Thoughts on Writing: A Substack Digest

Roundup of all of the amazing writing on writing happening here on Substack this week

Welcome to Create Me Free where I share all of my deep research into and musings about the complex relationship between art and mental health. While I touch on art as therapy and the benefits of creativity, I really dig into the ways that our mental health symptoms can impact our creative process, content, productivity, medium choice, identity and business.

Thank you so much for being here. In addition to my own writing, I love to use this space to celebrate, encourage, and amplify other writers who are doing amazing work in related niches. This is my Thoughts on Writing weekly digest, where I curate the best writing about writing on Substack, highlight connections between some of the pieces, elaborate on topics related to my niche or my own experience, and hopefully help you find new writing that educates, inspires and empowers you in your own work.

WRITERS: If I have tagged that I’ve shared your work here and you aren’t a paying member, then you should still be able to see it with the 7-day free trial. If that doesn’t feel sufficient, simply email me (kathryn.vercillo on gmail) and I’ll comp you a free month because you’re an awesome writer or I wouldn’t have mentioned you in the first place!!

From the past week or so then …

A Creative Frame

Since we’re moving into autumn and lots of people are writing about it, I thought I would begin this week with a paragraph from 

Lonely Robot Theme

on Summer is Gone:

“As the vibrant colours of summer gradually yield to the gentle hues of autumn, a peculiar sense of loneliness often descends upon the soul. It's a season of transition, where nature itself seems to be preparing for solitude, shedding its leaves in a quiet, contemplative dance. In the midst of this transformation, many individuals find solace in writing, using words as a means to navigate the complex emotions that autumn's melancholy can evoke.”

Noha Beshir

of

Prone to Hyperbole by Noha Beshir

also feels this melancholy

and shared a poem about it, a small part of which is:

“Maybe it’s the sudden scarcity of sun
Setting sooner and sooner
until the dark feels like all we know”

Autumn isn’t usually melancholy for me although this autumn my father’s birthday will come along, the first birthday since he passed, so there’s going to be that. Whatever the emotions are, autumn feels like a rich season to me, and writing makes meaning of all of it.

Similarly,

Sandy Ernest Allen

of

What's Helping Today

wrote in Goldenrod and Aster Season:

“Like many, I am struck with a combination of dread and anticipation this time of year, the last breaths of summer. I both fear and love the fall and the winter, those darker days. This year’s felt like nonstop chaos, in my life; days seem to whir by, each leaving even more yet to do. So though I know winter will bring its lows, I perhaps crave its comfort too. How up here in the mountains when it’s snowy, things feel somehow simpler.”

A Second Frame

And I wanted to add this one that’s more specifically about the writing community here on Substack from 

Winston

of

Coffee Times

who recently opened up his Chat 

to allow anyone to share links to their writings weekly and find each other’s work there and support one another:

“The greatest joy in writing lies not in the solitary act of creation but in the knowledge that you can help others find their success. It could be a simple shoutout to a fellow writer or a regular comment on their post. But in doing so, you become a conduit for their voice to be heard and help readers discover their writings. It's a profound and beautiful aspect of the writing journey.

The act of lifting others not only benefits the writing community as a whole but also enriches your own experience as a writer. It fosters a sense of belonging, forging connections with like-minded individuals who share your passion. These connections can transcend the boundaries of the digital realm.”

I offer this same opportunity for my paid subscribers through a weekly chat thread I’m calling the Create Me Free Substack Writers Support Pod.

The Writing Life

Michelle Richmond

of

The Caffeinated Writer

shared When To Let Your Book Go

and I resonated so hard with so much of it. I’ve never had a hard time letting a book be done and sending it out into the world, probably because I learned early on that I needed to move along to make any money, but I’ve felt embarrassed about what I wrote before because I could do it so much better now. And so much of this essay speaks to why there’s nothing to be embarassed about.

“Writers change. Our voices develop. Our fifth book may have a similar voice to our first book, but it will be informed by our new experiences, our new knowledge, our new perspective. The book you write with a five-year-old screaming, “But I want to watch Curious George and I need my jelly sandwich!” in your face will be different from the book you wrote during that one-month residency on an island in a cottage with a wood-burning stove, back before you had a child, back before Curious George even registered. The book you write with a teenager texting, “Mom my metro card doesn’t work I don’t have any $ my phone is almost dead I am lost what to I do” will be different from the book you wrote when you had a five-year-old safe and sound at home, screaming about Curious George. Your books evolve with your life. Time moves quickly and it is suddenly a new decade. Don’t let life pass you by without sending any of those books or stories or essays out into the world.”

RELATED: How Do You Know When To Give Up by

Carissa Potter

of

BAD AT KEEPING SECRETS

“My goal in the beginning was to make Substack a full-time content engine. Creating a community in the grey areas, the muddy, stuckness of life. But to do that I had to charge people for content - which makes me uncomfortable. I would say 95% of our content is free. And I want to keep it that way. I also want to keep it ad-free. So, with my hands up in the air, I have to say, I tried. But it didn’t happen, so I have to move on. Just because you love something doesn’t mean it is going to work. (I keep having to learn this over and over again…)”

These decisions are hard. Every time. But letting go of a thing that’s not working the way you wanted to is what makes space for something else to move in.

You’re about to hit the paywall! Here’s some more about why.