When I did a reader survey back in April, respondents were clear that they didn’t want community threads. I assumed many people were feeling overwhelmed with the volume of content we all consume everyday, and didn’t want to add to the already-enormous load. But, I’ve noticed that the comments section of my last few posts have been quite active (thank you so much!!) and I thought it was worth experimenting with the threads feature. So, today, I’m inviting you to introduce yourself.
Feel free to share your name and pronouns, where in the world you are and what brings you to this community.
You’re welcome to include a link to your Substack (or something else you’re working on) and to highlight a piece you’re especially proud of to give new readers a place to start.
Things you’re proud of which aren’t linkable on the internet are very welcome too. I’m proud of my decision to make myself a good lunch rather than starting a petty argument just now, for example! 🙂
👋🏻 I'm Clare (she/her). I'm based in Dublin, Ireland though my partner and I spend a lot of time in Rome, where she is originally from.
This newsletter grew from my own personal experience recovering from grief and sexual violence. As I was working to rebuild my life, I was struck by the absence of resources and personal stories from the people who'd walked this path before me. I'm currently working to expand this humble newsletter into a social enterprise which aims to help survivors feel less alone.
I'm proud of the lunch I just made (salmon with peas and lemon) and the fact that I've been doing yoga every morning pretty consistently this year. It's a bit annoying that this is true, but a little really does go a long way!
Hi there. I’m Skye, fae/faer. I live outside of Boston USA near the ocean where I paddle boarded for a record 5.75 hours yesterday. I am here as a survivor and #metoo lifelong activist. I write a lot about lightening up, being nonbinary and dating while attempting to be spiritual which is all love and screwing up, really. My substack is Queerly Enlightened: Skye’s Love as a Practice. Clare, thanks for the courage and inspiration.
I'm so glad you're here Skylar! Thanks also for sharing your web series - I'm looking forward to exploring another aspect of your work through the video form. 💕
Hey Clare and everyone else, this is such a lovely idea! I'm a queer and neurodivergent writer based in Co. Clare, Ireland. Among other things I write about movies and neurodivergence over at https://autcasts.substack.com! Looking forward to connecting with you all!
Hi all! I’m Mazsi (she/her). I’m Hungarian and I’m based in Budapest, Hungary. I write the Whatever substack (mazsi.substack.com) which is at this point about personal stories about healing and how I cope after burnout. I touch on topics of friendship and motherhood too (I’m a mom to super chatty almost 3 year old identical twin girlies) and whatever I want to share. My substack and my writing is still unfolding, I’ve just started to write 1.5 years ago, the substack was launch in Ferbruary. I’m also working on a novel about friendships and about a friendship breakup but there’s still a long way to go. I’m really proud of this post on my substack about being a bad plant mama and it suprised me that after writing this, I became such a better carer for them😅 https://open.substack.com/pub/mazsi/p/why-am-i-a-bad-plant-mama?r=8zper&utm_medium=ios I’m also a yoga instructor now just starting my journey. And we’ll see what else I’ll become in the future after I’ve left my software engineering career after burnout. I’m proud of myself of leaping into unknown territories and shaping my life to suit my needs.
Thanks Clare for this thread, I loved reading about others here! And also your thread inspired me to think up something similar for my substack☺️
Hi Mazsi, I'm excited to hear a little more about your novel. What stage are you at with it? And how are you finding the writing process? I'm always so curious about other people's experiences..
Thank you Clare!🩷 I’m still drafting the zero draft😅 I think the story is still in very early stages, I know what I want to convey, that friendship breakups could be difficult and could cause great pain just like romantic breakups and I have succinct characters in mind but the story itself,the scenes are quite blurry. I’ve written around 30 000 words but it’s more like word vomit and experimentation at this point. It’s a hard process but I love making up situations that never happened exactly like that. And I love that all this stuff comes out of me, both formed by my experiences and imagination
Hi Clare, I'm Sandra de Helen (she/her). I live in Portland, Oregon though I was born and raised in Rural Missouri. I've been an out lesbian since 1977.
I'm a writer above all. I write poetry, plays, novels, essays, articles ... and I wanted a place to write about all my other interests as well, so I started my substack. Here I write about writing, gardening, sewing (another of my most read stacks is about my sewing), and baking.
I'm proud of the close relaltionships I have with my daughter and grandkids. They enrich my life. I'm also proud of the long time friendships I have.
So happy to have you here Sandra! I love that you cited your close relationships as one of the things you're most proud of. What a wonderful thing to feel pride about! 💕
Hi Clare! Your survey is such a great idea. Gave me some ideas on how to find what my readers are looking for, as well (by creating a survey).
I'm Jeannie, live in the US. I am 43 and have 5 kids. Married for 17 years to Ben.
I'm a published author with 7 books, both traditional and self-published, in the Catholic spirituality genre, mostly about grief.
3 years ago I made a pivot away from all of this, ending all of my freelance and book writing for Catholic media. I started my Substack about a year ago, and I'm on the fourth draft of my first memoir.
My hobbies are mostly reading memoir, journaling free-association style, walking my dog, being in nature, swimming, baking GF/DF treats, traveling, doing speaking engagements. And I'm a pretty "crunchy" person, so I love alternative medicine, somatic and psychedelic therapies/modalities for trauma recovery, and herbal remedies.
Hi, I'm Dawn and I live in Detroit. I'm a poet and writer, currently querying my memoir about growing up with a congenital heart defect and receiving two heart transplants, all in the aftermath of childhood trauma. I write messages of hope and healing to help others on their own path out of the dark.
Welcome Dawn. I'm so glad your here and to have discovered your work. I've subscribed to your newsletter and am looking forward to reading more of your story.
