Since quitting my job, I don’t have the work water cooler talk or morning catch up with collegues when I arrive at work. That’s why I have loved interacting and “meeting” so many new people on Substack!
While there are so many interesting people on Substack, sometimes it’s hard to find and be found by “your people”.
So I today, I’m introducing a new monthly series on musings by mika called: Find your tribe! 🔍 - Where you can introduce yourself and spark new connections!
Every month, we will have a new discussion thread and a new opportunity to find and be found by “your people”.
Hi! I’m Mika, I live in New Zealand. I’m a mum of 4 big kids. I recently left my 9-5 as a graphic designer.
5 topics I can talk about for 30 mins with 0 prep:
1. Empowering children to take an unconventional schooling path to keep their self-worth in tact.
2. ADHD in women and how it effects motherhood
3. The importance of knowing your cycle and the secret of slowing down to speed up
4. Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre adaptations and why the BBC series constantly knock it out of the park!
5. It’s never too late to make new friendships as an adult (and extroverted introvert)
musings by mika (https://musingsbymika.substack.com) is all about discovering life beyond the comfort zone - moving past perfectionism, people-pleasing and playing safe and smallI. ✨
I also include my monthly Substack diaries to guide fellow newbies. 📖
Oh boy, I'm seeing a lot of things I'm passionate about on your list. I'm sort of an accidental homeschooler and am now trying to help my two adult kids figure out what's next for them, school-wise, after taking a totally conventional path myself. I also have PMDD and am finally seeing a naturopath to see if I can regain some quality of life for myself--finally trying to know my own cycle has helped a lot.
I know exactly what you mean! My journey started quite a few years ago after my first child was in public school for two years. I did not want to homeschool, and in fact that homeschooling was extremely weird, but I started really considering it, praying about it, and trying to understand it, and have ended up being passionate about it.
At the same time, I’m not a “good“ homeschooler. I’m a little scattered and at times lazy. But there’s something very beautiful about watching my kids have more say about what they want to learn.
Our journey began in 2020 and was supposed to be for just that 20/21 school year "until things got back to normal."
We'd had such a sweet beginning to our schooling years in public, and I had no considerations for anything else outside of that. My three were pre-k, k, and 2nd when school as we know it turned upside down. I MOURNED the loss of what we had while finding myself surprised at every turn by what we were gaining.
Every year, particularly about this time of year, I hold my hands open and ask a lot of questions. I pray. I seek clarity and wisdom. Our oldest two may begin private school this fall, but even that I'm still unsure about. Our youngest is the only one whose path, at least for the next two years, I feel peace about.
It’s an every year question for us too. I homeschooled my oldest boy K-8, and he is now thriving at our local high school now (I think he’s getting the challenges he needs). But my middle daughter had a miserable experience at the same high school for a year, and is now getting her equivalency at a community college.
Hi! Mika, would you have an interest in going on my pod to talk about #2 (also leaving your job). Email me and I can share more info! Stephaniejucar@gmail.com
It’s a slice of life where I reflect on the heavy and the light. Recently I have started sharing playlist every Friday to bring back the joy of sharing and discovering music pre-algorithms ruling our lives.
Jenny, you are reading my mind. I was literally just thinking the other day how I feel like I keep listening to the same things over and over on Spotify because of the dang algorithm. Hearing someone else talk about this is, well, music to my ears, for lack of a better term lol I can't wait to check out your Substack and playlists!
Lauren, this make me so happy! Nice to know I’m not the only one out there who feels fed up with what the algorithm decides is GOOD. I look forward to checking your work out!
Jenny! We may be in the same tribe-- can definitely put grief AND probably succession in my topics without prep. Look forward to checking out your work
Love your playlist shares! Also, I feel so seen after reading your post, Posting a Comment on Substack. The struggle is real with the dichotomy of the fear of being seen vs the thrill of being seen.
Hi Cherie! I’m looking forward to reading your latest post about working in the AZ courts! Work is such a huge part of our lives and yet not many people take the time to write and reflect about it. I appreciate your support and am happy to have connected with you!
'New York' on this list made me chuckle myself. I didn't think to add my own city to this kind of list. Lived in it my whole life and not sure if I could talk about without prep, despite how much I've written about it in so many ways that I'm almost sick of it lol.
5. Alzheimer’s disease 🧠 (I’m a community educator for the Alzheimer’s Association)
I write Be Astonished -- where I discuss big-picture questions about the mind, society, and the nature of our existence. Current topics include consciousness, our collective disillusionment, and the power of journaling. Would love to connect!
Agreed, it can be so powerful to get thoughts down and look at them much later -- you realize how much growth and processing happens under the surface when you aren’t looking 🩵
Hey Rose! That's an interesting selection of topics there. Who doesn't love Paris? I'm gonna give you a follow now and look forward to reading your stuff soon. Cheers! Jools :)
So nice to have stumbled across each other here 🌿 Definitely more to come on consciousness, but I’d also love to write about my time in Paris. Thanks for subscribing 😊
Hi Rose! I love social psychology as well. One of my favorite podcasts that I listen to regularly is NPR's Hidden Brain, it always brings an interesting new perspective and makes me wish I studied psychology or sociology in school. The topics of your Substack fascinate me as well (especially consciousness) - I can't wait to check it out!
Great to meet another psych fan! I worked for several years in a psychology research lab at a major university, so I’m excited to share all the cool things I learned. I noticed you followed, but feel free to subscribe too if you’re interested so you don’t miss posts 😊
Oh wow - social psychology! I am very interested in that. I've actually taken Psychology as one of my subjects in IB and I enjoy it a lot. We're currently looking at memory and it is incredibly fascinating. I'm looking forward to reading your work!
Social psychology is so fascinating -- but I also love the work being done in cognitive psych with memory and attention. Can’t wait to get into it more in future posts!
Yes, it is -- I have a family connection to the disease, so I know firsthand how vicious it can be. I plan to explore it and its implications in a future post 🧠
Former neuroscientist here (former?, current?, who knows) Instant follow! Super excited to read your work. I can talk forever about subjects 1 and 5 and would love to spend enough time in Paris to talk about 4 🥲
I’m so glad to have found you here then! I would love to hear more about your experience. I’m excited to work on some longer-form pieces about my favorite topics in psychology 🧠🤓
A debate nerd! Fascinating! And is your substack named from Mary Oliver quote? I have that one posted in my "office" (actually just a shelf in my kids' playroom. lol!)
Thank you for subscribing! Amazing to hear you lived in Paris -- I only lived there for 3 months but have been studying French for a long time and have made several trips back 🩵
Hi! I'm Cassandra and I live with a chronic illness on the west coast of Canada with my husband and our dog, Chewie. I work as a Virtual Assistant, and when I'm not working I'm usually reading!
❓ 5 topics I can talk about for 30 mins with 0 prep:
1. Bullet journaling
2. Cystic Fibrosis
3. Virtual Assistant work
4. Reading/books
5. Self-advocacy in healthcare
🔗 Notes from a Kindred Spirit (cassandrabumpus.substack.com) is a bi-weekly newsletter about embracing curiosity, exploring hobbies, living with chronic illness, and finding contentment in the everyday.
Thank you! He's certainly fluffy like Chewbacca. 😉
I would say I'm more of a jack of all trades, but I'm good at setting up backend processes and I really enjoy working with entrepreneurs who create online courses.
Oooo! Fellow virtual assistant work person here. It’s always so much fun to meet others who do this too. Newsletters and email systems are my jam, followed closely by online courses and playing around in Canva. This may be random, but do you have a favorite email service provider or favorite online course platform? It’s one of my favorite things to ask to get people’s takes who actually know the inner workings of these arenas. 😊
Hello fellow VA! I love playing around in Canva too! I wouldn't say that I have a favourite email service provider, because I think they could all be better (at least the ones that I've tried)! 😂 For courses, I have mostly used Podia and Thinkific, and I find the backend of Podia to be more user-friendly. Also, I want all course platforms everywhere to deal with the taxes for you!
Yes, the system tends to do that! I was diagnosed as an infant so my whole life has been a lesson in how to deal with the healthcare system. P.S. I love the vibe of your Substack, so I just subscribed. 😊
Hi Serena - always great to connect with fellow bullet journalers! Oh, self-advocacy is so important in healthcare, so I'm glad to hear you're learning more about it. I was diagnosed with a chronic illness as an infant, so, really, if feels like my whole life has been one long class on advocating for myself within the healthcare system!
Hello fellow Buller journal friend. I struggle with shingles got diagnosed in my early 20s and been working on managing it for the last 30 years. I hope your doing well with all the weather changes I know my body is hating the cold to warm and back again xoxox
Hi Cassandra! Ontario gal I’ve here :) 🇨🇦 contentment in the everyday and listening to your body and learning to advocate for yourself, such essential skills. I’m going to go check your substack !
Hi Zarin, it is great to connect with fellow Canadian Substackers! I was born and raised in SK, but have called Vancouver Island home for almost 2 years now. What about you?
I have quite a lineage across the globe however we came to Canada in 1972 as refugees and settled in Calgary, Alberta. We lived there for 25 years and then business brought us to the US. We travelled back and forth and then we could not and due to Covid and other challenges.
We are planning to travel this March to see our grandchildren.
Love this idea Mika! ❤️ So fun and a great way to meet others!!
So my 5 topics are:
• Exercise/Fitness - my goal is to age fiercely!
• Habits/Change in habits
• Productivity - not that I excel in it, but because I know I'd function better with more of it!
• Developing self-worth through mindfulness practices - i need all the help I can get! 😆
• Cooking because I love to make yummy food
and maybe I can talk about books - I have at least 10 on my nightstand right now 😬
My 'stack is Working on becoming... (https://amcostanzo.substack.com/) and I write about working on becoming... whatever it is that brings you joy. Simple, yet really difficult to actually do all the time!
I have two boys, a great husband who is incredibly supportive as I experiment my way through Substack, and two kitties who keep me company. Love connecting with other writers!
Love your words age fiercely! I am 55 and just got turned into the book OUTLIVE by Peter Attia. It is a good one so far and came highly recommended by a friend… so if interested… check it out ! And CHEERS TO AGING FIERCELY!!!
I've listened to Peter Attia on Podcasts - very informative! I'm sure the book is full of great insights and knowledge. And YES!!! Cheers to aging fiercely!! ❤️ 🥂
Nice to meet you! This sounds awesome - can't wait to check your page out! So many similarities in things I love to read about and discuss with friends, so this should be fun!
I also recently wrote about my favorite exercise, it's the best when you find a good one!! My sister, Gabby would also love reading about changing habits - she's always trying self-imposed challenges (like 30 days no sugar) to change her regular routine. We share our free substack newsletter together, if you want to check us out too! :) xo
Currently I'm hosting in person in Chattanooga, TN, but I'd love to get a virtual session together! Perhaps I'll try to pull it off, could be fun! I'll see about finding a way to collect interest via my substact soon.
I'm adding big magic to my list now! Body keeps a score is currently on mine. I haven't read that yet but I've read widen the window which is in the same vein.
Current book club read is Fair Play by Eve Rodsky!
So funny! I just wrote my list and had Friends too - any character, any episode. I love Phoebe too!
I'm a total people pleaser, as is my sister who co-writes Mishmosh with me. I think we'd both benefit from your newsletter. Can't wait to check it out! xo
Hello new friends. I'm Steph, UK based, neurospicy-hormonal-disabled, journalist, mother, wife and friend. I write about health mental & physical, as well as some motherhood moments. I also swear a lot, in my writing and my spoken words.
Hey Monique would love to connect. I write for local news mostly but hoping to expand as I'm able. I'm a disabled mum so struggle with managing health, kids and work - but hope to get some equilibrium back at some point 😉💕
Writing for yourself in places like this is a terrific way to find balance - interestingly the column I wrote (2006-2011) was called Balancing Act! At the time we were raising our blended family of four. Lots of emotions in the house!
It really sounds like you have a lot on your plate. That juggling act - health, kids, work - probably doesn't leave you a lot of time, but I hope you find what you need along the way. It's OK to drop the balls sometimes :)
I don't think I'm ever on the ball to be honest 😊 A column is the dream for me. Have to find people to accept my pitches for the standard articles first. 🤣X
Hey Georgia, thanks so much for subscribing I'm about to subscribe back now. Feel free to follow me on IG too so we can connect Https://Instagram.com/stephcwrites 🙂
Hi Cherie, great to 'meet you' too 😊 do subscribe for free to keep up to date or give me a follow on here. I've just done the same. What do you write about? ♥️
Thanks, Steph! I've subscribed as well. I write about aging, health issues, the passage of time, life transitions. Plan to add to that with time - probably care-giving and grand-mothering as I transition into those roles.
Oy long covid is one that I would love to hear so much more about. One of my best friends had/has it and was eventually diagnosed with POTS and it has been just such a wild and difficult journey.
Hi nic, thanks yes there are so many suffering with long covid and not many answers. I hope your friend improves. it goes up and down for me. I keep wanting to write a recovery post but then I get worse again so can’t really! But I will write something at some point. 💛
Same here with fibromyalgia. I want to, but writing about my husband's health issues has been easier than writing about my own even though his are more acutely serious. Someday though!
Great topics. I got LC two and a half years ago. 90% over it but it still needs a little management now and again, But I’m now able to live a full life again which I thought might not happen at one point.
Hi Tara, I’m so pleased to hear that your 90% recovered!
I keep thinking I’ve recovered but then I relapse for months at a time, I think when I’m fighting an infection or if I take on too much (still recovering from driving and seeing family at Christmas!). I hope it will plateau at some point. I def have a ‘new normal’ of a much quieter, restful life that I need to protect. This brings on other stresses, social, financial, but I’ll get there! ✨🫶✨
Hey, that's me! I did start a chat this month! 😅 I am looking forward to finding my tribe! I live in the Bay Area with two tweens and a tech-obsessed husband.
My five 30-minute-0-prep topics are probably:
1. Teaching reading to elementary-aged kids
2. Teaching writing to elementary-aged kids
3. Parenting a kiddo with ADHD
4. New York City
5. Musical Theater
My newsletter Living the In-Between Times (marikapaezwiesen.substack.com) a series of playful experience to unhook from toxic perfectionist and productivity mindsets, and uncover the delight, awe and worth-full-ness that might be available in life's in between times.
Hi, I'm Marcello! Also a big fan of musical theatre! What's your favorite show? Mine is Chicago, for sure, which happens to have one of the better to-movie adaptations. I saw you have NYC at 4, have you lived there? Or just visited/learned a lot about it? Always curious about perspectives on the city. Cheers!
Ah yes, Chicago is so great! My kids and I are big Hamilton fans. (I've seen it 5 times!🤣) I really love Ragtime, but haven't seen it staged but the one time I saw it in NYC in 1999. And Wicked always wins!! I lived in NYC for 14 years after college, and both my kids were born there. I live on the other coast now...🫠 But we try to get back there once a year or so.
Hello friends. My name is Zarin and I am the writer behind the substact “ Sweet Serenity”. I am a mother of 4 grown children - 8 months ago we lost our firstborn suddenly, while she was at work.
5 topics I can talk about:
1. Loss and grief
2. Sibling rivalry
3. Coaching
4. My mother
5. My big family - I am one of 14 children (Jael - you and I will have to exchange stories 😉)
Hi Zarin! So sorry to hear about your daughter. I lost my twin brother suddenly a few years ago and always like to introduce myself to folks who have lost children. Sometimes it helps to see that folks make it out of the first year. Sending you my best.
Hi Zarin! I'm so sorry about your loss. I love that you can talk for 30 minutes about your mother. I should have listed that too. I don't know what I would do without my mother! Looking forward to reading what you write!
Hey Mika, thank for creating this space :) I’m really struggling to find my people on this platform!!
I’m Baibin (bay-bin) I’m based in Bristol, UK. I’m a graphic designer, art director and potter who has recently rediscovered my love of writing after being creatively stilted by the education system 😅
My 5 topics are:
1: The shi*t show of Women’s healthcare and medical misogyny
2: Hormones, mental health and being Neurospicy
3: bell hooks The Will To Change
4: The Wellness > Far Right pipeline
5: 17th Century Witch Trials (my current hyper-focus=OBSESSED)
So much to love in these topics! I’ve been doing some witchy research recently. My brain has been nagging me to write a witchy fiction book for years and it might nearly be time. Did you know there were only 5 who were sentenced to death in Wales?
It's crazy how it became so much more common in certain geographic areas, and some places were barley affected. There are two fab fictional books inspired by the witch trials that happened on Vardo in Norway, The Mercies and The Witches of Vardo, would recommend!
I taught The Crucible a few years ago, and my students loved it. I had fun researching and learning about the Salem Witch Trials and all the history attached to it.
No I'm not, I'm just easily obsessed by things 😂 I never learnt about the crucible at school which is such a shame! I've been reading a book recently called "witchcraft, a history in 13 trials" and they talk about the Salem trials, super interesting!
