I've just bought you a coffee to demonstrate how much I value your insights, reflections and ponderings - e.g. Asian Writers Collective Asian Reads Issue 5. Your article 'You Can't Be Everywhere All At Once' was a key anchor point in the thoughts I shared. Your ability to deconstruct complex subjects and thread the needle for us to follow your lines of thinking enables us to see the bigger picture. I appreciate you and your talent.
Just as Keisha said - I'll continue to read your work whenever and however you choose to share it.
Awww, Vicky, thanks so much for your generous gesture on top of being my paid subscriber all this time. I have never felt teary about receiving a cup of coffee, but I just did! 😘 Your words made me feel so seen... and I am extremely grateful that you mentioned my article in the new AWC. Heartfelt thanks!
Sometimes, when genuine people like yourself have the badass gumption to share how they are feeling so vulnerably, we need to respond...not just with empathy but with acts of kindness. Your work deserves recognition.
This past month has just been so activating for so many of us. I think there’s going to be a huge shift for a lot of us moving forward. To live with the gut punch we just received from 1/2ish the country….putting ourselves first is how we survive to live another day…..🥲
Yes, I'm feeling 100% of this, Grace! Gut punch indeed! I feel there's no other way to survive but to put on the oxygen mask first. I hope you are too, and take good care of yourself. We have a long way to travel, and let's do it together!
Ah, the sweet blogging days. Initially, I thought Substack felt a lot like the good ol' blogging days, but it isn't really, with the statistics and the temptation to grow and grow. I'll be here waiting to read your blog, whenever that will be!
Hi Rachel, thanks so much for stopping by! Yes, initially, Substack felt calm and quiet but with all the new bells and whistles, I can't help but feel overwhelmed and pressured. It would be nice to just release myself of the pressure to perform and imagine I'm blogging again. I also think that without that pressure, I will be able to free up more of my time to visit my Ponders and other writers I subscribe to.
I hear you, Rachel! Contrary to my earlier good intentions of having a folder for 'savouring reads' I'm afraid to say I delete lots from my inbox. I watch out for authors I stay close to, caregivers, and things that fit Carer Mentor's needs. The rest is a fast skim-delete. Plus, I have a HUGE subscription list to meet the outreach needs of Carer Mentor's mission.
Yes and yes! I'm feeling the same. I have had to send all my subscriptions to the app instead of to my inbox because my mail server couldn't handle the volume, lol!
Mine used to be all only in Substack app but I lost track of them in the inbox and there's no search function there! I rerouted them back to my inbox but automatically to a read later folder (like Vanessa!) and still struggling but at least I can search lol
I am sorry for what you've had to endure, Louisa, over and above the dumpster fire that this election has thrown us into. Just to say that I am here, as are your other friends and readers, for whatever shape your next chapter takes.
Many thanks, Carla, for your kindness and your support for my writing right from the start. "Dumpster fire" is no exaggeration, and we're all in it together. I appreciate your presence in my life, and your ongoing support. And thank you for bringing joy to us through your ballet postings. They often bring me moments of magic and lightness!
Lily, your words capture something profoundly real—the battle between authentic expression and the pressures of external expectations. Your shift toward treating Substack as a blog, reclaiming it as a space for freedom and inspiration, speaks volumes.
Your note resonates deeply with me, especially your reflection on writing as a sanctuary during hard times. That honesty, that humanity, is what draws readers like me to your work—not perfection or algorithms.
Your journey and the courage to step back, reassess, and create on your terms is inspiring. Thank you for continuing to share your voice with us, however and whenever it feels right for you.
Hi Jay, you always have the precise expressions when reflecting back to me the essence of my writing. How I love this expression: "Writing as a sanctuary during hard times." It certainly is, and what adds warmth to this sanctuary is readers like you, who care and surround me with companionship and inspired thoughts. It is an honor to be able to share my voice with you, and be heard in such an exquisite manner. I think that honest writing is good writing, so I want use honesty as my moor wherever and whenever I show up.
Lily, your response is a gift in itself. Your commitment to honesty as your guiding light in writing resonates deeply—it’s what makes your words so compelling. It’s an honor to be part of this sanctuary you’ve built, where authenticity and connection thrive. Thank you for continuing to create a space that feels so genuine and alive.