👋🏻 I'm Clare (she/her). I'm based in Dublin, Ireland though my partner and I spend a lot of time in Rome, where she is originally from.
This newsletter grew from my own personal experience recovering from grief and sexual violence. As I was working to rebuild my life, I was struck by the absence of resources and personal stories from the people who'd walked this path before me. I'm currently working to expand this humble newsletter into a social enterprise which aims to help survivors feel less alone.
I'm proud of the lunch I just made (salmon with peas and lemon) and the fact that I've been doing yoga every morning pretty consistently this year. It's a bit annoying that this is true, but a little really does go a long way!
Hi there. I’m Skye, fae/faer. I live outside of Boston USA near the ocean where I paddle boarded for a record 5.75 hours yesterday. I am here as a survivor and #metoo lifelong activist. I write a lot about lightening up, being nonbinary and dating while attempting to be spiritual which is all love and screwing up, really. My substack is Queerly Enlightened: Skye’s Love as a Practice. Clare, thanks for the courage and inspiration.
I'm so glad you're here Skylar! Thanks also for sharing your web series - I'm looking forward to exploring another aspect of your work through the video form. 💕
Oops, my web series about being queer and having a body can be found here: www.YouTube.com/c/anothercountrytv
Hey Clare and everyone else, this is such a lovely idea! I'm a queer and neurodivergent writer based in Co. Clare, Ireland. Among other things I write about movies and neurodivergence over at https://autcasts.substack.com! Looking forward to connecting with you all!
Hi Aisling - thanks for chiming in!
Highly recommend Aisling's newsletter if folks haven't read it yet! Such great writing about neurodivergence, life and cinema.
Hi all! I’m Mazsi (she/her). I’m Hungarian and I’m based in Budapest, Hungary. I write the Whatever substack (mazsi.substack.com) which is at this point about personal stories about healing and how I cope after burnout. I touch on topics of friendship and motherhood too (I’m a mom to super chatty almost 3 year old identical twin girlies) and whatever I want to share. My substack and my writing is still unfolding, I’ve just started to write 1.5 years ago, the substack was launch in Ferbruary. I’m also working on a novel about friendships and about a friendship breakup but there’s still a long way to go. I’m really proud of this post on my substack about being a bad plant mama and it suprised me that after writing this, I became such a better carer for them😅 https://open.substack.com/pub/mazsi/p/why-am-i-a-bad-plant-mama?r=8zper&utm_medium=ios I’m also a yoga instructor now just starting my journey. And we’ll see what else I’ll become in the future after I’ve left my software engineering career after burnout. I’m proud of myself of leaping into unknown territories and shaping my life to suit my needs.
Thanks Clare for this thread, I loved reading about others here! And also your thread inspired me to think up something similar for my substack☺️
Hi Mazsi, I'm excited to hear a little more about your novel. What stage are you at with it? And how are you finding the writing process? I'm always so curious about other people's experiences..
Thank you Clare!🩷 I’m still drafting the zero draft😅 I think the story is still in very early stages, I know what I want to convey, that friendship breakups could be difficult and could cause great pain just like romantic breakups and I have succinct characters in mind but the story itself,the scenes are quite blurry. I’ve written around 30 000 words but it’s more like word vomit and experimentation at this point. It’s a hard process but I love making up situations that never happened exactly like that. And I love that all this stuff comes out of me, both formed by my experiences and imagination
Hi Clare, I'm Sandra de Helen (she/her). I live in Portland, Oregon though I was born and raised in Rural Missouri. I've been an out lesbian since 1977.
I've been on Substack a little over a year. One of my most opened posts is one I'm proud of because it highlights my most recent performances of one of my most recent plays. The link is: https://sandradehelen.substack.com/p/more-about-extraordinary-people
I'm a writer above all. I write poetry, plays, novels, essays, articles ... and I wanted a place to write about all my other interests as well, so I started my substack. Here I write about writing, gardening, sewing (another of my most read stacks is about my sewing), and baking.
I'm proud of the close relaltionships I have with my daughter and grandkids. They enrich my life. I'm also proud of the long time friendships I have.
So happy to have you here Sandra! I love that you cited your close relationships as one of the things you're most proud of. What a wonderful thing to feel pride about! 💕
Hi Clare! Your survey is such a great idea. Gave me some ideas on how to find what my readers are looking for, as well (by creating a survey).
I'm Jeannie, live in the US. I am 43 and have 5 kids. Married for 17 years to Ben.
I'm a published author with 7 books, both traditional and self-published, in the Catholic spirituality genre, mostly about grief.
3 years ago I made a pivot away from all of this, ending all of my freelance and book writing for Catholic media. I started my Substack about a year ago, and I'm on the fourth draft of my first memoir.
My hobbies are mostly reading memoir, journaling free-association style, walking my dog, being in nature, swimming, baking GF/DF treats, traveling, doing speaking engagements. And I'm a pretty "crunchy" person, so I love alternative medicine, somatic and psychedelic therapies/modalities for trauma recovery, and herbal remedies.
Welcome Jeannie. I'm so glad you're here 💕
Glad to be here with you!
Hi, I'm Dawn and I live in Detroit. I'm a poet and writer, currently querying my memoir about growing up with a congenital heart defect and receiving two heart transplants, all in the aftermath of childhood trauma. I write messages of hope and healing to help others on their own path out of the dark.
My Substack is
https://open.substack.com/pub/dawnlevitt
Welcome Dawn. I'm so glad your here and to have discovered your work. I've subscribed to your newsletter and am looking forward to reading more of your story.
Thank you! I'm excited to get to know you!