Hi Baibin! It sounds like you are full of creativity. Pottery—how fascinating! And goodness, I totally hear you on #1. I could go on about this, too. Have you listened to “The Retrievals” podcast? I haven’t yet, but am hoping to soon.
omg yes!! that’s my top podcast of recent years, it is such a gripping narrative on an individual story but also sheds light on the systemic issues, beautifully done. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!!
my absolute fav book on this subject is Unwell Woman by Elinor Cleghorn, it’s a big book but it’s utterly fascinating ( & infuriating). It goes through the history of western medicine and talks about how racism and misogyny have been woven into medical practice from day 1, and women, particularly women of colour, are still paying the price.
Ooh, seems like an interesting book - I've added it to my Goodreads! Have you read "Invisible Women" by Caroline Criado Pérez? It enraged me to the core and it was the first time I ever read about the misogyny in the medical community. The book gives a very detailed, well-rounded and well-supported argument regarding the inherent disadvantage women face in a world designed by men and for men. Thanks for the book recommendation!
This actually really inspired me to try and share more podcast recommendations, there must be so much great content that I don’t see in my part of the internet 😂 I’ve started a note to try and share some recommendations. If you have any that you’ve loved I’d love to hear them!
I’m Aastha, a 17 year old Indian writer and aspiring poet. I am currently a high school junior and I am interested in pursuing English and Economics in college.
My 5 topics are:
1. Fight Club (the movie) and directing it through cinematic and philosophical lenses
2. The Handmaid’s Tale & 1984 — both of them are such brilliant books
3. Language and knowledge and how it’s distortion and restriction effect our freedom of thought
4. Feminism, colonialism and India
5. Writing and books and the beauty of poetry, novels and literature
I write Soliloquy (https://bluegreywrites.substack.com/) - my small cozy place on the internet where I write about books, art, literature, language and society. I have also been writing personal essays lately that I am very proud of:
Hello Aastha! I'm so impressed you are writing at age 17. Took me until age 60. I'm heading over to subscribe now and look forward to your writing and your young perspective!
Such a great initiative Mika, so excited to take part in it every month!
Hi to everyone else, I am Mansi and I live in India. I work in corporate full time, also study full time and run my newsletter Unwind on the side.
5 things I can talk about for 30 minutes without prep:
1. Travelling as a means to fulfil your soul.
2. The incorrect notion of "rest is unproductive."
3. My actuarial journey. (The road to becoming a qualified Actuary is very very tough)
4. The power of building self-awareness. (It's life changing)
5. Everything food related.
My newsletter Unwind (https://unwindblog.substack.com) is all about the meaningful things in life, from self-care to intentionally building a life beyond a 9-5 job.
Hi Mansi! I came across your blog a while ago on my feed and enjoyed it — I've subscribed now. I've been thinking and writing about productivity for a while now, and in many ways it strikes me as one of the most important topics we writers can tackle. I'm especially interested in the political elements of productivity, questioning the premise that "growth" is any more "valuable" than maintenance and, at times, dismantling. Since quitting my 9-5 in June and moving across the world from D.C. to Argentina, I've been developing and confronting parts of each of your five things (besides the actuary bit!). I would love to stay in touch.
Hey Casey! Love this thought process. I hope life has been more fulfilling for you since quitting 9-5. Would love to read more about your viewpoint on this productivity too✨
It has — it's been challenging in many ways, and it's made me more aware of parts of myself that I wasn't fully conscious of when I was in a familiar city and routine in the United States. I wrote about Argentina and some of my first few weeks in my October post. It's been difficult balancing freelancing with maintaining a healthy cadence on Substack but I'm being gentle with myself as things ebb and flow. :)
Kudos to you for taking such a bold step! Really hope you continue to find beauty in the unknown. And love that you are being gentle with yourself, SO important 👏
Hi! Just subscribed! I'm not sure if it makes a lot of sense why these 2 things intersect, but I work as a Virtual Assistant and all the entrepreneurs that I work with use a lot of tech products in their businesses so I find your takes on product design interesting!
Hi :) I'm Leanne and I'm in Western Australia - I don't write on Substack (yet) but I do blog at https://www.crestingthehill.com.au if anyone wants to pop over to visit.
I'm not sure I could talk for 30 mins about anything these days but I do love chatting about:
1. Being Unbusy and intentional in how I live
2. Nora Roberts and JD Robb novels
3. Learning new things from podcasts, youtube, blogs etc
4. Blogging
5. Finally finding "me" in the second half of life.
Hi Leanne, I love the idea of finding one's self in the second half of life! And I love that you said "yet" about writing on Substack. It is a hugely supportive environment here!
Hi Leanne from another West Australian. I'm also becoming "me" in the second half of life. I look forward to reading your eventual Substacks :) and trying to embrace "unbusy".
4. How big my family is. My great-grandparents had 17 children.
5. Food
I write on 4Buckets, where I basically talk about the things in my head --food, life, books, and television/pop culture. https://4buckets.substack.com/
Hi Jael! I remember your Substack from Amber's freelancing workshop. I've definitely related to the highs and lows of freelance work recently... Here on Substack I've been focusing more on personal writing, including some essays on books that I invite you to check out. Looking forward to seeing more of your writing. :)
Hi everyone! I'm Kristine, writer (of notebooks, newsletters, and novels) and mom of three kids in middle childhood -- one on the brink of teendom -- whom I've been teaching at home since 2020. Between that pivot and the novel planted in my heart a couple years before that, the last half of my fourth decade might be entitled "NEVER SAY NEVER."
My 5 topics for 30 minutes with no prep are:
1. Vincent van Gogh’s life and work
2. how to come alive (and stay sane) at Walt Disney World
3. the wild ride of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy
4. the magic of New York City and the places I've left bits of myself, every visit
5. the journey of (still?) unexpectedly homeschooling
I live in Franklin, TN, just south of Nashville, by way of the East Coast more than half my life ago. I write My Pen in the Air: an at-least monthly if not bi-monthly Substack on all matters of writing, life, and what comes to me when "I happen to be standing just outside my door, with my notebook open," and "listen" with "my pen in the air." (borrowed from Mary Oliver)
I had a general, very surface level knowledge of Vincent and his work before 2018 -- never found myself particularly taken by any of it or by him. I was always the sort to champion lesser-known artists -- he was "too popular" for my tastes.
The summer of that year, though, my husband and I went to The Met in NYC. I had an encounter with one of his paintings, Wheat Field with Cypresses, that... quite literally changed my life. It's hard to explain without sounding quite "woo-woo" -- but it was transformative.
I went home and became an informal student of his work, his letters, and his life, which I consider myself still. I went on, later that year, to begin writing a novel inspired by a scene planted in my mind shortly after my own encounter and in the midst of my studying. (I share a little of that journey in a series starting here: https://kristineneeley.substack.com/p/these-five-years-introduction)
I grew to understand that the "too popular" version of Vincent's work and life hardly scratches the surface of the breadth and depth of who he was and what he created, both in letter and form. I just... love him!
Hi Kristine! Really enjoyed your post about what might have been. Especially the last bit about virality (I agree, it’s a word!). Subscribed ✔️ and looking forward to reading more of your writing!
Hi Jenny -- thank you! I was actually just coming to tell you, myself, that I was so drawn to your original comment on this thread, I immediately hoped over to your stack and was pleasantly affirmed with the resonance I felt there. Easy subscribe.
I've already started listening to today's playlist and am looking forward to reading (and listening) more. Glad to have connected!
Hi Reid, I just subscribed! You are decades younger than I am, but I loved your post "It's Okay To Be Disliked." It something that women (and, I guess . . . men? insert laughing emoji) struggle to achieve. The desire to be liked may be more prevalent in acting (firsthand experience) where rejection is the norm, but I believe (I'm assuming from your third topic that you are knowledgeable about the entertainment world) that this is a life struggle for most of us, no matter our age. While I have arrived at a time in my life where it matters far less—it's funny how the stark reality of a looming six foot hole or pretty urn resting on a mantle, will jolt you awake and help you shake off the detritus the mind creates. Looking forward to reading your future posts!
Hey JR! Thank you for reading and sharing so beautifully your experience... it’s nice to know we aren’t alone! You are right about the need for approval getting better with age. When I turned 30 I definitely felt a massive shift in my confidence. I’m looking forward to becoming more and more confident as I mature. I’m excited to read your writing as well!
Hello! I’m Vanessa, I live in rural Somerset (SW England). I’m a photographer, potter, gardener and Substack writer. I have two gorgeous adult daughters, six bantams, a shaggy lurcher called Gertie and an emotionally absent husband.
Five things I can talk about 🤔 -
• Highs and lows of International relocation
• The benefits of Volunteering
• The failings of the UK asylum system
• Self Doubt
• Learning about Neurodiversity
I write The Post House Chronicles, a weekly rambling of my creative life in the countryside. Putting my fingers to the keyboard somehow helps me figure out what I’m thinking and feeling about life, and if it resonates with others it pleases me immeasurably.
Hi Vanessa! I just moved with my family into our first home with a yard and can’t wait to try gardening for the first time. 🌱 Our neighbor dropped off some tomato seeds and a little indoor greenhouse, so I tried it for the first time yesterday! I don’t know what I’m doing, but eager to learn.
I’m also learning more about neurodiversity every day as my stepson is autistic!
Hi Erika and welcome to gardening! I’m no expert, but have lived with and loved many gardens - all of which have taught me something. Sewing seeds is one of the most rewarding things and I have to seriously restrain myself from sewing too many as I can’t bear the thinning out process (feels like murder 😳). Happy growing 🌱 xx
Hey Vanessa! love the sound of your work. I am also a potter in the SW, currently recovering my love for the craft after ruining it by making it my side hustle for a few years 😅 I look forward to reading your creative life updates
Hi Baibin, I think many of us have ruined a love by turning it into a business but pottery is so hard not to since there are only so many pots any one household can use 😂 I’m still pretty novice so enjoy much clay recycling! Whereabouts in SW are you? X
Hi I'm Karen a food scientist with a $16K food safety Substack. I'm also an accidental Substack expert + mum of two gorgeous young adults, living in Sydney Australia.
I could talk for 30 mins about:
- Substack and how to use it to create $$ and freedom (I am literally writing a book on it)
- Food safety and Food Fraud prevention
- Windsurfing (lifelong sufferer!)
- Aussie bush camping
- nothing more... I usually prefer to listen than talk...
I didn’t realise that you were an accidental Substack expert! 😄 You’re so knowledgeable!!! Also, it’s lovely to meet someone from this side of the world. 🇦🇺🇳🇿
Hi Jasmine! Ah, I love that! 🩰✨ I took a few adult ballet drop in classes several years ago, but otherwise I haven’t danced since 2010! I miss it so much. The Atlanta Ballet performs right around the corner from me and I just LOVE watching them. 😍 What are your favorite ballet companies?
My favorites are The Royal Ballet and New York City Ballet 💕 I've been taking adult classes off and on since college. I try not to stay away from it too long! You should drop into an adult class every now and then, you won't regret it!
Thanks for your comment and same same about a deep and personal interest in spiritual abuse. I would also love to hear more about the children's book! Do you illustrate too or are you working with someone? (Can you tell I have also considered this haha)
The dream is to partner with my mama who is an illustrator! You can check out her lovely work at yumikokitazono.com. 🤩 And how awesome you’ve considered this too!! My husband got me a children’s book course as a Christmas gift which was so thoughtful. It’s been great.
Hi, I’m Bex! I live just outside Stockholm, Sweden and moved here from San Francisco.
Five things I can talk about for 30 mins with zero prep
Moving overseas
lgbtq relationships
Infertiilty / Loss
Cooking mashup California/Swedish dishes
Dealing with anxiety and coping with change
I write about lessons learned from living abroad, finding your identity and purpose - even at an older age, becoming a parent late in life, books I am reading and food I am eating/cooking. My long term hope is to grow a community of like-minded people searching for a sense of belonging, together.
Things that went over well so far are like Swedish Meatballs with a Cranberry BBQ sauce or traditional Mac and Cheese with a special Swedish cheese called Västerbotten, or American style cheesecake with cloudberry sauce :). Ill probably share some of these once I have better lighting after the winter months lol
Hi Bex! I also moved recently, from New York to Buenos Aires, in September. Needless to say, it's been an adventure. I also found myself an LGBTQ relationship of my own pretty soon after arriving; I wasn't necessarily planning on getting a boyfriend, but, well, things happen, and it's been an absolute pleasure. Looking forward to seeing more of your writing!
Whoa, Stockholm from San Francisco sounds like quite the move (and also, is Sweden the dream I imagine it to be?!). I like your list a lot and am curious to check out your stuff!
Hi, Bex! I've never been to Sweden, but I have family and friends in SF. My novels have queer main characters and the het/cis environments they live in; endings are hopeful and realistic rather than happy-ever-after. And I love the reference to mash-up cooking! I mostly fly without recipes, myself.
Hi! Such a great idea, Mika. Thanks for facilitating this space! I'm Ginger and I live in Mississippi. I own a boutique and teach yoga.
5 topics I can talk about for 30 min with 0 prep:
1. Yoga
2. Journaling
3. Books I'm reading or have read
4. Personal growth and mindset
5. How my life has changed since I became more intentional and purpose-filled
At The Possibility Project, I share stories about learning to live with intention and purpose. I'm a newbie to Substack and to putting my writing out in the world. Would love to connect!
Hi ginger! Made me smile to read that you own a boutique and teach yoga. What a wonderful combination! I dreamed for years as a little girl owning a store and would “play” store all the time. Now as an adult, I love to shop in them!!
Hi Ellen! I've taken a bit of a break from Substack for a few weeks, but when I popped back on I was happy to see that what I do brought a smile to you! I'm definitely living my dream life - sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it's real! I hope that everyone gets to do what they love with their precious time here!
Hi Ginger, I could talk for 30 min about all these topics as well; I love yoga, journaling, and reading. I'm also very new to Substack and writing publicly. Are there any good books you've read recently?
Hi Jasmine, it sounds like if we got together we’d be talking with each other for a lot longer than 30 min! Peeked at your bio and found another thing in common - I was an English major in college and also taught high school English for a few years. Currently reading Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano - a family drama that is bringing me all the emotions as I read!. Highly recommend!!
Wow, I'm not even that surprised by this. Former English Majors always seem to find one another. I will have to check out that book; I recognize the cover from various book lists!
Hi Ginger, nice to meet you! Your topics resonated with me since I do yoga (though just at home, hihi), journal, read, and go to therapy for my anxiety. Checking out your Substack now!
Hi! I'm Daria. I live in Louisiana. I'm leaving a 40-year career as an environmental lawyer at the end of 2024. I'm also a health and wellness coach for women 50+, a personal trainer, and explorer of all things health and wellness.
My 5 topics I could talk about for 30 minutes with zero prep:
1. The importance of movement, balance and flexibility as we age.
I write the Wellgevity Warrior, which includes information and inspiration on living your best life as you age. That can cover a lot of topics. I'm very new to substack, and I've written about never being too old to change and habit stacking for yoga.
Hi Daria, I'm Faye. It sounds like we have lots in common! I write about movement as a tool for personal empowerment, and purpose, mindfulness, and embodiment are thoroughly woven into the tapestry of my explorations. I also love cats! I look forward to reading your substack :)
Hi! I'm Jackie, I co-write our substack page with my sister, Gabby! I recently had a baby and am focusing most of my time and energy into being his mama right now!
5 topics I can talk about for 30 mins with 0 prep:
1. Dog behaviors and what they mean
2. Biophilia - humans inherent desire to connect with nature
3. Friends - any character, any episode
4. Struggles of a new parent
5. Taylor Swift easter eggs
Mishmosh is all about sharing openly and honestly, and creating a space where others feel comforted to know what they're feeling or experience is shared among a larger group. We love to talk about relationships, self-discovery, and personal growth!
I've never heard of the word biophilia, but the phenomenon has certainly been a part of me since I was young so it's great to be introduced to a name for it. :) I did a deep dive into my personal relationship with nature and exploring new surroundings when I moved across the world in October — I invite you to check it out. Looking forward to reading more of your content as well!
Hello! I'm Sarah, I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I am a Sex, Love and Relationship Coach and a Wardrobe Stylist, so I live at the intersection (innersextion?) of Sex & Style.
The five topics I could talk about without any prep:
1. Mormon feminism and the systematic devaluing of women's voices
2. Female orgasm
3. 30Rock
4. Flamenco dance as a form of deep and sensual embodiment
5. Pleasure as medicine
I write at http://sarahwardco.substack.com on the topics of sensuality, embodiment, sexuality and style. Pleasure to meet you all!
Hi, I am Sophie, I live in the UK, recently got married to my best friend of 11 years and we have a son together (who is autistic and has ADHD) and our dog, Kaveah (she is rescued from Romania, and we kept her name).
5 topics I can talk about with 0 prep are:
1. Autism/ADHD
2. Having a child with SEN needs and finding your tribe
3. The long and terrible journey to a diagnosis
4. Running and discovering the benefits of exercise later in life
5. TV - I love TV
I am quite new to Substack and still finding my feet but communities like this certainly help so thank you!
