve already signed publishing contracts with the two most-talented authors we knowâ€"Shawn Mihalik  and  Chase Nightâ€"both of whom have books thatll be published through Asymmetrical Press in 2013. Moreover, well help other folks this year by showing them how to produce high-quality content and publish it on their own without the need for the old guard. Also, the Asymmetrical Community, a place for writers and creative types to gather and interact, continues to grow with nearly 1,000 members. We have plans to radically expand this community in 2013. Lastly, after the three of us settle into our new digsâ€"a house in Missoulas University Districtâ€"well start searching for passionate interns to help with PR, events, promotions, publishing, tours, and the like (i.e., helping build cool things online, not fetching coffee). If youre interested in participating, please visit Asymmetricals Work with Us page. For future updates from Asymmetrical, subscribe to the Asym Newsletter, check out the blog, and follow on Twitter or Facebook. For press/media inquiries, please contact Sarah at  [emailprotected]. Will this change anything at The Minimalists? Nope. Our content here  will continue as normal, new essays each week from Joshua Ryan, unchanged but ever-evolving, just like usâ€"just like you. So make sure you subscribe via  email  (always free) if you dont want to miss anything. Similarly, Ryan will continue mentoring five new clients per month, and Joshua will continue to teach his  online writing class. We arent going anywhere; were simply building atop a  sturdy foundation. Buckle up. Its going to be an exciting six months. If you find value in The Minimalists, consider donating a dollar.