Thawing Out A Substack
Old steak that's freezer burned? Or is it still something that offers nutrition?
Last summer I stopped writing my Substack. This was mostly inadvertent.
It was also a response to feeling bombarded by so much external input, and so many beautifully and artfully presented ‘stacks. Maybe I was imprisoned by the comparison “monster” within me, the one who has decided I don’t have it in me to thrive among a crop of renowned writers. So I opted to step back.
In some ways, this was healthy for me. I focused more on the Somatic Wisdom podcast. I had conversations with people who were absolutely brilliant. Two of my favorites from last fall are here:1
It made me curious though. A podcast requires a LOT more work than a Substack post (for me at least). There’s the scheduling of guests, the recording and editing of audio, the process of adding intro/outro, and quality checking to ensure ease of listening. Definitely a labor of love.
Why not just write a quick Substack, letting people know I’m still here? Or even better, reflecting on the juicy lessons I have treasured from interview guests.
I’m deeply curious about the ways our embodied knowing can guide us more skillfully than our busy minds ever could. There are so many ways I could more cleverly feed the somatic wisdom “content ecosystem.” According to the many folks who try to market these solutions to me, at least. 😜
But to what end? I know that people use this platform not just to share their thoughts, but to also build community. I love that (in theory, anyway). But I don’t love all the ways that we are required to monetize the activities we do to keep going.
Now that Substack is becoming a place where the “cool kids” hang out, it’s a little harder to believe the less famous writers among us (raising hand) to feel like we have anything noteworthy to say.
Though this probably the same reason it took me at least 3 years to start a podcast after my initial impulse to create one.
When I took the leap though, it was thrilling. The more I reflect through the medium of podcasting, the more interested I become. The more I dialogue with guests, the more I learn new ways to honor what my body needs and wants. It leads to new ways I could heal the small parts of me that had discounted my experiences I’d had that bumped up against my conditioning.
I’m not sure if Substack holds the same opportunities. Some respected writer friends have recently left the platform. One in particular, Dimple Dhabalia, articulated beautifully her choice to do so. I’ve spoken with Dimple on a Somatic Wisdom podcast about service without sacrifice. Her words are definitely worth heeding. If you don’t follow her already, she’s someone to seek out.
I haven’t yet arrived in a place where I know what intend to do here, or how I plan to proceed with this Substack. I’m deeply grateful to all of the people who have supported my journey along the way, providing encouragement, mentorship, and “friendtorship.2”
This post is meant to clear the slate a bit, and to feel into whether this medium still resonates for me, or whether I’ll consider different ways to share insights.
After completing a 7-month experiment substitute teaching in three school districts (22 different schools) in my area, I have a lot of thoughts about the somatics of education. There were so many times I could empathize deeply with the frustration of students about how they are expected to behave and sit still in an overly-full classroom. It helped me see how dysfunctional our current system has become, and how much more support teachers deserve.
It might be worth a mini-series here, exploring the ways in which we are currently falling short of what young people need, and brainstorming ways we could re-think teaching and learning. I’m certainly no expert on this, but I’m open to the wisdom of contributors on this topic as well. Sometimes outsiders have insights that insiders cannot see.
I’m not a parent myself. I’m part of the Auntie Brigade, as Elizabeth Gilbert has called us. But maybe this gives me a little more objectivity in how I approach the topic of education. I’m a proud daughter and granddaughter of public school teachers.
This would be a pivot in my writing, for sure. But it might be a seasonal series, not a permanent redirection. Let me know if this interests you as a reader, and I might shape more pieces here that have only landed in my journals so far.
I’m also attempting a pivot in career direction, back toward the field I was in for a dozen years (clinical research). I realized I’ve missed the collaborative spirit of the teams I was fortunate to work alongside. This happened while encountering teams within schools that worked well together. It sparked a longing to be part of more long-term projects, rather than being the temporary teammate, no matter how grateful the office staff were in greeting me.
If you’re still reading, thanks for being here. If you’re a Substacker and you are grappling with the role of this platform in wider conversations and communities, I’d love it if you share your thoughts here. If you are just bored on a weekend, and doing the ‘stack scroll, blessings. Go find a place where you can gratefully breathe and watch the dragonflies as I did this morning, while taking my Mom’s cat for a walk.
Pardon me, non-Spotify listeners (I’m no longer a paid subscriber) but apparently Apple/iTunes podcasts don’t come with a neat little formatted button like the other format. 😜
Thank you to ❤️ Jenny Blake for this term.