Previously I had a successful blog called Bad Mum and I turned it into a printed publication with no experience at all, which I was proud of and now I am here writing Bolt. I write honestly about life, parenting, autism, death and hope to make some of you laugh on the way!
Sorry I have met many people yet but Mika you are a star, thank you! Hope to make lots of new friends along the way.
What are 5 topics you can talk about for 30 mins with 0 prep?
1. Witchy wisdom
2. Dysautonomia/POTS
3. Environmental Justice/Sustainability
4. White supremacy and systemic racism
5. Grief and healing through brain retraining, mindfulness, nature, and witchy wisdom
I write Willow and The Witch, where I'm currently writing on each of the five stages of grief through a witchy lens. My most recent post was on how Tarot saved my life.
Would love to connect with others especially anyone in the witchy community who can look at it with an intersectional lens. I'm starting to unpack a lot of the problematic areas. Also interested in collaborating on some environmental/sustainability topics!
Hi Catherine! Fascinating topics. I don't have POTS, though I have experienced a few panic attacks that had some of the same symptoms. I'm especially interested in your reference to witchy wisdom (do you consider yourself Wicca?). I've featured Paganism and magick in a few of my novels and am eager to learn more. Blessed be.
Thank you! I have had many panic attacks and have had to use a lot of different tools to manage them. I'm sorry you have to deal with them too.
I don't identify as Wiccan-I'd say mostly Pagan but I do have influences from other belief systems. In witchy wisdom I explore a lot of different aspects under that umbrella-divination, moon magic, manifestation, the wheel of the year, ancestral healing, crystals, plant magic, etc. It's really helped me in my healing journey.
I love that you've found ways to use Earth and Sky power. And I love that you (like me) capitalize Paganism. It's frustrating to me that although I capitalize it in my novels, and even though I make a point of having a character mention that, reviewers almost inevitably use "paganism."
Hi!👋 I’m Crystal from Ontario Canada. I’m an artist and illustrator and fine arts educator for over 25 years.
My 5 TOPICS
1. How much I love my daughter Charlotte (graduated last year from uni)
2. Misophonia
3. Pugs
4. The importance of integrating art into the everyday
5. How art and nature intertwine and give us gentle lessons on how to live.
I began THE ARTIST’S EYE https://crystalbeshara.substack.com/about last December. Artful ways to help cultivate more POSITIVITY, more GRATITUDE and explore deeper CONNECTION through not only art but every day life.
You had me at misophonia. I also have hyperacusis and Meniere's disease. And as for art.... I cringe when I hear someone go on at length about the importance of STEM education. Of course that's important. But where's the art? Why isn't it STEAM? Art is what pulls the rest of it together. I write novels featuring queer characters, with hopeful, realistic endings rather than happy-ever-after. I see fiction and visual art as ways we can examine our inner selves as well as our relationships to others, without invading the private thoughts and feelings of anyone else.
Yes to all of that! When we are truly deeply “seeing” we get so deep past skin and bones. We see patterns, how we’re all connected. We begin to lose judgement as well. (Perhaps until we’re deep in a Misophonia storm… then I’m super judgy 😂
Living with Meniere’s would be very challenging. ❤️
Re connectedness, two of my favorite books about this are Magister Ludi/The Glass Bead Game (Hesse) and Chaos (John Gleick).
As for misophonia, I thought for years I was being horribly judgy (as in, "How could any reasonable person not understand how disgusting they sound?"). Then I found out what was making me want to slap people silly, and it was such a relief.
My daughter has a very difficult time at the dinner table. It's so bad that we now let her eat alone as she can't stand the sound of people chewing! I thought she was just being a difficult teen! You know, the point in their development where they can't stand even the sound of their parent breathing! My nephew's wife also suffers from it. Had no idea that so many people experience it.
Awww man. I can relate. This is where I discovered it as well as a teen. The dinner table is the worst. 😞 with open mouthed chewing especially. Very triggering of fight or flight.
Hi, I’m Sonya and live in Suffolk, England with my partner Darren and our two Beagles; Dizzee & Rascal.
I’m a Home Stylist (interior designer) although have recently gone back into full time following redundancy where I works for the sports brand ASICS for over 11 year.
My 5 topics are:
1: Interiors, particularly anything linked with warm, earthy tones
2: Running, currently training for my first marathon
3: The challenges of being a multi-hyphenate
4: My personal manifestation journey (by the way I was manifesting many years before it became all “trendy” I definitely missed out on that one 🤣
5: Being brave and reaching out to make new connections, the worse that will ever happen is nothing changes, you can only gain from the experience 😉
At the start of this year I reviewed my Substack and what I was offering (particularly for my paid subscribers£, this post shares the new direction for 2024 if you’re interested in learning more:
Before we knew what manifesting was, we said to our daughter that she had a “big brain” because she managed to manifest unbelievable things from a young age.
Hi Sonya! I’m excited to check out your substack. I’m a Feng Shui guide and love checking out interiors and seeing how we can shui them up. And I’m a triathlete so I want to hear all about your marathon training. When’s your race?
Hello everyone! I am Cherie Lee and I live in Flagstaff, Arizona. I am a recent retiree and first time grandma-to-be.
Five things I can talk about for 30 mins without prep:
1. My friends and family
2. Books I love
3. Scrapbooking
4. Health related issues
5. Municipal Courts
I am fairly new to Substack and write at Just a Blink - https://justablink.substack.com/ - about the passage of time, aging, health, mortality, retirement, life transitions, and other random things I'm thinking about.
Thanks, Mika, for providing this opportunity. I'm looking forward to meeting all of you and finding my tribe!
Thanks, Mika! I haven't yet, but that's a fun idea. I've done wedding albums for both my boys, and I'm working on childhood albums for them. I'm doing it the old-fashioned way in physical books, but they end up so heavy that I think I'll switch to digital for my grandbaby.
Hi Pawan, nice to meet you! I am doing the slow-read of "War and Peace" with Simon Haisell, and I just picked up "The Alchemist" from the library but haven't started it yet. My favorite books of all time are "The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice, and all of Khaled Hosseini's books but especially "And the Mountains Echoed". What about you?
If you liked the Witching Hour, there's a series: The Witching Hour, Lasher, and Taltos. It's been a long time since I read those, but I remember them being pretty good. I liked Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat. She also wrote a book called Cry to Heaven about the castrati, which was good and very interesting. One of the things I really like about her books is that even though they're fiction, they're very well researched. She also wrote some erotica under the pen name, Anne Rampling. I've not read any of those.
I did read Lasher and Taltos, and will add the others to my TBR list! Yes, her writing is very thorough and detailed. My favorite parts of Witching Hour are when she goes back in time for centuries and you really get a feel for what life was like. Thank you!
Hi everyone! I’m Amanda and I live in California. Last year I quit my 9-5 with no backup, solo traveled abroad for a couple of months, and recently started my own business as a meditation teacher!
Hello everyone, my name is J.R. and I live in Pittsburgh, PA with my husband and daughter.
I've had several careers, but my current and last one (wishful thinking) is as an author.
Five topics I can talk about for 30 minutes with 0 prep:
1. How "gracefully aging" is not all it's cracked up to be (yes, you read that right. As Cher so succinctly put it, "getting old sucks")
2. The joys and challenges older parents face raising young children—I survived, mine is now 18
3. Anything related to movies, acting, and modeling
4. Building boats and renovating houses
5. Starting over in life (The only time it's too late is when you're dead)
My substack (http://jrroessl.substack.com) currently acts as a monthly newsletter, which I send out to my book subscribers, keeping them informed of any future appearances or events, and giving them a sneak peek of my current WIP. Now that I have the newsletter figured out, I will be covering all the topics above and anything else that occurs to me in my Out of Step life. Wishing you all much success and growth with your Substacks. I love this platform.
As you can tell, I have a dark sense of humor. I would like to blame it all on my years as a New Yorker, but I’ve been this way all my life, as substantiated in my book, Unmoored.
Hello--I'm Margaret Ann, I live in the PNW, and I have six kids (two adults, two teens, and two little ones). I've been writing all my life, but Substack is the first place I've really shared anything for many years (and I love it!).
5 topics I can talk about for 30 minutes with zero prep:
1. Thrift store shopping
2. Neurodivergence
3. Children's & YA lit
4. Libby/audiobooks
5. eating disorders, sadly
My substack (https://margaretannsilver.substack.com) is me writing poems and posting them (currently five days a week). Sometimes the poems are from my college or grad school, some are from five years ago, and many of them are recently written. I write about parenting, marriage, our hard journey with my daughters' eating disorders, and other stuff :).
Love all these topics, and I’m so sorry your daughter’s journey with eating disorders. It’s tough on everyone involved, and so helpless.
How do your kids feel about thrifting? It’s one of the things my youngest and I do on the weekends. Not super great when you have ADHD and impulsively buy stuff! Hahaha
My kids pretty much all love thrifting (I used to take them a ton—probably too often—when they were little). Two kids are really interested in vintage items like me. Two are more about the clothes and books. The two littles love the toys. We definitely have too much stuff 😳.
Thank you for your sympathy about the EDs. Both girls are doing better, but progress is not linear (as I’m always being reminded).
Sounds like your writings are like an invitation into your home and family … lovely! Your post caught my eye because my daughters love to go thrift shopping and I never am inclined to take them. You may have just given me the nudge needed! And I am sure that they will thank you for that!
I love thrifting so much, but it's okay if it's not your cup of tea! You taking them will still make them feel so loved. When I was growing up (small Northern California town), there weren't many thrift stores around but there were a hundred and one little antique/curio stores and my parents patiently drove me to so many. It meant a lot to me.
Oh wow, I just went and checked out your Substack. I will definitely go and read more. My husband and I I had a pretty emotional talk last night about how things are not going as well as we hoped (new issues keep popping up). It’s hard to find the right kind of support sometimes. In our family, we have ADHD, OCD, GAD, depression, Tourette syndrome, and of course the eating disorders. There is also possibly dysgraphia and dyslexia in the mix, and the need for speech therapy. I’m a little overwhelmed just writing it out.
Oh Margaret, that is a LOT! So much empathy and hugs! it's so hard, isn't it? Especially when new issues pop up. This fall, we realized our daughter also is on the autism spectrum, which was a hard realization at first but has been a really helpful lens. But she has SO much to deal with. Your kids sound like they are carrying a lot too. Eager to check out your Substack too! Let's keep in touch.
Hugs back. I like your phrase “helpful lens”, as I feel like A LOT has been clarified for my neurodivergent children and their needs. But I’m also realizing how much we missed before the diagnoses and how hard they struggled in the NT world.
Hi! I'm Michelle, I'm based in Brighton on the South Coast of the UK. I home educate my autistic son, and work (very) part-time as an Ayurveda Lifestyle Coach, yoga teacher and sound therapist.
5 topics I can talk about for 30 mins with 0 prep:
1. Ayurveda! (That's traditional Indian medicine)
2. Women's health (I used to be a specialist nurse in women's health but now I work Ayurvedically using diet and lifestyle)
3. Buddhist philosophy
4. 90s indie music
5. Witty and often slightly horrifying anecdotes from my time in the NHS!
Inner Alchemy is my Substack on Ayurveda for women's health https://inneralchemy.substack.com/ i try to demystify the complexity of Ayurveda, plus we have "plant of the month" with recipes, and Dinacharya Club - a new monthly self-care practice or ritual.
Hey Michelle, nice to meet you. Dinacharya Club! I love it. I live in a community with an Ayurvedic college so there are loads of practitioners here. Pretty amazing to me that you home educate your son AND teach, consult and do sound therapy. Even though it looks like your sub is for women, I'll still check it out. take care
Hi! Obviously the home education takes up most of my time, but I try to work the other things around it. Ayurveda and yoga help me stay balanced for sure!
Hi! I'm Nic, a rather shy-about-my-poetry poet who has been making an effort over the past year and a half to be much less shy about it now that I'm somewhere in that mid-thirties zone. It's going well!
Okay, 5 topics I could talk about with zero prep, as proven on a recent new friend hike date: 1) Forest Therapy or forest school or why time in the forest is amazing and deeply beneficial; 2) wanting to make so much more space and welcome for trans folk of all ages in our communities; 3) why working as a cleaner is the perfect job for a poet; 4) how f-ing hard it can be to be a parent; 5) religious deconstruction
I write poems and release soundtracked, audio versions of them (okay, only one so far but working on more!) at wordsperperson.substack.com
Thanks for reading and thanks for the chance to do this Mika!
Hi, Nic! So many things to respond to in your list. Being shy about one's innermost thoughts and feelings (i.e., poetry) is totally understandable. I write novels featuring queer characters (currently working on one that takes place in the 1980s; the way trans was thought of then compared to now shows that there has been progress, albeit slow). And as for religious deconstruction? One of my favorite things!
Hi Robin! Thanks for the response:). Novels plural?! Amazing! As a poet, I really feel in awe of people who can write entire novels haha, I simply cannot imagine. I love to hear you're featuring queer characters and that you see evidence of progress from the work - can be hard to feel the hope some days. I'm going to check our your page now:).
I like to think that the more push-back we see on queer rights, the more progress it means has been made. That's what I want to believe, anyway. As for the novels, I write because I have to write. Not saying it isn't work, or challenging, but it feels necessary as well as rewarding. Loved your poem about the monarchs, BTW. Great title.
Hey Nic! When I started my Substack last summer, I mentioned having a “spoonful of courage.” It looks like you did the same in sharing your poetry publicly. How awesome! I’d be curious to learn more about forest therapy. My husband regularly goes out there to meditate and always returns refreshed.
Also, religious deconstruction is always an interesting topic. One of the topics I listed was spiritual abuse, and perhaps someday soon I’ll actually share my story on it.
Hey there. I’m Teyani , many friends call me Tey. I live in the PAC NW with my large tom cat named Jose and love it here. I’ve mostly retired from my private practice in counseling. And I’m enjoying writing poetry and a book.
My five topics that could keep me talking effortlessly are:
1. Counseling and all the things I’ve learned over the last 30 years
2. Fabulous recipes
3. Cerebral Spinal Fluid leaks, how debilitating they are and how few doctors know how to treat them let alone test for them.
4. Coping with Rapid shifts in personal mobility and loss of independence brought on by serious illness
5. Grief and loss
My Substack is called Staying Together - it’s the beginning chapters of my book, as well as my random musings along the walk through life.
Hello Tey! How can anyone resist subscribing to someone who describes themselves as a good egg? Love it! My older son is in Yakima, WA, and we hope to move there someday. Where in the PAC NW are you?
Deep breath. Hi, I’m Tara, former English teacher turned writer and mum to two neurospicy grown-up children. I’m also an introvert who loves nothing more than spending time thinking. My five topics would be:
1. Craft of writing
2. Literature
3. Slowing down for healing and happiness
4. Psychology of stories
5. Neurospicy family life (something like 8 out of 10 of my mum’s grandchildren are neurospicy which probably means most of us are 😆)
Hi! I'm Monique and I live in Perth, Western Australia. My 9-5 is events officer and I write in the gaps of life. I dream of bigger gaps to write in!
5 Topics I can Talk About for 30 minutes with 0 prep:
1. Food - the preparation of and the eating
2. Writing/my writing journey
3. The despair and grief I feel about our world at times
4. The hope I have that collectively, we can find a better way
5. Little things I think are extraordinary
At La Muse (https://moniquemulligan.substack.com/) I write about reconnecting with the “little girl” inside who sees the beauty in the extraordinary ordinary. And I'm loving exploring short, creative essay formats.
I thought I already replied, but it seems to have disappeared! 🤷♀️
I was just saying how I’m on the journey to reconnect and listen to my little girl too. It’s cracked open so many truths that I didn’t know. It’s been a journey!
Hi all, my name is Christoph, I live in Nevada City, California. I'm a single dad of two daughters age 6 and 14. who writes, plays guitar, and is still figuring things out.
5 Topics I can riff on for 30 minutes:
1. meditation
2. creativity as a path of healing
3. woodworking
4. wisdom of the Tao
5. intentional and effective interaction with entheogenic plants
Miracle Soup (miraclesoup.substack.com) is a podcast and blog I created to help alchemize suffering into healthy creative expression. I write about this journey, documenting the wild ride of this life. Pleased to meet you all!
Hey! I'm Anna, I live in Hertfordshire in the UK (formerly a Londoner). I don't have kids, albeit giving it a big effort to. I live with my husband and my dog, a border terrier named Dotty. I'm new to Substack and am finding it equal parts cathartic and friendly.
What are 5 topics you can talk about for 30 mins with 0 prep?
- skincare; I have become a bit of a product junkie
- shopping abroad (particularly the US and France)
- interiors and all things homeware
- crime documentaries on Netflix
- as I'm rapidly approaching 40; being ready for a new decade
Mika! This is such a wonderful idea! Everyone here is so fascinating! Hi humans! I love you all!
I’m Kelsey. I currently live in Florida with my husband and 2 Doberman puppies Zumi and Tashi. I write Find Your Awesome with Kelsey Abbott at kelseyabbott.substack.com. My mission is to help people remember who they really are, empower them to be brave enough to be the weirdo their soul wants them to be and increase the amount of joy in the world.
