Feeling at home on Substack

A quick reflection two years on.

Two years have passed since I started writing regularly on Substack. Time has gone by quickly, and it has been a rewarding and wonderful journey. From not knowing where to start and just doing something, to finding direction, community and enjoyment, creating motivation and a sense of purpose.

In fact, I can honestly say that I feel at home here, which is a new feeling for me when it comes to social media and an online presence. I feel I can be myself, and that is what is unleashing my creative mind.

When I think about it, there are a few things that are making me come back again and again…

What keeps me here

• Writing here is having a spillover effect. As I write here, I am inspired to write more offline too, and vice-verse. It has a positive effect on my creativity and mental health.

• The inspiration, learnings and the space to grow along side others, with support of kindred creatives and writers, collaborations, and inspiration to get my own projects going and with help. It makes me dream of possibilities, in terms of publishing my book and to earn a bit from my writing in the future. Not to forget the open mindedness, kindness and helpfulness I meet here, as people here actualy want to see and help you succeed. It is an encouraging and caring community, and I too am learning to be supportive.

• The transparency and honesty of what people share. The realness behing the projects and of how they develop is wonderful and human, reflecting setbacks and wins, which is trully helpful, after being force fed an idea that projects just run smoothly and happen overnight. It refreshing and authentic when I run into a wall of my own.

Three lessons

In last year’s one year anniversary post, I wrote a few lessons learnt and I want to reiterate three of them again:

1. Be the support you want to have: it can be as small as giving a ‘❤’ on a post, sharing it or an excerpt of it to notes, commenting on their posts, or it can be mentioning someone who inspires you in a post, and adding them to your recommendations on your page (or even a little blurb). It’s a place of kinship and by doing this, you’ll find your people.

2. Enjoy the content you create: by sharing and creating what you enjoy, people will enjoy it too. It becomes more authentic and personal, which is exactly what makes you original and, well, you.

3. The rule book is yours: there is no right or wrong, there is only what is right for you. Don’t have a perfect about page? You have time, do it bit by bit when you feel it. Enjoy the process, nothing was built in a day. Savour your evolution.

Some favourite reads

• Sarah Robertson
  ’s series on a project launch, which delightfully honest:

  Making side projects your playground

• Sara Duigou
  ’s honesty on unlearning urgency and building up slowness:

  Remembering slowness

• David Barton
  on the wilderness:

  Inspirations & Connections | VI. Wild

• Skye O’Neill
  took me to the Isle of Skye through her words:

  The Silent Season

• Jodie Melissa Rogers
  on the guilt of resting:

  Why we feel guilty & uncomfortable when resting

• Nikita Gill
  on listening:

  The Art of Listening

• Océane Meftah
  on enough:

  Is Enough Ever Enough?

Thank you whole heartedly for this past year, and a look forward to another one.