My friend, my soul bestie, this must have felt good, this decision, I know you have struggled with feeling the expectations suffocating your creativity, and there is so much healing you want to focus on for yourself in this difficult time. A brave, honest decision that I respect and understand. I support you in all things, as you know. That said, I echo everything Victoria says about your extraordinary mind and talent, the way you present complex subject matter in a way that is both of the heart and the mind, full of well-informed knowledge but never skirting the feelings around every topic that are intrinsic to the human condition. I will look forward to any time you share with us on your blog. And your honest assessment of what it is you want from this space, on the Substack platform, has inspired my own deep thinking, too. Like you, I have goals and dreams for big writing projects that I am working on alongside my own newsletter. Sometimes it can all feel like a beautiful balance and other times it can feel overwhelming. Thank you for modeling that at any time we can take action that is in complete integrity with ourselves.
My dearest, yes, it feels really good to come to an honest decision after having struggling for quite some time to reconcile my life's instability with this Substack machine that seems to be operating faster by the seconds. I deeply appreciate your support for my decision and your compliments for my writing. As an admirer of your exquisite writing skills, these words mean a great deal to me, making me feel so seen!
I also understand how you sometimes vacillate between finding a beautiful balance and feeling overwhelmed when it comes to dividing up your time between writing Substack newsletters, your novels and your freelance writing. I've witnessed how you're become more and more connected with your inner voice and living in integrity with yourself. I have no doubt that you will find that sweet spot going forward. Remember, you are the one who can give yourself all the permissions you need to publish however and whenever feels right for you!
I will still be hanging out on Substack , and I imagine enjoying connecting with my favorite writers and Ponders even more without the pressure I placed on myself to produce.
Your randon subject matter & style are why I followed you, and why I’m staying - whether or not for blog or diary or novella or history. Whatever, whenever your mind can’t shake a certain river of thought or frustration or joy and your fingers itch in that certain way. Knock it out, we’ll be around.
I am another who has suffered bouts of depression (from situational to severe treatment resistant with hospitalisation and even ECT to experimental surgery) so I know whereof you speak. Be patient. The tide always comes back in.
Hi Max Moon, I'm so glad to hear that my random style made you interested in reading my stuff. It's taken me a lot of soul searching to realize that no matter how hard I try, I'm still a "square peg" in this globe where everything is commercialized and every expression an opportunity for "marketing." I really like your expression "can't shake a certain river of thought..." -- that's exactly what prompted me to write in the past and it will certainly be the same driving force. When my fingers itch too much and if they aren't numb from my nerve issues, I will knock it out for sure!
I'm sorry to hear that you've suffered from such severe depression. Yes, only those who have been through it knows how it feels like. Thank you for your empathy. I guess the condition is really good at making us more patient about the ebbs and flows of life. See you around!
I see you and can completely relate to all of these feelings! I'm so glad we're connected here and I'll definitely look forward to continuing to read your lovely writing.
Hi Anna, I’m really glad we’ve connected here and look forward to continuing our communication and reading your insightful newsletters. I appreciate very much that you told me you shared the same feelings about writing on Substack too. Sometimes, it can feel disproportionally lonely when others are “making it” while I’m not, all the while hearing voices on Notes saying, “Look, such and such has succeeded with a checkmark next to their name, and so can you!” Sometimes, success means NOT doing the things that everyone dreams of. It can mean moving in your own rhythm and pruning what doesn’t work for you (mental health in my case).
I'm in the same boat of treating my Substack like a blog only when I feel inspired. I started mine because I had so many epiphanies in the throes of PPD that I wanted to share, but my own mental health and full time job makes any sort of algorithm-pleasing posting schedule difficult. It's your words, do whatever you need to free them!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Heather. I nodded hard to your word "epiphanies"! Yes, that was my motivation to start my Substack and it remains so. It helps to hear others share a similar journey, and to realize that not everyone has the conditions that favor an algorithm-driven platform. I hope you and I will continue on our mission in a format that excites and frees us. BTW, so amazing to finally meet a fellow Xanga blogger! Weren't those fun times? 😄🙌🫶
I look forward to reading whatever and whenever you choose to share!
Thank you so much, Keisha! 🤗
You’re a brilliant writer, happy to know your work. 😊
Awww, I appreciate your kind words and your presence here in my community!
I've just bought you a coffee to demonstrate how much I value your insights, reflections and ponderings - e.g. Asian Writers Collective Asian Reads Issue 5. Your article 'You Can't Be Everywhere All At Once' was a key anchor point in the thoughts I shared. Your ability to deconstruct complex subjects and thread the needle for us to follow your lines of thinking enables us to see the bigger picture. I appreciate you and your talent.