1. Human Design
2. The 7 levels of energy and how we always have the power to choose which energy level we’re viewing the world from
3. Plant-based nutrition and cooking
4. Camper living (my husband and I traveled around the U.S. in a small camper for 16 months)
5. Triathlon (I’ve been training and competing for almost 20 years)
Oh yum, maybe we’ll make mushroom risotto this week. I’ve been obsessed with this white bean pot pie soup lately, and chili and we had delicious spring rolls last night.
Hey Jasmine, nice to meet you! Your topics resonated with me - I’m a meditation teacher so I’m also super interested in wellness, healing, and slow living :) Heading to your Substack now!
Hi 👋 I'm Bella, I live in London with my husband my adopted corgi, Winston.
5 topics I can talk about for 30 mins with 0 prep:
1. Corgis
2. Sex And The City (or Desperate Housewives)
3. Social media (+ how to get the best out of it w/out it taking over)
4. Podcasts (I listen to SO many)
5. How to be a good sister to someone neurodivergent
Making Time is a celebration of juggling multiple creative pursuits at once because life's too short not to do (or at least try!) all the things we dream of. A freelance marketing consultant who is also writing a novel, building a niche website, and re-learning the piano, I write about how I make time for these various pursuits (as well as sharing the real-time progress, challenges, highs and lows of each of them!).
Hello, I'm Shannon and I live in (the rural, farmland part of) New Jersey with my husband and two adult children. I've had a travel blog for 13 years, but I'm transitioning to writing more about weight loss and getting/staying STRONG as we age.
5 topics I can talk about:
1. Fitness, exercise, nutrition
2. Homeschooling
3. Toxins in foods / finding local, organic food sources
4. Traveling in the US (esp hiking and skiing)
5. TV (and traveling to TV filming locations)
My substack is "The Year I Really Tried" and follows my journey of being consistent for one year. I'm sharing my weight loss struggles and successes, health and fitness inspiration, information on natural medicine and holistic living, and reviews of the many things I’ve “tried.” https://shannonentin.substack.com
Hi Shannon! Love your topics and the title of your Substack. We homeschooled our boys years ago (they are 34 and 28 now). I've subscribed and looking forward to reading!
5 Topics I can talk about for 30 minutes with zero prep:
1) Internal Family Systems
2) Self and spiritual growth
3) Mindfulness and presence
4) Nature and Connection
5) Breast cancer and trauma healing
I am new here. So far, I've been posting little snippets of writings from my experience with advanced stage breast cancer, diagnosed at age 34. I am now in remission at age 39 from stage iiic, and as of March 1, 2024 will be beating my statistical odds for survival for those diagnosed at my age with similar characteristics, treatment protocol, etc. Writing has been a huge 'part' of what's helped in my healing journey during and post-active cancer.https://healingvoyage.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web&r=2v1uc1
Thank you so much! I have so many random posts on Facebook and in journals! I’m navigating slowly how I want to bring it all together and share it. One day at a time, I’m trusting the best way to do so will become more clear! Thank you for the support!!!❤️😊
Hello 👋🏼 my name is Johanna, I am French but never lived there 😀 I have traveled a lot and now we have decided to take a one year break to visit Europe with tour camper van 🚐
5 topics 👌🏽
1. Aliens 👽 and the truth about that !
2. Ancestors work and lineage
3. Ceremonial cacao
5. Awakening and the rabbit hole
What I share on my Substack (in French, but I guess you have a translation option), are teachings about ancestral healing, cacao ceremonies, our travel and nomad life, and general spirituality.
Hi! I’m Mika, I live in New Zealand. I’m a mum of 4 big kids. I recently left my 9-5 as a graphic designer.
5 topics I can talk about for 30 mins with 0 prep:
1. Empowering children to take an unconventional schooling path to keep their self-worth in tact.
2. ADHD in women and how it effects motherhood
3. The importance of knowing your cycle and the secret of slowing down to speed up
4. Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre adaptations and why the BBC series constantly knock it out of the park!
5. It’s never too late to make new friendships as an adult (and extroverted introvert)
musings by mika (https://musingsbymika.substack.com) is all about discovering life beyond the comfort zone - moving past perfectionism, people-pleasing and playing safe and smallI. ✨
I also include my monthly Substack diaries to guide fellow newbies. 📖
Nice to meet you! 👋
You are amazing Mika! I’m so interested in what you have to say around topic #1. My son is 3, and the idea of school is SCARY.
Mothers are heroes
Oh boy, I'm seeing a lot of things I'm passionate about on your list. I'm sort of an accidental homeschooler and am now trying to help my two adult kids figure out what's next for them, school-wise, after taking a totally conventional path myself. I also have PMDD and am finally seeing a naturopath to see if I can regain some quality of life for myself--finally trying to know my own cycle has helped a lot.
Accidental homeschooler here, too! Not sure for how long but... it's really disoriented all my notions of -- everything!
I know exactly what you mean! My journey started quite a few years ago after my first child was in public school for two years. I did not want to homeschool, and in fact that homeschooling was extremely weird, but I started really considering it, praying about it, and trying to understand it, and have ended up being passionate about it.
At the same time, I’m not a “good“ homeschooler. I’m a little scattered and at times lazy. But there’s something very beautiful about watching my kids have more say about what they want to learn.
Our journey began in 2020 and was supposed to be for just that 20/21 school year "until things got back to normal."
We'd had such a sweet beginning to our schooling years in public, and I had no considerations for anything else outside of that. My three were pre-k, k, and 2nd when school as we know it turned upside down. I MOURNED the loss of what we had while finding myself surprised at every turn by what we were gaining.
Every year, particularly about this time of year, I hold my hands open and ask a lot of questions. I pray. I seek clarity and wisdom. Our oldest two may begin private school this fall, but even that I'm still unsure about. Our youngest is the only one whose path, at least for the next two years, I feel peace about.
What a ride!
It’s an every year question for us too. I homeschooled my oldest boy K-8, and he is now thriving at our local high school now (I think he’s getting the challenges he needs). But my middle daughter had a miserable experience at the same high school for a year, and is now getting her equivalency at a community college.
Hi! Mika, would you have an interest in going on my pod to talk about #2 (also leaving your job). Email me and I can share more info! Stephaniejucar@gmail.com
Scary but keen!
Hey Mika,
I will second K. Alexandra! Topic #1, keeping self-worth, and I would add confidence and belief into the mix, in tact is a biggy for me!
Hi Mika, fellow mom over here. Would love to talk about kids / children / education / motherhood in general!
And also hopefully make new friends as well ☺️
Hey Mika! I'm an ADHD mama to in stisim house 🤪 I also teach art to kids/youth and love empowering them thru art too !
Nice to meet you Mika! I was unschooled myself during high school. It really made me who I am today.
Hi everyone! I’m Jenny and I live in Brooklyn.
5 topics I can talk about for 30 min without prep:
1. Music
2. Grief
3. New York
4. Succession
5. Boundaries
I write over at Still Processing (https://imstillprocessing.substack.com/)
It’s a slice of life where I reflect on the heavy and the light. Recently I have started sharing playlist every Friday to bring back the joy of sharing and discovering music pre-algorithms ruling our lives.
That’s so cool about your playlist!!
I loved Succession; I'm sad that it's over, but I'm glad they didn't ruin it by creating too many seasons!
This! Alot of my favorite shows commit this cardinal sin unfortunately, but I still watch. I may be part of the problem...
Agreed!!!
I love this return to pre-algorithm life through playlists! I'm here for it!
So happy to hear that!! Excited to check out your work ☺️
Jenny, you are reading my mind. I was literally just thinking the other day how I feel like I keep listening to the same things over and over on Spotify because of the dang algorithm. Hearing someone else talk about this is, well, music to my ears, for lack of a better term lol I can't wait to check out your Substack and playlists!
Lauren, this make me so happy! Nice to know I’m not the only one out there who feels fed up with what the algorithm decides is GOOD. I look forward to checking your work out!
I love music too, Jenny! I'd love to check out your playlists!
That’s great!! Hope you find something you like. Looking forward to checking out your substack!
So fun! Thanks for making playlists!
Jenny! We may be in the same tribe-- can definitely put grief AND probably succession in my topics without prep. Look forward to checking out your work
Thanks, Laura! Looking forward to checking yours out too!!
Love your playlist shares! Also, I feel so seen after reading your post, Posting a Comment on Substack. The struggle is real with the dichotomy of the fear of being seen vs the thrill of being seen.
Yes way too real! I’m glad that post made you feel seen and that I’m not alone in the struggle 🙂
Hi Jenny, I look forward to your playlist and anything you write about grief!
Hi Cherie! I’m looking forward to reading your latest post about working in the AZ courts! Work is such a huge part of our lives and yet not many people take the time to write and reflect about it. I appreciate your support and am happy to have connected with you!
Hi Jenny from Brooklyn!
Just subscribed - can’t WAIT to dive into your playlists!! 🤍
Agreed! Realizing that is something missing in our algorithm filled lives, this sense of wonder and discovery!
Hi Jenny! Love the playlist idea! I, too, could talk about Succession for half an hour.... okay let's be real, a helluva lot longer!
'New York' on this list made me chuckle myself. I didn't think to add my own city to this kind of list. Lived in it my whole life and not sure if I could talk about without prep, despite how much I've written about it in so many ways that I'm almost sick of it lol.
Haha I’m fully in love with NY and love to tell people why 😆
Wait, music apps has algorithms? 😱
Hi, everybody! I’m Rose 😊
5 topics I can talk about for 30 mins =
1. Social psychology
2. Higher education
3. Lincoln-Douglas debate (huge debate nerd 🤓)
4. Paris
5. Alzheimer’s disease 🧠 (I’m a community educator for the Alzheimer’s Association)
I write Be Astonished -- where I discuss big-picture questions about the mind, society, and the nature of our existence. Current topics include consciousness, our collective disillusionment, and the power of journaling. Would love to connect!
Hey Rose!
Thanks for playing along and being the first one!! I’m really wanting to reestablish my journalling, so I’m really interested in this.
I am a huge advocate of journaling; it has changed my life over the past few years. ✨
Agreed, it can be so powerful to get thoughts down and look at them much later -- you realize how much growth and processing happens under the surface when you aren’t looking 🩵
Hi from a fellow Mary Oliver fan!
Hello! So glad you got the reference. She’s the absolute best 🤍
Hey Rose! That's an interesting selection of topics there. Who doesn't love Paris? I'm gonna give you a follow now and look forward to reading your stuff soon. Cheers! Jools :)
Thank you for the follow! Might make a post about my time in Paris eventually. So glad to connect 🤍
Hello Rose :) I'm very interested in consciousness as well as the power of journaling. As far as Paris--never been, would love to go!
So nice to have stumbled across each other here 🌿 Definitely more to come on consciousness, but I’d also love to write about my time in Paris. Thanks for subscribing 😊
Hello, Rose, it's nice to meet you here!
I admit I got hooked at you mentioning the mind, society, and existence. My jam! Gotta check your posts out! Heading there.
So great to cross paths here 🌿 I’d love for you to subscribe and be part of my budding community. So much to discuss over there 😊
Hi Rose! I love social psychology as well. One of my favorite podcasts that I listen to regularly is NPR's Hidden Brain, it always brings an interesting new perspective and makes me wish I studied psychology or sociology in school. The topics of your Substack fascinate me as well (especially consciousness) - I can't wait to check it out!
Great to meet another psych fan! I worked for several years in a psychology research lab at a major university, so I’m excited to share all the cool things I learned. I noticed you followed, but feel free to subscribe too if you’re interested so you don’t miss posts 😊
Very cool! Just subscribed, looking forward to reading more!
Oh wow - social psychology! I am very interested in that. I've actually taken Psychology as one of my subjects in IB and I enjoy it a lot. We're currently looking at memory and it is incredibly fascinating. I'm looking forward to reading your work!
Social psychology is so fascinating -- but I also love the work being done in cognitive psych with memory and attention. Can’t wait to get into it more in future posts!
OMG LD I also was a debater I haven't heard that term in years!!!!
Ah, a fellow debater! So exciting to cross paths here. I loved the debate world and still go back and judge (and have contemplated coaching!)
Learning about Alzheimer's must be very interesting 😊
Yes, it is -- I have a family connection to the disease, so I know firsthand how vicious it can be. I plan to explore it and its implications in a future post 🧠
Former neuroscientist here (former?, current?, who knows) Instant follow! Super excited to read your work. I can talk forever about subjects 1 and 5 and would love to spend enough time in Paris to talk about 4 🥲
I’m so glad to have found you here then! I would love to hear more about your experience. I’m excited to work on some longer-form pieces about my favorite topics in psychology 🧠🤓
Hi Rose, I am interested to read anything you write about Alzheimer's or dementia in general. And yes to the power of journaling!!
More to come on the topic of dementia. It’s a heavy one -- but something I care deeply about. I’m glad we’ve found our way to each other here 😊
Ahh, dementia. I blogged about the pain of being kin and carer, here: https://www.candimiller.co.uk/conversations
A debate nerd! Fascinating! And is your substack named from Mary Oliver quote? I have that one posted in my "office" (actually just a shelf in my kids' playroom. lol!)
Yes, it is named after Mary Oliver’s “instructions for living” 😊 Every quote from her is golden!
Subbed! I love playing with big unwieldy topics. I also lived in Paris for 3 years and it was such a marvelous, expansive experience. Ça me manque.
Thank you for subscribing! Amazing to hear you lived in Paris -- I only lived there for 3 months but have been studying French for a long time and have made several trips back 🩵
Hi! I'm Cassandra and I live with a chronic illness on the west coast of Canada with my husband and our dog, Chewie. I work as a Virtual Assistant, and when I'm not working I'm usually reading!
❓ 5 topics I can talk about for 30 mins with 0 prep:
1. Bullet journaling
2. Cystic Fibrosis
3. Virtual Assistant work
4. Reading/books
5. Self-advocacy in healthcare
🔗 Notes from a Kindred Spirit (cassandrabumpus.substack.com) is a bi-weekly newsletter about embracing curiosity, exploring hobbies, living with chronic illness, and finding contentment in the everyday.
Thanks for hosting this, Mika! 😊
You’re so welcome!! Your dogs name is so cute!
Do you specialise in anything in particular for your VA work? Or are you are jack of all trades? 😄
Thank you! He's certainly fluffy like Chewbacca. 😉
I would say I'm more of a jack of all trades, but I'm good at setting up backend processes and I really enjoy working with entrepreneurs who create online courses.
Hi Cassandra! I had a cat named Chewbacca growing up. I've subscribed and am interested in reading your stories about living with chronic illness.
Oh, thank you so much Cherie! Sounds like we have the same taste in pet names! 😂
Oooo! Fellow virtual assistant work person here. It’s always so much fun to meet others who do this too. Newsletters and email systems are my jam, followed closely by online courses and playing around in Canva. This may be random, but do you have a favorite email service provider or favorite online course platform? It’s one of my favorite things to ask to get people’s takes who actually know the inner workings of these arenas. 😊
Hello fellow VA! I love playing around in Canva too! I wouldn't say that I have a favourite email service provider, because I think they could all be better (at least the ones that I've tried)! 😂 For courses, I have mostly used Podia and Thinkific, and I find the backend of Podia to be more user-friendly. Also, I want all course platforms everywhere to deal with the taxes for you!
Cassandra, I’m a spoonie, too. #5 is a topic I could go on about. My experiences with the healthcare system have sort of forced me into self-advocacy!
Yes, the system tends to do that! I was diagnosed as an infant so my whole life has been a lesson in how to deal with the healthcare system. P.S. I love the vibe of your Substack, so I just subscribed. 😊
Thank you so much!! 😌
Hello, Cassandra, lovely to meet you here. Checking your writing and will subscribe!
My journalling game is top notch but my therapist said I still miss the "processing my emotions" part, so I'm gonna check your posts out.
Hey Cassandra! I like bullet journaling too! And self-advocacy in healthcare is something I'm learning too - I'd love to learn more from you!
Hi Serena - always great to connect with fellow bullet journalers! Oh, self-advocacy is so important in healthcare, so I'm glad to hear you're learning more about it. I was diagnosed with a chronic illness as an infant, so, really, if feels like my whole life has been one long class on advocating for myself within the healthcare system!
Hello fellow Buller journal friend. I struggle with shingles got diagnosed in my early 20s and been working on managing it for the last 30 years. I hope your doing well with all the weather changes I know my body is hating the cold to warm and back again xoxox
Nice to meet you Cassandra! Where in Western Canada do you live? I'm from Vancouver, born and raised!
Oh, good to connect with you too! I was born and raised in SK, but we moved to Van Island in the spring of 2022 so I'm a new-ish west coaster!
It's honestly such a gorgeous part of the world! How lucky Vancouver Island is to have you!
Yes, we absolutely love it here! Do not miss -40 winters at all!
Hi Cassandra! Ontario gal I’ve here :) 🇨🇦 contentment in the everyday and listening to your body and learning to advocate for yourself, such essential skills. I’m going to go check your substack !
Thank you Crystal! It's nice to meet another Canadian! I absolutely love the horse painting on your About page. 😍 I've subscribed to follow along. 😊
Hello Cassandra. Its nice to meet a fellow Canadian. Where exactly do you live?
Hi Zarin, it is great to connect with fellow Canadian Substackers! I was born and raised in SK, but have called Vancouver Island home for almost 2 years now. What about you?
I have quite a lineage across the globe however we came to Canada in 1972 as refugees and settled in Calgary, Alberta. We lived there for 25 years and then business brought us to the US. We travelled back and forth and then we could not and due to Covid and other challenges.
We are planning to travel this March to see our grandchildren.
My husband is from the US so we travel back and forth quite a bit too. I'm sure you're looking forward to your March trip!
Oh yes! Sometimes I think I live for my grandchildren. 💗
Love this idea Mika! ❤️ So fun and a great way to meet others!!
So my 5 topics are:
• Exercise/Fitness - my goal is to age fiercely!
• Habits/Change in habits
• Productivity - not that I excel in it, but because I know I'd function better with more of it!
• Developing self-worth through mindfulness practices - i need all the help I can get! 😆
• Cooking because I love to make yummy food
and maybe I can talk about books - I have at least 10 on my nightstand right now 😬
My 'stack is Working on becoming... (https://amcostanzo.substack.com/) and I write about working on becoming... whatever it is that brings you joy. Simple, yet really difficult to actually do all the time!
I have two boys, a great husband who is incredibly supportive as I experiment my way through Substack, and two kitties who keep me company. Love connecting with other writers!
Thanks Mika!!
Yes to aging fiercely!!!!
Love your words age fiercely! I am 55 and just got turned into the book OUTLIVE by Peter Attia. It is a good one so far and came highly recommended by a friend… so if interested… check it out ! And CHEERS TO AGING FIERCELY!!!
"Aging fiercely" yes!!!!🔥
I've listened to Peter Attia on Podcasts - very informative! I'm sure the book is full of great insights and knowledge. And YES!!! Cheers to aging fiercely!! ❤️ 🥂
Didn’t know he had a podcast …. Will definately check it out!
His podcast is called The Drive. Mostly long-form so plan accordingly! 😆
Ohhhh @AMcostanzo I love this topic so much. I’ll go check out your publication!
PS, This is so fun Mika!
Yay! I’m so glad people are enjoying it! 🥰
Love this ! 💕
Thanks Crystal! I just read your post on Play and I love it - you've inspired me to create some art of my own! ❤️
Nice to meet you! This sounds awesome - can't wait to check your page out! So many similarities in things I love to read about and discuss with friends, so this should be fun!
I also recently wrote about my favorite exercise, it's the best when you find a good one!! My sister, Gabby would also love reading about changing habits - she's always trying self-imposed challenges (like 30 days no sugar) to change her regular routine. We share our free substack newsletter together, if you want to check us out too! :) xo
Hey Gabby & Jackie - I just skimmed around your site and I love it - lots of good energy! ❤️
Self-worth through mindfulness... Um, HI 👋👋👋 you're officially speaking my language. So nice to meet you!
Hi! So nice to connect! ❤️
oooh aging fiercely! love this!! And totally agree with you!
Hi! I also love to make yummy food, write about what brings me joy, and enjoy connecting with other writers! On my way to check out your work :)
You Substack is amazing! And your photos - do you take them yourself? They're stunning!
Love the idea of "aging fiercely"!
I’ll definitely be checking out your ‘stack! Love the idea of aging fiercely! That’s the plan! Now if just my joints will agree 🤞🏼
Thank you Megan! Just subscribed to your stack - love the messaging!
Thanks, Sis! I am subscribing right back! Yay! So glad we got to connect.
Love your title, and the idea of becoming! I've subscribed and looking forward to reading your work.
Thank you Cherie! Yours is great too!
Hey there!
My name is Kaylen and I am from San Diego.
My 5 topics:
1. Books on personal development
2. The CHAOS of Human Resources
3. My 3 y/o son, August
4. Cats
5. FRIENDS - pick any cast member. Phoebe is my forever favorite.
I write Dear People Pleasers, a free newsletter about learning to leverage EQ to practice self-care.
I’ve been leaning into laughing this year. I like jokes and dry humor. I am so excited to make some connections!
Find me at: kaylenalexandra.substack.com
I hope to be restocking your letters soon!
Yes to more laughter and levity!!!
Hi Kaylen from San Diego! Smashed the subscribe button on your newsletter and look forward to more tips about feeling my feelings without judgment!
I love the name & topic of your newsletter Kaylen! I'm also a big book nerd and a recovering HR consultant lol.
I started a women's+ NF bookclub last month and we read personal development books... Any recommendations?! Hard question, I know
Lydia hi!!!
So nice to meet you - how do I join the book club?!
I am currently reading THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel Van Der Kolk
BIG MAGIC by Elizabeth Gilbert is one I gift to all my friends - have you read yet? 💛
Currently I'm hosting in person in Chattanooga, TN, but I'd love to get a virtual session together! Perhaps I'll try to pull it off, could be fun! I'll see about finding a way to collect interest via my substact soon.
I'm adding big magic to my list now! Body keeps a score is currently on mine. I haven't read that yet but I've read widen the window which is in the same vein.
Current book club read is Fair Play by Eve Rodsky!
Well, TN is lucky to have you there and I’m looking into Fair Play now!
Hi Kaylen! I like reading books about personal development. Which one is your favorite?
I just subscribed to your newsletter.
Hi Chris!
I can’t pick a favorite… I love them all!
I just wrote about my February book recommendation: kaylenalexandra.substack.com/p/book-talk-braving-the-wilderness
Cheers!
Hey Kaylen. Great to meet you! I just had to say - you look a lot like Amy Winehouse - at least from your profile picture!
Hi Aastha! Hopefully from her healthy days. I love her voice and miss her presence on Earth. Thanks for your compliment! 🙏
Oh yes of course from her healthy days haha! Her music was simply wonderful - I really do miss her too ❤️
I’m here for all the laughter! Also a bit of a people pleaser so can’t wait to check out your newsletter
So happy to meet you Megan! Jumping over to your page now to explore too. 🤍
Hi Kaylen! I’m so excited to finally learn what your “K” stands for!
Lol! So sweet. I like to keep everyone on their toes. “Is it K? Alexandra? … you, over there?”
Kaylen is my first name.
Alex is what I go by with a lot of my friends and family.
When I write I like to be free of both boxes I’ve been placed in. So K. feels best!
Hello K! I am a Monica who wishes she was a Phoebe. Laughing is way under-rated, isn't it? Glad to meet you!
Cherie Lee!! Pleasure to meet you too!
I’m a Ross who wishes to be more like Phoebe. *Enter galactic keyboard sounds*
Gellars unite! 😂🤍
So funny! I just wrote my list and had Friends too - any character, any episode. I love Phoebe too!
I'm a total people pleaser, as is my sister who co-writes Mishmosh with me. I think we'd both benefit from your newsletter. Can't wait to check it out! xo
Love that you are leaning into laughter! What a great goal! Hoping that 2024 is full of smiles and laughter for you and your family!
Hello new friends. I'm Steph, UK based, neurospicy-hormonal-disabled, journalist, mother, wife and friend. I write about health mental & physical, as well as some motherhood moments. I also swear a lot, in my writing and my spoken words.
My 5 topics
1. Disability
2. Reproductive Mental health/ female hormones.
3. Motherhood.
4. Books.
5. Trauma
Oooo neurospicy! I’m going to have to steal that one! 😄
Hi from a former journalist who used to write about motherhood moments in the newspaper :)
Hey Monique would love to connect. I write for local news mostly but hoping to expand as I'm able. I'm a disabled mum so struggle with managing health, kids and work - but hope to get some equilibrium back at some point 😉💕
Writing for yourself in places like this is a terrific way to find balance - interestingly the column I wrote (2006-2011) was called Balancing Act! At the time we were raising our blended family of four. Lots of emotions in the house!
It really sounds like you have a lot on your plate. That juggling act - health, kids, work - probably doesn't leave you a lot of time, but I hope you find what you need along the way. It's OK to drop the balls sometimes :)
I don't think I'm ever on the ball to be honest 😊 A column is the dream for me. Have to find people to accept my pitches for the standard articles first. 🤣X
Yes, sounds like you've had a tough time with that. Keep on going though :)
Hi Steph, another UK-based journalist here! Also a traveller of the mental health/female hormones journey. Would love to know more about your work :)
Hey Georgia, thanks so much for subscribing I'm about to subscribe back now. Feel free to follow me on IG too so we can connect Https://Instagram.com/stephcwrites 🙂
Thank you! I've followed you in IG :)
love this list Steph:)
Hi Steph, nice to meet you. I'm interested in reading what you write about disability and trauma.
Hi Cherie, great to 'meet you' too 😊 do subscribe for free to keep up to date or give me a follow on here. I've just done the same. What do you write about? ♥️
Thanks, Steph! I've subscribed as well. I write about aging, health issues, the passage of time, life transitions. Plan to add to that with time - probably care-giving and grand-mothering as I transition into those roles.
This sounds like exactly something I would enjoy reading. Look forward to seeing more of you 😊
I’m Kate, I live in SW London with my teen daughter. I’m a therapist, silversmith and…. a Substack writer!
Five things I can talk about for 30 mins with zero prep:
1. Psychotherapy
2. Creative business
3. Grief
4. Writing
5. Long Covid
I write Letters from Therapy with ideas for improved self awareness, acceptance and meaningful living. https://lettersfromtherapy.substack.com/ ✨💛✨
Thanks Mika!
Hey Kate, so many grate topics! And your jewellery is amazing! 😍
Oy long covid is one that I would love to hear so much more about. One of my best friends had/has it and was eventually diagnosed with POTS and it has been just such a wild and difficult journey.
Hi nic, thanks yes there are so many suffering with long covid and not many answers. I hope your friend improves. it goes up and down for me. I keep wanting to write a recovery post but then I get worse again so can’t really! But I will write something at some point. 💛
Hi Kate! Oh, long Covid! I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2010 and long Covid sounds so similar. Do you write about it?
Oh gosh that must be tough. I haven’t written about it yet, I just reference it sometimes though I would like to 💛
Same here with fibromyalgia. I want to, but writing about my husband's health issues has been easier than writing about my own even though his are more acutely serious. Someday though!
It’s sometimes easier to write when you have some distance ✨💛
Great topics. I got LC two and a half years ago. 90% over it but it still needs a little management now and again, But I’m now able to live a full life again which I thought might not happen at one point.
Hi Tara, I’m so pleased to hear that your 90% recovered!
I keep thinking I’ve recovered but then I relapse for months at a time, I think when I’m fighting an infection or if I take on too much (still recovering from driving and seeing family at Christmas!). I hope it will plateau at some point. I def have a ‘new normal’ of a much quieter, restful life that I need to protect. This brings on other stresses, social, financial, but I’ll get there! ✨🫶✨
Hey, that's me! I did start a chat this month! 😅 I am looking forward to finding my tribe! I live in the Bay Area with two tweens and a tech-obsessed husband.
My five 30-minute-0-prep topics are probably:
1. Teaching reading to elementary-aged kids
2. Teaching writing to elementary-aged kids
3. Parenting a kiddo with ADHD
4. New York City
5. Musical Theater
My newsletter Living the In-Between Times (marikapaezwiesen.substack.com) a series of playful experience to unhook from toxic perfectionist and productivity mindsets, and uncover the delight, awe and worth-full-ness that might be available in life's in between times.
Fellow experimenteers welcome!
Omg hello from the Bay Area as well :)
Hi, I'm Marcello! Also a big fan of musical theatre! What's your favorite show? Mine is Chicago, for sure, which happens to have one of the better to-movie adaptations. I saw you have NYC at 4, have you lived there? Or just visited/learned a lot about it? Always curious about perspectives on the city. Cheers!
Ah yes, Chicago is so great! My kids and I are big Hamilton fans. (I've seen it 5 times!🤣) I really love Ragtime, but haven't seen it staged but the one time I saw it in NYC in 1999. And Wicked always wins!! I lived in NYC for 14 years after college, and both my kids were born there. I live on the other coast now...🫠 But we try to get back there once a year or so.
I used to work in early literacy! Love it 💖
What a great idea to unhook from perfectionism! I am also parenting kids with ADHD - two of them. Would love to see how you're experiencing it!
Hi, everyone. I live in Philadelphia, PA. My five topics are:
1. My dog
2. Comedy
3. Addiction and recovery
4. Mental health
5. Marketing
I write humorous essays and other humor pieces at my Substack: https://chrisstanton.substack.com. Looking forward to checking out yours!
What’s the name of your dog and what kind is it? 😊
His name is Brady and he's a goldendoodle. He's a VERY GOOD BOY! Thanks for asking!
I’m in Bucks County—not far from you.
Oh, cool. I'm actually in a little west of Philly in Montgomery Country.
I lived in Elkins Park from 2002-2015
I used to work not too far from there.
I can talk about my dogs for 30+ minutes too!
Dogs are the best. Case closed.
Hello friends. My name is Zarin and I am the writer behind the substact “ Sweet Serenity”. I am a mother of 4 grown children - 8 months ago we lost our firstborn suddenly, while she was at work.
5 topics I can talk about:
1. Loss and grief
2. Sibling rivalry
3. Coaching
4. My mother
5. My big family - I am one of 14 children (Jael - you and I will have to exchange stories 😉)
Hi Zarin! 👋
My husband is one of 13. Where are you in the family?
And huge hugs about your loss last year 😔💕
Hello Mika,
I am #8. 🙂
My hubby is #1 😄
Hi Zarin! So sorry to hear about your daughter. I lost my twin brother suddenly a few years ago and always like to introduce myself to folks who have lost children. Sometimes it helps to see that folks make it out of the first year. Sending you my best.
Hi Zarin! I'm so sorry about your loss. I love that you can talk for 30 minutes about your mother. I should have listed that too. I don't know what I would do without my mother! Looking forward to reading what you write!
Hey Mika, thank for creating this space :) I’m really struggling to find my people on this platform!!
I’m Baibin (bay-bin) I’m based in Bristol, UK. I’m a graphic designer, art director and potter who has recently rediscovered my love of writing after being creatively stilted by the education system 😅
My 5 topics are:
1: The shi*t show of Women’s healthcare and medical misogyny
2: Hormones, mental health and being Neurospicy
3: bell hooks The Will To Change
4: The Wellness > Far Right pipeline
5: 17th Century Witch Trials (my current hyper-focus=OBSESSED)
I’ve recently started adding to my substack ‘the void’ and although I have literally no subscribers I’m really enjoying finding my feet and my voice. My welcome post (inspired by Mika!!!) is a good place to start if you think my interests sound up your street :) https://open.substack.com/pub/baibin/p/welcome-to-the-void?r=4b7z7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I can relate to so many of these! Especially as a fellow graphic designer. 😊
Welcome to Substack and I hope you’ll enjoy it here and make new connections. 💕
Number 1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! InDEED!
So much to love in these topics! I’ve been doing some witchy research recently. My brain has been nagging me to write a witchy fiction book for years and it might nearly be time. Did you know there were only 5 who were sentenced to death in Wales?
It's crazy how it became so much more common in certain geographic areas, and some places were barley affected. There are two fab fictional books inspired by the witch trials that happened on Vardo in Norway, The Mercies and The Witches of Vardo, would recommend!
Hi Baibin, are you a former teacher?
I taught The Crucible a few years ago, and my students loved it. I had fun researching and learning about the Salem Witch Trials and all the history attached to it.
No I'm not, I'm just easily obsessed by things 😂 I never learnt about the crucible at school which is such a shame! I've been reading a book recently called "witchcraft, a history in 13 trials" and they talk about the Salem trials, super interesting!
I should check that book out too!!
Oh we need to connect! I feel like some of this could be my list too!
Hi Baibin! It sounds like you are full of creativity. Pottery—how fascinating! And goodness, I totally hear you on #1. I could go on about this, too. Have you listened to “The Retrievals” podcast? I haven’t yet, but am hoping to soon.
omg yes!! that’s my top podcast of recent years, it is such a gripping narrative on an individual story but also sheds light on the systemic issues, beautifully done. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!!
No way!! I love that. Do you have other podcast recommendations or resources you’ve enjoyed on this topic or similar ones as well?
my absolute fav book on this subject is Unwell Woman by Elinor Cleghorn, it’s a big book but it’s utterly fascinating ( & infuriating). It goes through the history of western medicine and talks about how racism and misogyny have been woven into medical practice from day 1, and women, particularly women of colour, are still paying the price.
Ooh, seems like an interesting book - I've added it to my Goodreads! Have you read "Invisible Women" by Caroline Criado Pérez? It enraged me to the core and it was the first time I ever read about the misogyny in the medical community. The book gives a very detailed, well-rounded and well-supported argument regarding the inherent disadvantage women face in a world designed by men and for men. Thanks for the book recommendation!