Just as Keisha said - I'll continue to read your work whenever and however you choose to share it.
Awww, Vicky, thanks so much for your generous gesture on top of being my paid subscriber all this time. I have never felt teary about receiving a cup of coffee, but I just did! 😘 Your words made me feel so seen... and I am extremely grateful that you mentioned my article in the new AWC. Heartfelt thanks!
Sometimes, when genuine people like yourself have the badass gumption to share how they are feeling so vulnerably, we need to respond...not just with empathy but with acts of kindness. Your work deserves recognition.
This past month has just been so activating for so many of us. I think there’s going to be a huge shift for a lot of us moving forward. To live with the gut punch we just received from 1/2ish the country….putting ourselves first is how we survive to live another day…..🥲
Yes, I'm feeling 100% of this, Grace! Gut punch indeed! I feel there's no other way to survive but to put on the oxygen mask first. I hope you are too, and take good care of yourself. We have a long way to travel, and let's do it together!
Ah, the sweet blogging days. Initially, I thought Substack felt a lot like the good ol' blogging days, but it isn't really, with the statistics and the temptation to grow and grow. I'll be here waiting to read your blog, whenever that will be!
Hi Rachel, thanks so much for stopping by! Yes, initially, Substack felt calm and quiet but with all the new bells and whistles, I can't help but feel overwhelmed and pressured. It would be nice to just release myself of the pressure to perform and imagine I'm blogging again. I also think that without that pressure, I will be able to free up more of my time to visit my Ponders and other writers I subscribe to.
Yes, I can see where you are coming from. I am having trouble keeping up with my reading, too!
I hear you, Rachel! Contrary to my earlier good intentions of having a folder for 'savouring reads' I'm afraid to say I delete lots from my inbox. I watch out for authors I stay close to, caregivers, and things that fit Carer Mentor's needs. The rest is a fast skim-delete. Plus, I have a HUGE subscription list to meet the outreach needs of Carer Mentor's mission.
Yes and yes! I'm feeling the same. I have had to send all my subscriptions to the app instead of to my inbox because my mail server couldn't handle the volume, lol!
Mine used to be all only in Substack app but I lost track of them in the inbox and there's no search function there! I rerouted them back to my inbox but automatically to a read later folder (like Vanessa!) and still struggling but at least I can search lol
I have a read later folder too and it's growing so fast it's giving me anxiety. I might have to delete a lot too.
I am sorry for what you've had to endure, Louisa, over and above the dumpster fire that this election has thrown us into. Just to say that I am here, as are your other friends and readers, for whatever shape your next chapter takes.
Many thanks, Carla, for your kindness and your support for my writing right from the start. "Dumpster fire" is no exaggeration, and we're all in it together. I appreciate your presence in my life, and your ongoing support. And thank you for bringing joy to us through your ballet postings. They often bring me moments of magic and lightness!
Lily, your words capture something profoundly real—the battle between authentic expression and the pressures of external expectations. Your shift toward treating Substack as a blog, reclaiming it as a space for freedom and inspiration, speaks volumes.
Your note resonates deeply with me, especially your reflection on writing as a sanctuary during hard times. That honesty, that humanity, is what draws readers like me to your work—not perfection or algorithms.
Your journey and the courage to step back, reassess, and create on your terms is inspiring. Thank you for continuing to share your voice with us, however and whenever it feels right for you.
Hi Jay, you always have the precise expressions when reflecting back to me the essence of my writing. How I love this expression: "Writing as a sanctuary during hard times." It certainly is, and what adds warmth to this sanctuary is readers like you, who care and surround me with companionship and inspired thoughts. It is an honor to be able to share my voice with you, and be heard in such an exquisite manner. I think that honest writing is good writing, so I want use honesty as my moor wherever and whenever I show up.
Lily, your response is a gift in itself. Your commitment to honesty as your guiding light in writing resonates deeply—it’s what makes your words so compelling. It’s an honor to be part of this sanctuary you’ve built, where authenticity and connection thrive. Thank you for continuing to create a space that feels so genuine and alive.