Yes this has been on my to read list for years!! Thanks for the reminder, I'll try and get round to it finally it sounds right up my street
Thank you so much for this rec!!! Adding it to my list now.
This actually really inspired me to try and share more podcast recommendations, there must be so much great content that I don’t see in my part of the internet 😂 I’ve started a note to try and share some recommendations. If you have any that you’ve loved I’d love to hear them!
https://substack.com/@baibin/note/c-49678264
Hi, really great to meet you all!
I’m Aastha, a 17 year old Indian writer and aspiring poet. I am currently a high school junior and I am interested in pursuing English and Economics in college.
My 5 topics are:
1. Fight Club (the movie) and directing it through cinematic and philosophical lenses
2. The Handmaid’s Tale & 1984 — both of them are such brilliant books
3. Language and knowledge and how it’s distortion and restriction effect our freedom of thought
4. Feminism, colonialism and India
5. Writing and books and the beauty of poetry, novels and literature
I write Soliloquy (https://bluegreywrites.substack.com/) - my small cozy place on the internet where I write about books, art, literature, language and society. I have also been writing personal essays lately that I am very proud of:
- on self censorship and love (https://bluegreywrites.substack.com/p/2024-self-censorship-confidence-and)
- on turning/ being 17 (https://bluegreywrites.substack.com/p/17)
Also, thank you Mika for this wonderful initiative! I'm really looking forward to reading all of your wonderful writing!
Love having a 17 year old perspective on Substack!
I wish I had had the courage and self-awareness to start writing and sharing at 17 - amazing! Love your list of topics as well:)
Hello Aastha! I'm so impressed you are writing at age 17. Took me until age 60. I'm heading over to subscribe now and look forward to your writing and your young perspective!
Thank you very much Cherie! I’m also looking forward to reading your work!
Such a great initiative Mika, so excited to take part in it every month!
Hi to everyone else, I am Mansi and I live in India. I work in corporate full time, also study full time and run my newsletter Unwind on the side.
5 things I can talk about for 30 minutes without prep:
1. Travelling as a means to fulfil your soul.
2. The incorrect notion of "rest is unproductive."
3. My actuarial journey. (The road to becoming a qualified Actuary is very very tough)
4. The power of building self-awareness. (It's life changing)
5. Everything food related.
My newsletter Unwind (https://unwindblog.substack.com) is all about the meaningful things in life, from self-care to intentionally building a life beyond a 9-5 job.
So excited to connect with like minded folks!✨
Love the topic dispelling that rest is unproductive 👌
Hi Mansi,
I relate to all of your points (except the actuary). I look forward to reading your work!
Hey Claire!
So happy to have you join this little community♥️
Hi Mansi! I came across your blog a while ago on my feed and enjoyed it — I've subscribed now. I've been thinking and writing about productivity for a while now, and in many ways it strikes me as one of the most important topics we writers can tackle. I'm especially interested in the political elements of productivity, questioning the premise that "growth" is any more "valuable" than maintenance and, at times, dismantling. Since quitting my 9-5 in June and moving across the world from D.C. to Argentina, I've been developing and confronting parts of each of your five things (besides the actuary bit!). I would love to stay in touch.
Hey Casey! Love this thought process. I hope life has been more fulfilling for you since quitting 9-5. Would love to read more about your viewpoint on this productivity too✨
It has — it's been challenging in many ways, and it's made me more aware of parts of myself that I wasn't fully conscious of when I was in a familiar city and routine in the United States. I wrote about Argentina and some of my first few weeks in my October post. It's been difficult balancing freelancing with maintaining a healthy cadence on Substack but I'm being gentle with myself as things ebb and flow. :)
Kudos to you for taking such a bold step! Really hope you continue to find beauty in the unknown. And love that you are being gentle with yourself, SO important 👏
Hello Mansi, I love the topics you write about and I'm looking forward to reading "Unwind"!
Thank you Cherie! Happy to have you join this littlw community ✨
Hey Mansi
Unwind sounds right up my street! I relate very hard to your thoughts about rest, this is a topic I grappled with in my most recent newsletter about Lazy Girl Guilt (https://open.substack.com/pub/baibin/p/lazy-girl-guilt?r=4b7z7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web)
Look forward to reading more of your work :)
Hi! I’m Pawan! I work in tech as a product manager
5 topics I can talk about for 30 mins with 0 prep:
1. Anime specifically one piece and naruto
2. Harry potter and Books - I read a lot hence by book newsletter!
3. Product growth (😅) - how different products grow
4. Pop culture and memes - current trending memes and how they came about
5. Space/universe
product snacks by pawan (https://productsnacks.substack.com/) - weekly thoughts and interesting finds on product and design
Nice to meet you! 👋
Such cool topics!!!
Hi Pawan. I love Harry Potter :) I just subscribed to your newsletter.
Hi! Just subscribed! I'm not sure if it makes a lot of sense why these 2 things intersect, but I work as a Virtual Assistant and all the entrepreneurs that I work with use a lot of tech products in their businesses so I find your takes on product design interesting!
Hi :) I'm Leanne and I'm in Western Australia - I don't write on Substack (yet) but I do blog at https://www.crestingthehill.com.au if anyone wants to pop over to visit.
I'm not sure I could talk for 30 mins about anything these days but I do love chatting about:
1. Being Unbusy and intentional in how I live
2. Nora Roberts and JD Robb novels
3. Learning new things from podcasts, youtube, blogs etc
4. Blogging
5. Finally finding "me" in the second half of life.
I love Leanne’s blog. It’s been so helpful to navigate life after the 9-5.
Hi Leanne, I love the idea of finding one's self in the second half of life! And I love that you said "yet" about writing on Substack. It is a hugely supportive environment here!
Hi Leanne from another West Australian. I'm also becoming "me" in the second half of life. I look forward to reading your eventual Substacks :) and trying to embrace "unbusy".
Hi Leanne. I checked out your blog. You have some great stuff there! I look forward to reading more.
Hi everyone! I'm Jael.
5 topics I can talk about for 30mins
1. The Mets. I'm a long-suffering fan.
2. The highs and lows of freelance work.
3. My love of books.
4. How big my family is. My great-grandparents had 17 children.
5. Food
I write on 4Buckets, where I basically talk about the things in my head --food, life, books, and television/pop culture. https://4buckets.substack.com/
Nice to meet you all.
The high and lows of freelance work is something I can talk about for hours as well.
As a Virtual Assistant, I can definitely relate to the highs and lows of freelance work!
Yeah, it's great to have freelance work. But chasing invoices is soooo stressful.
Lovely to meet you! The highs and lows of freelance work sounds interesting (and trying 😅).
Love the name of your publication!
Hi Jael! I remember your Substack from Amber's freelancing workshop. I've definitely related to the highs and lows of freelance work recently... Here on Substack I've been focusing more on personal writing, including some essays on books that I invite you to check out. Looking forward to seeing more of your writing. :)
Hi everyone! I'm Kristine, writer (of notebooks, newsletters, and novels) and mom of three kids in middle childhood -- one on the brink of teendom -- whom I've been teaching at home since 2020. Between that pivot and the novel planted in my heart a couple years before that, the last half of my fourth decade might be entitled "NEVER SAY NEVER."
My 5 topics for 30 minutes with no prep are:
1. Vincent van Gogh’s life and work
2. how to come alive (and stay sane) at Walt Disney World
3. the wild ride of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy
4. the magic of New York City and the places I've left bits of myself, every visit
5. the journey of (still?) unexpectedly homeschooling
I live in Franklin, TN, just south of Nashville, by way of the East Coast more than half my life ago. I write My Pen in the Air: an at-least monthly if not bi-monthly Substack on all matters of writing, life, and what comes to me when "I happen to be standing just outside my door, with my notebook open," and "listen" with "my pen in the air." (borrowed from Mary Oliver)
https://kristineneeley.substack.com
Thank you for opening up this space Mika!
What is it about Van Gogh’s work that got you interested?
I had a general, very surface level knowledge of Vincent and his work before 2018 -- never found myself particularly taken by any of it or by him. I was always the sort to champion lesser-known artists -- he was "too popular" for my tastes.
The summer of that year, though, my husband and I went to The Met in NYC. I had an encounter with one of his paintings, Wheat Field with Cypresses, that... quite literally changed my life. It's hard to explain without sounding quite "woo-woo" -- but it was transformative.
I went home and became an informal student of his work, his letters, and his life, which I consider myself still. I went on, later that year, to begin writing a novel inspired by a scene planted in my mind shortly after my own encounter and in the midst of my studying. (I share a little of that journey in a series starting here: https://kristineneeley.substack.com/p/these-five-years-introduction)
I grew to understand that the "too popular" version of Vincent's work and life hardly scratches the surface of the breadth and depth of who he was and what he created, both in letter and form. I just... love him!
Wow, thank you sharing that.
I know it’s hard to “translate” woo woo experiences. ✨
Hi Kristine! Really enjoyed your post about what might have been. Especially the last bit about virality (I agree, it’s a word!). Subscribed ✔️ and looking forward to reading more of your writing!
Hi Jenny -- thank you! I was actually just coming to tell you, myself, that I was so drawn to your original comment on this thread, I immediately hoped over to your stack and was pleasantly affirmed with the resonance I felt there. Easy subscribe.
I've already started listening to today's playlist and am looking forward to reading (and listening) more. Glad to have connected!
Thank you so much!! That means a lot. Happy we connected here 😀
Hello everyone! I’m Reid 😊 after living in Los Angeles for 14 years I recently moved to Austin, TX.
5 topics I can talk about for 30 minutes are...
1. Morning Practice
2. Kundalini Yoga & meditation
3. Acting & filmmaking
4. Eating disorder recovery
5. Love & relationships
You can read my newsletter here. https://reidcox.substack.com/
Hey Reid 👋
Thanks for playing along.
Hi Reid! I could talk a lot about filmmaking + yoga as well. 👋
Hey Via! Amazing! I’m excited to check out your writing.
Hi Reid, I just subscribed! You are decades younger than I am, but I loved your post "It's Okay To Be Disliked." It something that women (and, I guess . . . men? insert laughing emoji) struggle to achieve. The desire to be liked may be more prevalent in acting (firsthand experience) where rejection is the norm, but I believe (I'm assuming from your third topic that you are knowledgeable about the entertainment world) that this is a life struggle for most of us, no matter our age. While I have arrived at a time in my life where it matters far less—it's funny how the stark reality of a looming six foot hole or pretty urn resting on a mantle, will jolt you awake and help you shake off the detritus the mind creates. Looking forward to reading your future posts!
Hey JR! Thank you for reading and sharing so beautifully your experience... it’s nice to know we aren’t alone! You are right about the need for approval getting better with age. When I turned 30 I definitely felt a massive shift in my confidence. I’m looking forward to becoming more and more confident as I mature. I’m excited to read your writing as well!
Hello Reid, nice to meet you. I checked out your newsletter and subscribed!
Nice to meet you too Cherie! Thanks so much for subscribing!
Hello! I’m Vanessa, I live in rural Somerset (SW England). I’m a photographer, potter, gardener and Substack writer. I have two gorgeous adult daughters, six bantams, a shaggy lurcher called Gertie and an emotionally absent husband.
Five things I can talk about 🤔 -
• Highs and lows of International relocation
• The benefits of Volunteering
• The failings of the UK asylum system
• Self Doubt
• Learning about Neurodiversity
I write The Post House Chronicles, a weekly rambling of my creative life in the countryside. Putting my fingers to the keyboard somehow helps me figure out what I’m thinking and feeling about life, and if it resonates with others it pleases me immeasurably.
Love all these topics! I would love it if we were sat next to each other at a dinner party. 🥂
Hi Vanessa! I just moved with my family into our first home with a yard and can’t wait to try gardening for the first time. 🌱 Our neighbor dropped off some tomato seeds and a little indoor greenhouse, so I tried it for the first time yesterday! I don’t know what I’m doing, but eager to learn.
I’m also learning more about neurodiversity every day as my stepson is autistic!
Hi Erika and welcome to gardening! I’m no expert, but have lived with and loved many gardens - all of which have taught me something. Sewing seeds is one of the most rewarding things and I have to seriously restrain myself from sewing too many as I can’t bear the thinning out process (feels like murder 😳). Happy growing 🌱 xx
fantastic topics! #1 I have experienced first hand several times, #3 intrigues me!
Hey Vanessa! love the sound of your work. I am also a potter in the SW, currently recovering my love for the craft after ruining it by making it my side hustle for a few years 😅 I look forward to reading your creative life updates
Hi Baibin, I think many of us have ruined a love by turning it into a business but pottery is so hard not to since there are only so many pots any one household can use 😂 I’m still pretty novice so enjoy much clay recycling! Whereabouts in SW are you? X
@astridbracke here it is! 😂
Hi I'm Karen a food scientist with a $16K food safety Substack. I'm also an accidental Substack expert + mum of two gorgeous young adults, living in Sydney Australia.
I could talk for 30 mins about:
- Substack and how to use it to create $$ and freedom (I am literally writing a book on it)
- Food safety and Food Fraud prevention
- Windsurfing (lifelong sufferer!)
- Aussie bush camping
- nothing more... I usually prefer to listen than talk...
Here's my free Substack publication (where I share stuff I've learned during my 2.5 years on the platform): https://pubstacksuccess.substack.com/
Hi Leanne from @Crestingthehill I love your 'Unbusy and intentional' life theme, and I'm heading to your publication to say hi there.
I didn’t realise that you were an accidental Substack expert! 😄 You’re so knowledgeable!!! Also, it’s lovely to meet someone from this side of the world. 🇦🇺🇳🇿
Hey there! I’m a writer, bookworm, and hope to finish up my first children’s book manuscript this year. I’m also newly married and a stepmom. ☺️
5 random topics I can go on about:
1. Classical ballet technique
2. Living with chronic illnesses
3. Growing up Japanese American
4. Identifying spiritual abuse
5. Places to visit in Atlanta, GA
I explore my curiosities and write personal essays that include a splash of the above at erikatovi.substack.com.
Would love to meet several new faces and chat with some of you! 👋🏼
👋 oooo-su!
Do you still dance? 🩰 (oh, I see you answered it below 😄)
Hi Erika,
Both of our #1 topics are the same 💕🩰
Do you take ballet classes now?
Hi Jasmine! Ah, I love that! 🩰✨ I took a few adult ballet drop in classes several years ago, but otherwise I haven’t danced since 2010! I miss it so much. The Atlanta Ballet performs right around the corner from me and I just LOVE watching them. 😍 What are your favorite ballet companies?
My favorites are The Royal Ballet and New York City Ballet 💕 I've been taking adult classes off and on since college. I try not to stay away from it too long! You should drop into an adult class every now and then, you won't regret it!
Thanks for your comment and same same about a deep and personal interest in spiritual abuse. I would also love to hear more about the children's book! Do you illustrate too or are you working with someone? (Can you tell I have also considered this haha)
The dream is to partner with my mama who is an illustrator! You can check out her lovely work at yumikokitazono.com. 🤩 And how awesome you’ve considered this too!! My husband got me a children’s book course as a Christmas gift which was so thoughtful. It’s been great.
oooo love your mom's art, so warm and vivid! What a great combo between the two of you!
Aw, thank you so much!!
Hi, I’m Bex! I live just outside Stockholm, Sweden and moved here from San Francisco.
Five things I can talk about for 30 mins with zero prep
Moving overseas
lgbtq relationships
Infertiilty / Loss
Cooking mashup California/Swedish dishes
Dealing with anxiety and coping with change
I write about lessons learned from living abroad, finding your identity and purpose - even at an older age, becoming a parent late in life, books I am reading and food I am eating/cooking. My long term hope is to grow a community of like-minded people searching for a sense of belonging, together.
So curious about what a California and Swedish mash up dish would look like ☺️
Things that went over well so far are like Swedish Meatballs with a Cranberry BBQ sauce or traditional Mac and Cheese with a special Swedish cheese called Västerbotten, or American style cheesecake with cloudberry sauce :). Ill probably share some of these once I have better lighting after the winter months lol
Who come you ended up outside of Stockholm of all the places? 😁
Love! :D
Hi Bex! I also moved recently, from New York to Buenos Aires, in September. Needless to say, it's been an adventure. I also found myself an LGBTQ relationship of my own pretty soon after arriving; I wasn't necessarily planning on getting a boyfriend, but, well, things happen, and it's been an absolute pleasure. Looking forward to seeing more of your writing!
Whoa, Stockholm from San Francisco sounds like quite the move (and also, is Sweden the dream I imagine it to be?!). I like your list a lot and am curious to check out your stuff!
Its both a dream and sometimes a challenge but overall I wouldnt change anything :D I plan to write more about the differences soon!
I love your poetry!
Hi, Bex! I've never been to Sweden, but I have family and friends in SF. My novels have queer main characters and the het/cis environments they live in; endings are hopeful and realistic rather than happy-ever-after. And I love the reference to mash-up cooking! I mostly fly without recipes, myself.
Hello there! Thanks for putting this together, Mika, and for sharing your journey. Keep going!
I’m a father, founder, coach, and healer. Dreaming big and working to make the world a kinder, more harmonious place.
5 topics I can talk about for 30 mins with 0 prep:
1. Consciousness
2. AI, Blockchain, and Decentralization
3. Health and lifehacking
4. Love and family
5. All things geek: games, books, comics. science
Here’s my substack, Poets’ Corner. Exploring topics both big and small like above and more. Happy to connect!
https://poetx.substack.com/
I love how everyone has such amazing interests!!
Hi Jeremy, I love all things geeky and AI too. Just subscribed to yours.
Amazing, thank you, Chris!
Happy to meet you Jeremy, I am a capable of talking of the same 5 topics as you 😄
Enchanté, Johanna! Thank you, it’s quite rare to find that! Would love to connect and learn more about what you’re doing. 😁
what's up Jeremy, very pleased to meet you. Looks like a cool list, looking forward to reading your stuff. C
Thanks, Christoph! Great to connect. Single dad and psychonaut in California here too!
Hi! Such a great idea, Mika. Thanks for facilitating this space! I'm Ginger and I live in Mississippi. I own a boutique and teach yoga.
5 topics I can talk about for 30 min with 0 prep:
1. Yoga
2. Journaling
3. Books I'm reading or have read
4. Personal growth and mindset
5. How my life has changed since I became more intentional and purpose-filled
At The Possibility Project, I share stories about learning to live with intention and purpose. I'm a newbie to Substack and to putting my writing out in the world. Would love to connect!
You’re so welcome. I love all those topics!!!
Hi ginger! Made me smile to read that you own a boutique and teach yoga. What a wonderful combination! I dreamed for years as a little girl owning a store and would “play” store all the time. Now as an adult, I love to shop in them!!
Hi Ellen! I've taken a bit of a break from Substack for a few weeks, but when I popped back on I was happy to see that what I do brought a smile to you! I'm definitely living my dream life - sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it's real! I hope that everyone gets to do what they love with their precious time here!
Hi Ginger, I could talk for 30 min about all these topics as well; I love yoga, journaling, and reading. I'm also very new to Substack and writing publicly. Are there any good books you've read recently?
Hi Jasmine, it sounds like if we got together we’d be talking with each other for a lot longer than 30 min! Peeked at your bio and found another thing in common - I was an English major in college and also taught high school English for a few years. Currently reading Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano - a family drama that is bringing me all the emotions as I read!. Highly recommend!!
Wow, I'm not even that surprised by this. Former English Majors always seem to find one another. I will have to check out that book; I recognize the cover from various book lists!
Hi Ginger, nice to meet you! Your topics resonated with me since I do yoga (though just at home, hihi), journal, read, and go to therapy for my anxiety. Checking out your Substack now!
Hi Regina! Sounds like we have a lot in common!! See you soon over at your Substack!!
Hey Ginger nice to meet you on here! Do you have a link to your substack? X
Hi Beth! Nice to meet you😃 My Substack is here! https://open.substack.com/pub/gingerwhitwell?r=2btr25&utm_medium=ios
Hi! I'm Daria. I live in Louisiana. I'm leaving a 40-year career as an environmental lawyer at the end of 2024. I'm also a health and wellness coach for women 50+, a personal trainer, and explorer of all things health and wellness.
My 5 topics I could talk about for 30 minutes with zero prep:
1. The importance of movement, balance and flexibility as we age.
2. Books I've read and am reading.
3. The importance of purpose in our lives.
4. Mindfulness and self-compassion.
5. My cats.
https://dlbdiaz.substack.com/
I write the Wellgevity Warrior, which includes information and inspiration on living your best life as you age. That can cover a lot of topics. I'm very new to substack, and I've written about never being too old to change and habit stacking for yoga.
Hi Daria! 👋
Lovely to se you on here.
Hi Daria, I'm Faye. It sounds like we have lots in common! I write about movement as a tool for personal empowerment, and purpose, mindfulness, and embodiment are thoroughly woven into the tapestry of my explorations. I also love cats! I look forward to reading your substack :)
Love this!
Hi! I'm Jackie, I co-write our substack page with my sister, Gabby! I recently had a baby and am focusing most of my time and energy into being his mama right now!
5 topics I can talk about for 30 mins with 0 prep:
1. Dog behaviors and what they mean
2. Biophilia - humans inherent desire to connect with nature
3. Friends - any character, any episode
4. Struggles of a new parent
5. Taylor Swift easter eggs
Mishmosh is all about sharing openly and honestly, and creating a space where others feel comforted to know what they're feeling or experience is shared among a larger group. We love to talk about relationships, self-discovery, and personal growth!
Check us out: https://mishmosh.substack.com/
Can't wait to meet you!
I’ve never heard of Biophilia!
Also, I looove easter eggs 📺!
I've never heard of the word biophilia, but the phenomenon has certainly been a part of me since I was young so it's great to be introduced to a name for it. :) I did a deep dive into my personal relationship with nature and exploring new surroundings when I moved across the world in October — I invite you to check it out. Looking forward to reading more of your content as well!
Love that you are doing a Substack together as sisters! Can't wait to read what you write!
Thanks so much! :)
Hi Jackie!! Cool list!
Enter Joey “How you doin?” 😎
Following Mishmosh now! Self discovery and personal growth are overlapping themes in my substack too- so nice to meet you!
Awesome! Love that we have so much to share together! :)
Hello! I'm Sarah, I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I am a Sex, Love and Relationship Coach and a Wardrobe Stylist, so I live at the intersection (innersextion?) of Sex & Style.
The five topics I could talk about without any prep:
1. Mormon feminism and the systematic devaluing of women's voices
2. Female orgasm
3. 30Rock
4. Flamenco dance as a form of deep and sensual embodiment
5. Pleasure as medicine
I write at http://sarahwardco.substack.com on the topics of sensuality, embodiment, sexuality and style. Pleasure to meet you all!
Thank you for joining in 😊
What a name for a substack! Eagerly following along 😍
Thank you, lovely Bella! Such a pleasure to be acquainted! Now following your Sub 🫶
Flamenco, 30 Rock, the systemic devaluation of women's voices in religion!? So excited to meet you Sarah.
Hey tribe! I am a very new Substacker. I am a writer, journalist, advocate for mental and women's health issues, eater of ideas and food obsessed.
5 topics I can ramble on about for 30 mins with 0 prep:
- Food
- Love, sexual wellbeing, and dating (I'm putting an umbrella over this one)
- Mental health healing
- Body talk
- The importance of trying new things as an adult
Here is my new newsletter: I've started therapy - A candid invitation to a mental health conversation. https://georgiacadoret.substack.com/
By bringing an honest dialogue of my experience to the table, I hope to do my bit to normalise the conversation around therapy and mental health. <3
Lush to meet you, beautiful community.
I can feel your passion on these topics. Some of them often not spoken about. Thanks for being an advocate!
I can relate, Georgia! So glad you're writing about this!
Hi, I am Sophie, I live in the UK, recently got married to my best friend of 11 years and we have a son together (who is autistic and has ADHD) and our dog, Kaveah (she is rescued from Romania, and we kept her name).
5 topics I can talk about with 0 prep are:
1. Autism/ADHD
2. Having a child with SEN needs and finding your tribe
3. The long and terrible journey to a diagnosis
4. Running and discovering the benefits of exercise later in life
5. TV - I love TV
I am quite new to Substack and still finding my feet but communities like this certainly help so thank you!
Previously I had a successful blog called Bad Mum and I turned it into a printed publication with no experience at all, which I was proud of and now I am here writing Bolt. I write honestly about life, parenting, autism, death and hope to make some of you laugh on the way!
Sorry I have met many people yet but Mika you are a star, thank you! Hope to make lots of new friends along the way.
Shucks, you’re the sweetest Sophie!
I would love to hear more about turning a blog into a printed publication too. That sounds interesting (and challenging!)
Hi there, I'm Catherine
What are 5 topics you can talk about for 30 mins with 0 prep?
1. Witchy wisdom
2. Dysautonomia/POTS
3. Environmental Justice/Sustainability
4. White supremacy and systemic racism
5. Grief and healing through brain retraining, mindfulness, nature, and witchy wisdom
I write Willow and The Witch, where I'm currently writing on each of the five stages of grief through a witchy lens. My most recent post was on how Tarot saved my life.
Would love to connect with others especially anyone in the witchy community who can look at it with an intersectional lens. I'm starting to unpack a lot of the problematic areas. Also interested in collaborating on some environmental/sustainability topics!
https://catieshine.substack.com/?fbclid=PAAaYX1eoTrOrZ7hmqw6MX5-wOsg--rjVcRnmRtPdRKDdF9iDF4q5esWaXXZ4_aem_AShAM5V0-wvDlgWYcquPbATPrKQIMyqSX55VPD6DKSLP86COc81TEAdDeteEZEgWEn4
Thanks for sharing your topics Catherine. Have you managed to find your witchy community on Substack yet?
I've found a few but still looking! I'd love to collaborate with others so I'm hoping I'll find more soon as I still relatively new to the platform ✨
Hi Catherine! Fascinating topics. I don't have POTS, though I have experienced a few panic attacks that had some of the same symptoms. I'm especially interested in your reference to witchy wisdom (do you consider yourself Wicca?). I've featured Paganism and magick in a few of my novels and am eager to learn more. Blessed be.
Thank you! I have had many panic attacks and have had to use a lot of different tools to manage them. I'm sorry you have to deal with them too.
I don't identify as Wiccan-I'd say mostly Pagan but I do have influences from other belief systems. In witchy wisdom I explore a lot of different aspects under that umbrella-divination, moon magic, manifestation, the wheel of the year, ancestral healing, crystals, plant magic, etc. It's really helped me in my healing journey.
I love that you've found ways to use Earth and Sky power. And I love that you (like me) capitalize Paganism. It's frustrating to me that although I capitalize it in my novels, and even though I make a point of having a character mention that, reviewers almost inevitably use "paganism."
Hi!👋 I’m Crystal from Ontario Canada. I’m an artist and illustrator and fine arts educator for over 25 years.
My 5 TOPICS
1. How much I love my daughter Charlotte (graduated last year from uni)
2. Misophonia
3. Pugs
4. The importance of integrating art into the everyday
5. How art and nature intertwine and give us gentle lessons on how to live.
I began THE ARTIST’S EYE https://crystalbeshara.substack.com/about last December. Artful ways to help cultivate more POSITIVITY, more GRATITUDE and explore deeper CONNECTION through not only art but every day life.
I had to look up what misophonia is (we have some in our house, but never knew the name)
Really ?! Yet another we thing in common. Let me knowing you have any questions mika !
You had me at misophonia. I also have hyperacusis and Meniere's disease. And as for art.... I cringe when I hear someone go on at length about the importance of STEM education. Of course that's important. But where's the art? Why isn't it STEAM? Art is what pulls the rest of it together. I write novels featuring queer characters, with hopeful, realistic endings rather than happy-ever-after. I see fiction and visual art as ways we can examine our inner selves as well as our relationships to others, without invading the private thoughts and feelings of anyone else.
Yes to all of that! When we are truly deeply “seeing” we get so deep past skin and bones. We see patterns, how we’re all connected. We begin to lose judgement as well. (Perhaps until we’re deep in a Misophonia storm… then I’m super judgy 😂
Living with Meniere’s would be very challenging. ❤️
Re connectedness, two of my favorite books about this are Magister Ludi/The Glass Bead Game (Hesse) and Chaos (John Gleick).
As for misophonia, I thought for years I was being horribly judgy (as in, "How could any reasonable person not understand how disgusting they sound?"). Then I found out what was making me want to slap people silly, and it was such a relief.
Thanks for the reading suggestions !
My daughter has a very difficult time at the dinner table. It's so bad that we now let her eat alone as she can't stand the sound of people chewing! I thought she was just being a difficult teen! You know, the point in their development where they can't stand even the sound of their parent breathing! My nephew's wife also suffers from it. Had no idea that so many people experience it.
Awww man. I can relate. This is where I discovered it as well as a teen. The dinner table is the worst. 😞 with open mouthed chewing especially. Very triggering of fight or flight.
Your art is amazing! I just watched your video about you describing your life as an artist. I subscribed.
Ohhh ! Thank you so much ! 😊 what a wonderful message to receive ✨
Hi, I’m Sonya and live in Suffolk, England with my partner Darren and our two Beagles; Dizzee & Rascal.
I’m a Home Stylist (interior designer) although have recently gone back into full time following redundancy where I works for the sports brand ASICS for over 11 year.
My 5 topics are:
1: Interiors, particularly anything linked with warm, earthy tones
2: Running, currently training for my first marathon
3: The challenges of being a multi-hyphenate
4: My personal manifestation journey (by the way I was manifesting many years before it became all “trendy” I definitely missed out on that one 🤣
5: Being brave and reaching out to make new connections, the worse that will ever happen is nothing changes, you can only gain from the experience 😉
Sharing Home Styling and Inspiration tips:
https://sonyamallett.substack.com/
At the start of this year I reviewed my Substack and what I was offering (particularly for my paid subscribers£, this post shares the new direction for 2024 if you’re interested in learning more:
https://sonyamallett..com/p/mixing-things-up-for-2024
It’s lovely to be here and I look forward to getting to know some new people, I’m here for the connections and putting the social back into social 🤎
Before we knew what manifesting was, we said to our daughter that she had a “big brain” because she managed to manifest unbelievable things from a young age.
Oh wow that’s fascinating!
Hi Sonya! I’m excited to check out your substack. I’m a Feng Shui guide and love checking out interiors and seeing how we can shui them up. And I’m a triathlete so I want to hear all about your marathon training. When’s your race?
Oh amazing! 7th April, 26km to run tomorrow 😳
Oh awesome! That’s over halfway! You’re doing it! Have a great run!
Thank you, it’s all becoming real 😳 just 7 weeks to go 😬
Hello everyone! I am Cherie Lee and I live in Flagstaff, Arizona. I am a recent retiree and first time grandma-to-be.
Five things I can talk about for 30 mins without prep:
1. My friends and family
2. Books I love
3. Scrapbooking
4. Health related issues
5. Municipal Courts
I am fairly new to Substack and write at Just a Blink - https://justablink.substack.com/ - about the passage of time, aging, health, mortality, retirement, life transitions, and other random things I'm thinking about.
Thanks, Mika, for providing this opportunity. I'm looking forward to meeting all of you and finding my tribe!
Do you show any of your scrapbooks on your publication? I can imagine you would be super talented!
Thanks, Mika! I haven't yet, but that's a fun idea. I've done wedding albums for both my boys, and I'm working on childhood albums for them. I'm doing it the old-fashioned way in physical books, but they end up so heavy that I think I'll switch to digital for my grandbaby.
I really would love to do childhood albums. Did you keep a lot of stuff?
I did keep a lot of stuff, but the albums are mostly photographs and decorative papers and stickers. It's very time consuming but I really enjoy it.
hey cherie! what books are you reading?
Hi Pawan, nice to meet you! I am doing the slow-read of "War and Peace" with Simon Haisell, and I just picked up "The Alchemist" from the library but haven't started it yet. My favorite books of all time are "The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice, and all of Khaled Hosseini's books but especially "And the Mountains Echoed". What about you?
I love Anne Rice. I live in New Orleans, so I had the pleasure of meeting her several times.
Oh, I am green with envy! I actually haven't read many of her other books. Which ones do you recommend? New Orleans is on my bucket list.
If you liked the Witching Hour, there's a series: The Witching Hour, Lasher, and Taltos. It's been a long time since I read those, but I remember them being pretty good. I liked Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat. She also wrote a book called Cry to Heaven about the castrati, which was good and very interesting. One of the things I really like about her books is that even though they're fiction, they're very well researched. She also wrote some erotica under the pen name, Anne Rampling. I've not read any of those.
I did read Lasher and Taltos, and will add the others to my TBR list! Yes, her writing is very thorough and detailed. My favorite parts of Witching Hour are when she goes back in time for centuries and you really get a feel for what life was like. Thank you!
Hi everyone! I’m Amanda and I live in California. Last year I quit my 9-5 with no backup, solo traveled abroad for a couple of months, and recently started my own business as a meditation teacher!
5 topics I can talk about with 0 prep:
- Meditation
- Slow + mindful living
- Solo traveling
- Journaling
- Literature, poetry, and prose
I’m new to Substack (https://illuminationswithamanda.substack.com/) and just published my first piece on navigating grief yesterday! (https://illuminationswithamanda.substack.com/p/mornings-in-my-garden) I’ll be exploring the topics mentioned above and more, all centered around finding and reconnecting to ourselves.
So excited to connect!
Welcome Amanda!! These seems to be a few people here that could talk about grief. I hope you are able to build your tribe. ☺️
Thanks so much for putting this together! :)
Hi Mika! Love that you are doing this. Thank you.
Hello everyone, my name is J.R. and I live in Pittsburgh, PA with my husband and daughter.