Your words touched me immensely. Thank you, Jay 🙏
My friend, my soul bestie, this must have felt good, this decision, I know you have struggled with feeling the expectations suffocating your creativity, and there is so much healing you want to focus on for yourself in this difficult time. A brave, honest decision that I respect and understand. I support you in all things, as you know. That said, I echo everything Victoria says about your extraordinary mind and talent, the way you present complex subject matter in a way that is both of the heart and the mind, full of well-informed knowledge but never skirting the feelings around every topic that are intrinsic to the human condition. I will look forward to any time you share with us on your blog. And your honest assessment of what it is you want from this space, on the Substack platform, has inspired my own deep thinking, too. Like you, I have goals and dreams for big writing projects that I am working on alongside my own newsletter. Sometimes it can all feel like a beautiful balance and other times it can feel overwhelming. Thank you for modeling that at any time we can take action that is in complete integrity with ourselves.
My dearest, yes, it feels really good to come to an honest decision after having struggling for quite some time to reconcile my life's instability with this Substack machine that seems to be operating faster by the seconds. I deeply appreciate your support for my decision and your compliments for my writing. As an admirer of your exquisite writing skills, these words mean a great deal to me, making me feel so seen!
I also understand how you sometimes vacillate between finding a beautiful balance and feeling overwhelmed when it comes to dividing up your time between writing Substack newsletters, your novels and your freelance writing. I've witnessed how you're become more and more connected with your inner voice and living in integrity with yourself. I have no doubt that you will find that sweet spot going forward. Remember, you are the one who can give yourself all the permissions you need to publish however and whenever feels right for you!
I will still be hanging out on Substack , and I imagine enjoying connecting with my favorite writers and Ponders even more without the pressure I placed on myself to produce.
Your randon subject matter & style are why I followed you, and why I’m staying - whether or not for blog or diary or novella or history. Whatever, whenever your mind can’t shake a certain river of thought or frustration or joy and your fingers itch in that certain way. Knock it out, we’ll be around.
I am another who has suffered bouts of depression (from situational to severe treatment resistant with hospitalisation and even ECT to experimental surgery) so I know whereof you speak. Be patient. The tide always comes back in.
Hi Max Moon, I'm so glad to hear that my random style made you interested in reading my stuff. It's taken me a lot of soul searching to realize that no matter how hard I try, I'm still a "square peg" in this globe where everything is commercialized and every expression an opportunity for "marketing." I really like your expression "can't shake a certain river of thought..." -- that's exactly what prompted me to write in the past and it will certainly be the same driving force. When my fingers itch too much and if they aren't numb from my nerve issues, I will knock it out for sure!
I'm sorry to hear that you've suffered from such severe depression. Yes, only those who have been through it knows how it feels like. Thank you for your empathy. I guess the condition is really good at making us more patient about the ebbs and flows of life. See you around!
I see you and can completely relate to all of these feelings! I'm so glad we're connected here and I'll definitely look forward to continuing to read your lovely writing.
Hi Anna, I’m really glad we’ve connected here and look forward to continuing our communication and reading your insightful newsletters. I appreciate very much that you told me you shared the same feelings about writing on Substack too. Sometimes, it can feel disproportionally lonely when others are “making it” while I’m not, all the while hearing voices on Notes saying, “Look, such and such has succeeded with a checkmark next to their name, and so can you!” Sometimes, success means NOT doing the things that everyone dreams of. It can mean moving in your own rhythm and pruning what doesn’t work for you (mental health in my case).
👏👏👏👏
I'm in the same boat of treating my Substack like a blog only when I feel inspired. I started mine because I had so many epiphanies in the throes of PPD that I wanted to share, but my own mental health and full time job makes any sort of algorithm-pleasing posting schedule difficult. It's your words, do whatever you need to free them!
Totally forgot to mention that I, too, had an Xanga that I custom-coded with HTML and homemade lyric banners I created in Paint.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Heather. I nodded hard to your word "epiphanies"! Yes, that was my motivation to start my Substack and it remains so. It helps to hear others share a similar journey, and to realize that not everyone has the conditions that favor an algorithm-driven platform. I hope you and I will continue on our mission in a format that excites and frees us. BTW, so amazing to finally meet a fellow Xanga blogger! Weren't those fun times? 😄🙌🫶
Yes to this! Making Substack work for you, rather than you working for it. I love that you're listening to the inner voice ❤️
Thank you! Yes, listening to my inner voice is my main mission these days 🙂↕️🤗❤️
It's so important to listen and lean into what is true for you. Good job, and inspiring to us all.
Thank you, Paulette! Thanks for stopping by 🤗 It surely is crucial to follow our own internal compass.
A wise decision! Write whenever you feel inspired and I will be here reading it! ❤️
Thank you for staying with me, Yi 🤗