I've had several careers, but my current and last one (wishful thinking) is as an author.
Five topics I can talk about for 30 minutes with 0 prep:
1. How "gracefully aging" is not all it's cracked up to be (yes, you read that right. As Cher so succinctly put it, "getting old sucks")
2. The joys and challenges older parents face raising young children—I survived, mine is now 18
3. Anything related to movies, acting, and modeling
4. Building boats and renovating houses
5. Starting over in life (The only time it's too late is when you're dead)
My substack (http://jrroessl.substack.com) currently acts as a monthly newsletter, which I send out to my book subscribers, keeping them informed of any future appearances or events, and giving them a sneak peek of my current WIP. Now that I have the newsletter figured out, I will be covering all the topics above and anything else that occurs to me in my Out of Step life. Wishing you all much success and growth with your Substacks. I love this platform.
There’s so much to uncover on Substack! Do shout out if you get stuck. 😊
1 and 2 I probably could talk about too but I hadn't thought about it until your post - with you looking forward to connecting!
"The only time it's too late is when you're dead" I need to write this down somewhere and keep it around for tough moments. Thank you!
As you can tell, I have a dark sense of humor. I would like to blame it all on my years as a New Yorker, but I’ve been this way all my life, as substantiated in my book, Unmoored.
Hello--I'm Margaret Ann, I live in the PNW, and I have six kids (two adults, two teens, and two little ones). I've been writing all my life, but Substack is the first place I've really shared anything for many years (and I love it!).
5 topics I can talk about for 30 minutes with zero prep:
1. Thrift store shopping
2. Neurodivergence
3. Children's & YA lit
4. Libby/audiobooks
5. eating disorders, sadly
My substack (https://margaretannsilver.substack.com) is me writing poems and posting them (currently five days a week). Sometimes the poems are from my college or grad school, some are from five years ago, and many of them are recently written. I write about parenting, marriage, our hard journey with my daughters' eating disorders, and other stuff :).
Love all these topics, and I’m so sorry your daughter’s journey with eating disorders. It’s tough on everyone involved, and so helpless.
How do your kids feel about thrifting? It’s one of the things my youngest and I do on the weekends. Not super great when you have ADHD and impulsively buy stuff! Hahaha
My kids pretty much all love thrifting (I used to take them a ton—probably too often—when they were little). Two kids are really interested in vintage items like me. Two are more about the clothes and books. The two littles love the toys. We definitely have too much stuff 😳.
Thank you for your sympathy about the EDs. Both girls are doing better, but progress is not linear (as I’m always being reminded).
Also, yes to the risks of ADHD and thrifting! That’s us too 😊.
Sounds like your writings are like an invitation into your home and family … lovely! Your post caught my eye because my daughters love to go thrift shopping and I never am inclined to take them. You may have just given me the nudge needed! And I am sure that they will thank you for that!
I love thrifting so much, but it's okay if it's not your cup of tea! You taking them will still make them feel so loved. When I was growing up (small Northern California town), there weren't many thrift stores around but there were a hundred and one little antique/curio stores and my parents patiently drove me to so many. It meant a lot to me.
Great memories! Now, i can totally get excited about an antique store! Happy thrifting!
Margaret, we have a lot in common, especially on #2 and #5. Would love to connect more!
Oh wow, I just went and checked out your Substack. I will definitely go and read more. My husband and I I had a pretty emotional talk last night about how things are not going as well as we hoped (new issues keep popping up). It’s hard to find the right kind of support sometimes. In our family, we have ADHD, OCD, GAD, depression, Tourette syndrome, and of course the eating disorders. There is also possibly dysgraphia and dyslexia in the mix, and the need for speech therapy. I’m a little overwhelmed just writing it out.
Oh Margaret, that is a LOT! So much empathy and hugs! it's so hard, isn't it? Especially when new issues pop up. This fall, we realized our daughter also is on the autism spectrum, which was a hard realization at first but has been a really helpful lens. But she has SO much to deal with. Your kids sound like they are carrying a lot too. Eager to check out your Substack too! Let's keep in touch.
Hugs back. I like your phrase “helpful lens”, as I feel like A LOT has been clarified for my neurodivergent children and their needs. But I’m also realizing how much we missed before the diagnoses and how hard they struggled in the NT world.
Hi! I'm Michelle, I'm based in Brighton on the South Coast of the UK. I home educate my autistic son, and work (very) part-time as an Ayurveda Lifestyle Coach, yoga teacher and sound therapist.
5 topics I can talk about for 30 mins with 0 prep:
1. Ayurveda! (That's traditional Indian medicine)
2. Women's health (I used to be a specialist nurse in women's health but now I work Ayurvedically using diet and lifestyle)
3. Buddhist philosophy
4. 90s indie music
5. Witty and often slightly horrifying anecdotes from my time in the NHS!
Inner Alchemy is my Substack on Ayurveda for women's health https://inneralchemy.substack.com/ i try to demystify the complexity of Ayurveda, plus we have "plant of the month" with recipes, and Dinacharya Club - a new monthly self-care practice or ritual.
Good to be here! 🌹
Such interesting topics Michelle. I don’t now much about Ayurveda, so excited to learn more about it.
It's quite complex, hence my wanting to demystify it in my blog...
Hey Michelle, nice to meet you. Dinacharya Club! I love it. I live in a community with an Ayurvedic college so there are loads of practitioners here. Pretty amazing to me that you home educate your son AND teach, consult and do sound therapy. Even though it looks like your sub is for women, I'll still check it out. take care
Hi! Obviously the home education takes up most of my time, but I try to work the other things around it. Ayurveda and yoga help me stay balanced for sure!
Hi! I'm Nic, a rather shy-about-my-poetry poet who has been making an effort over the past year and a half to be much less shy about it now that I'm somewhere in that mid-thirties zone. It's going well!
Okay, 5 topics I could talk about with zero prep, as proven on a recent new friend hike date: 1) Forest Therapy or forest school or why time in the forest is amazing and deeply beneficial; 2) wanting to make so much more space and welcome for trans folk of all ages in our communities; 3) why working as a cleaner is the perfect job for a poet; 4) how f-ing hard it can be to be a parent; 5) religious deconstruction
I write poems and release soundtracked, audio versions of them (okay, only one so far but working on more!) at wordsperperson.substack.com
Thanks for reading and thanks for the chance to do this Mika!
I’m so glad that you’ve decided to put your poetry out there! Thanks for being courageous!
Hi, Nic! So many things to respond to in your list. Being shy about one's innermost thoughts and feelings (i.e., poetry) is totally understandable. I write novels featuring queer characters (currently working on one that takes place in the 1980s; the way trans was thought of then compared to now shows that there has been progress, albeit slow). And as for religious deconstruction? One of my favorite things!
Hi Robin! Thanks for the response:). Novels plural?! Amazing! As a poet, I really feel in awe of people who can write entire novels haha, I simply cannot imagine. I love to hear you're featuring queer characters and that you see evidence of progress from the work - can be hard to feel the hope some days. I'm going to check our your page now:).
I like to think that the more push-back we see on queer rights, the more progress it means has been made. That's what I want to believe, anyway. As for the novels, I write because I have to write. Not saying it isn't work, or challenging, but it feels necessary as well as rewarding. Loved your poem about the monarchs, BTW. Great title.
Hey Nic! When I started my Substack last summer, I mentioned having a “spoonful of courage.” It looks like you did the same in sharing your poetry publicly. How awesome! I’d be curious to learn more about forest therapy. My husband regularly goes out there to meditate and always returns refreshed.
Also, religious deconstruction is always an interesting topic. One of the topics I listed was spiritual abuse, and perhaps someday soon I’ll actually share my story on it.
Hey there. I’m Teyani , many friends call me Tey. I live in the PAC NW with my large tom cat named Jose and love it here. I’ve mostly retired from my private practice in counseling. And I’m enjoying writing poetry and a book.
My five topics that could keep me talking effortlessly are:
1. Counseling and all the things I’ve learned over the last 30 years
2. Fabulous recipes
3. Cerebral Spinal Fluid leaks, how debilitating they are and how few doctors know how to treat them let alone test for them.
4. Coping with Rapid shifts in personal mobility and loss of independence brought on by serious illness
5. Grief and loss
My Substack is called Staying Together - it’s the beginning chapters of my book, as well as my random musings along the walk through life.
Wow, you’ve lived a life! I’m so glad you found a home in Substack ☺️
Hello Tey! How can anyone resist subscribing to someone who describes themselves as a good egg? Love it! My older son is in Yakima, WA, and we hope to move there someday. Where in the PAC NW are you?
How kind of you! Thanks. I’m just south of Seattle.
Deep breath. Hi, I’m Tara, former English teacher turned writer and mum to two neurospicy grown-up children. I’m also an introvert who loves nothing more than spending time thinking. My five topics would be:
1. Craft of writing
2. Literature
3. Slowing down for healing and happiness
4. Psychology of stories
5. Neurospicy family life (something like 8 out of 10 of my mum’s grandchildren are neurospicy which probably means most of us are 😆)
Love all these topics Tara! As someone who has ADHD, I appreciate the last topic a lot.
Hi! I'm Monique and I live in Perth, Western Australia. My 9-5 is events officer and I write in the gaps of life. I dream of bigger gaps to write in!
5 Topics I can Talk About for 30 minutes with 0 prep:
1. Food - the preparation of and the eating
2. Writing/my writing journey
3. The despair and grief I feel about our world at times
4. The hope I have that collectively, we can find a better way
5. Little things I think are extraordinary
At La Muse (https://moniquemulligan.substack.com/) I write about reconnecting with the “little girl” inside who sees the beauty in the extraordinary ordinary. And I'm loving exploring short, creative essay formats.
Hello!
I thought I already replied, but it seems to have disappeared! 🤷♀️
I was just saying how I’m on the journey to reconnect and listen to my little girl too. It’s cracked open so many truths that I didn’t know. It’s been a journey!
Just subscribed, Monique- beautiful beautiful 🤩
Sounds lovely, Monique!
Thank you!
Hi all, my name is Christoph, I live in Nevada City, California. I'm a single dad of two daughters age 6 and 14. who writes, plays guitar, and is still figuring things out.
5 Topics I can riff on for 30 minutes:
1. meditation
2. creativity as a path of healing
3. woodworking
4. wisdom of the Tao
5. intentional and effective interaction with entheogenic plants
Miracle Soup (miraclesoup.substack.com) is a podcast and blog I created to help alchemize suffering into healthy creative expression. I write about this journey, documenting the wild ride of this life. Pleased to meet you all!
Love these topics. Thanks for joining in!
Hey! I'm Anna, I live in Hertfordshire in the UK (formerly a Londoner). I don't have kids, albeit giving it a big effort to. I live with my husband and my dog, a border terrier named Dotty. I'm new to Substack and am finding it equal parts cathartic and friendly.
What are 5 topics you can talk about for 30 mins with 0 prep?
- skincare; I have become a bit of a product junkie
- shopping abroad (particularly the US and France)
- interiors and all things homeware
- crime documentaries on Netflix
- as I'm rapidly approaching 40; being ready for a new decade
My substack is called Not Another Substack and can be found here: https://www.annaelerihart.substack.com (I talk about all the above things)
The 40s have been great! I already went through feeling “old” when I was in my late 30s, so everything’s been fine since then. 😆
Lovely to meet you Anna, I’ve just subscribed and really enjoyed reading your piece on Dunelm 🤎
Mika! This is such a wonderful idea! Everyone here is so fascinating! Hi humans! I love you all!
I’m Kelsey. I currently live in Florida with my husband and 2 Doberman puppies Zumi and Tashi. I write Find Your Awesome with Kelsey Abbott at kelseyabbott.substack.com. My mission is to help people remember who they really are, empower them to be brave enough to be the weirdo their soul wants them to be and increase the amount of joy in the world.
1. Human Design
2. The 7 levels of energy and how we always have the power to choose which energy level we’re viewing the world from
3. Plant-based nutrition and cooking
4. Camper living (my husband and I traveled around the U.S. in a small camper for 16 months)
5. Triathlon (I’ve been training and competing for almost 20 years)
Hey Kelsey! 👋
Thanks for playing! What’s your go-to fav recipes? I have a lot, but some are mushroom risotto, nicely spiced roasted veges, bibimbap, and sushi.
Oh yum, maybe we’ll make mushroom risotto this week. I’ve been obsessed with this white bean pot pie soup lately, and chili and we had delicious spring rolls last night.
Hi, I'm Jasmine; I live on the East Coast in the U.S. I'm a former English Teacher and a current Technical Writer.
5 things I could talk about with zero prep:
1. Ballet and Modern Dance (Obsessed with The Royal Ballet YouTube channel)
2. English Literature
3. Beyonce sharing the same zodiac sign as me :)
4. Pop Culture and Fashion
5. Healing and Wellness
My newsletter https://jumpatdasun.substack.com/ is where I share my thoughts on Wellness, Slow Living, Literature, personal growth, and healing.♡
Hi everyone, this was so fun 😊
Is it hard reading other people’s blogs as an English teacher?
Haha, no, not at all :) I don't get super hung up on grammar. 🙃 I care more about people's ideas and unique perspectives 🤷🏾♀️
Hey Jasmine, nice to meet you! Your topics resonated with me - I’m a meditation teacher so I’m also super interested in wellness, healing, and slow living :) Heading to your Substack now!
Hi Amanda,
I started listening to guided meditations a few years ago to deal with the stress of graduate school. It helped me through a difficult time.
Thanks for checking out my Substack; I will head over to yours, too. 🫶🏽
Hi 👋 I'm Bella, I live in London with my husband my adopted corgi, Winston.
5 topics I can talk about for 30 mins with 0 prep:
1. Corgis
2. Sex And The City (or Desperate Housewives)
3. Social media (+ how to get the best out of it w/out it taking over)
4. Podcasts (I listen to SO many)
5. How to be a good sister to someone neurodivergent
Making Time is a celebration of juggling multiple creative pursuits at once because life's too short not to do (or at least try!) all the things we dream of. A freelance marketing consultant who is also writing a novel, building a niche website, and re-learning the piano, I write about how I make time for these various pursuits (as well as sharing the real-time progress, challenges, highs and lows of each of them!).
https://bellafoxwell.substack.com/
This is a fabulous idea, Mika! Thank you x
To think some people will never be exposed to Sex and the city (original) and desperate housewives!!
Devastating!!
Hello, I'm Shannon and I live in (the rural, farmland part of) New Jersey with my husband and two adult children. I've had a travel blog for 13 years, but I'm transitioning to writing more about weight loss and getting/staying STRONG as we age.
5 topics I can talk about:
1. Fitness, exercise, nutrition
2. Homeschooling
3. Toxins in foods / finding local, organic food sources
4. Traveling in the US (esp hiking and skiing)
5. TV (and traveling to TV filming locations)
My substack is "The Year I Really Tried" and follows my journey of being consistent for one year. I'm sharing my weight loss struggles and successes, health and fitness inspiration, information on natural medicine and holistic living, and reviews of the many things I’ve “tried.” https://shannonentin.substack.com
What an awesome name for your publication!!
Hi Shannon! Love your topics and the title of your Substack. We homeschooled our boys years ago (they are 34 and 28 now). I've subscribed and looking forward to reading!
Hello! I am Stephanie!
5 Topics I can talk about for 30 minutes with zero prep:
1) Internal Family Systems
2) Self and spiritual growth
3) Mindfulness and presence
4) Nature and Connection
5) Breast cancer and trauma healing
I am new here. So far, I've been posting little snippets of writings from my experience with advanced stage breast cancer, diagnosed at age 34. I am now in remission at age 39 from stage iiic, and as of March 1, 2024 will be beating my statistical odds for survival for those diagnosed at my age with similar characteristics, treatment protocol, etc. Writing has been a huge 'part' of what's helped in my healing journey during and post-active cancer.https://healingvoyage.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web&r=2v1uc1
Can I just celebrate that you’re here with us!! ✨🎉
Thank you for sharing your journey so it can help others. 🙏
Thank you so much! I have so many random posts on Facebook and in journals! I’m navigating slowly how I want to bring it all together and share it. One day at a time, I’m trusting the best way to do so will become more clear! Thank you for the support!!!❤️😊
Hello 👋🏼 my name is Johanna, I am French but never lived there 😀 I have traveled a lot and now we have decided to take a one year break to visit Europe with tour camper van 🚐
5 topics 👌🏽
1. Aliens 👽 and the truth about that !
2. Ancestors work and lineage
3. Ceremonial cacao
5. Awakening and the rabbit hole
What I share on my Substack (in French, but I guess you have a translation option), are teachings about ancestral healing, cacao ceremonies, our travel and nomad life, and general spirituality.
Nice to meet youuuu 🪶
You’ve sparked my interest in these topics 👀
Really? Want to dive in? 😄✨
Where's 4.?
Oups ! 🙊
I didn’t noticed 😄
Let’s say psychonaut, psychedelics and visions
A gal after my own heart…especially the rabbit hole of awakening! 😁