36 Comments

I love these Substack posts, Claire. And so exciting your Note got featured! I actually did a little happy dance when you posted the screenshot of you recommendations and my own Substack was there. I can't thank you enough! I love what you wrote about brilliance too, it's so true that consuming more isn't always (if ever, maybe?) the answer. Thank you for sharing your brilliant insights!

Expand full comment

Thank you for this post Claire! I’m going to look closer at my recommendations and see if I’m utilising them as well as I can be. Also, HUGE congratulations on the Substack feature! Very well deserved 👏🏻🥰

Expand full comment

Oh thanks Sophie - that little blossom pic just captured something I think. I think recommendations is such an amazing tool. It really means something.

Expand full comment

Thanks for the reminder to add books to my profile. I kept thinking I needed to be on laptop to do it and turns out you can do it on mobile (I used the Safari app.)

Gratz on your feature! And I feel you on links. I ended up in that feeling the day Notes launched. Friends of friends don't always post the kind of content I want to see. Now that I've muted a few things it seems better, but I'm still cautious about energy there

Expand full comment

Great tip re Safari that’s what Dave does.

Expand full comment

Oh yes definitely I can never click the home feed on notes it’s just not for me. ✨🗒️

Expand full comment

I appreciate these words! I know that for myself, I definitely enjoy links from other people on occasion but it often just feels like too much. I have for sure been down a rabbit hole clicking on things when the time would have been better used making some art or reading a book. So therefore I made a pact with myself to work hard at not sending out too many myself because it feels like just adding to the overload. I often think of the advice that if you want to write a book then you should write the book you want to read, and I think the same things is apt for newsletters and I’ve been trying to embrace that energy in mine.

Expand full comment

Oh I love that Anna. Yes I must admit it’s rare I click on anyone’s links and this particular eve was an absolute mistake but a big learning curve. I was just chatting to a client about memoir yesterday and I’m wondering if I wrote one what section of life I’d write on?

Expand full comment

Thank you Claire for your reminder and encouragement to dwell in this space mindfully.

Expand full comment

Ah yes the dwelling part that’s exactly it. ✨ 🏡

Expand full comment

Congratulations on being featured in Substack Reads. So lovely 🌻 As a newbie here still very much trying to figure things out your thoughts and posts are so helpful. It feels like such a nice place to be too 🌺

Expand full comment

Aw it really is - yes the blossom pic on Notes captured so many imaginations - I was still getting likes on it over a week later!

Expand full comment

I like your thoughts on positive things having the potential to turn toxic if we don’t self reflect. Thank you, yours is my favourite Substack and I get so much from it. 😊

Expand full comment

Oh my goodness what a complement Helen - I'm really overwhelmed by that (in a good way) thank-you for saying that. I think we have learnt to cope with so much negative spiralling on other platforms and we have the opportunity to do things differently here don't we. I want to be such a conscious reader and read things that feel heaven sent, interesting and creative and that's it.

Expand full comment

Yes that’s totally it 😊

Expand full comment

Speaking of brilliance that is an excellent piece of writing about going down the rabbit hole online. I felt the angst while reading it! And the raccoons, haha! Well done.

Congratulations on your well deserved recommendations Claire. Your heart centred leadership is needed in our world.

Expand full comment

Haha - the racoons - you are the first person to mention the racoons - I really questioned myself with that part and just thought you know what it's staying! Thanks so much for your lovely complements Donna - I so appreciate you.

Expand full comment

Claire, I absolutely love your Substack takes. Thank you for sharing it. I love your down-to-earth approach and the slow and steady pace. Thank you!

Expand full comment

Aw you're so super welcome Silvia. I'm happy to write them - I spent so long not really understanding the other platforms and I think we just need to lift the veil on that conditioning and create. Cx

Expand full comment

The stuff about brilliance is soooo on point. We think consuming more and more stuff is going to somehow make us better when the opposite is often true. Being able to hear your own thoughts is absolutely game changing as a person, coach and writer x

Expand full comment

Yes totally and I feel like what we've learnt on the other socials has given us the confidence, creativity and strength to do things different here? Cx

Expand full comment

Ah usual Claire, this is a timely post for me. You seem to be right in my head. I had a wobble of overwhelm this week; in a nutshell I was thinking that I'm using Substack as another distraction/procrastination away from editing my novel, another project to work on, another place to build a following at the expense of my time. I've realised a lot of this mindset comes from my social media conditioning. It's very different here, and I think the answer for me will be to set up paid so I can figuratively see meaning and purpose in the space.

Ha, that was a rather long answer, I should write a SS about it 😂

Expand full comment

Yes I understand - it can take a little while to better understand what we want from the platform as there are so many options. I guess it gives us space to grow into our creativity away from traditional promotional routes. The last artist project I supported was a real testament to how people actually press the 'buy' button as most of her sales came from a radio interview and we were hammering social media across all platforms. The radio interview took twenty minutes of her time...

My point here is that we often get tricked into thinking we have to do more, more, more where as actually being intentional and observing the outcome in whatever that means to us. (Well crafted writing, subs, recommendations, engagement or in how it all feels is much better for us isn't it?).

I'm so excited you're thinking about setting up paid Subs and yes you should definitely write a Substack about it. We all need encouragement and we find it in each others writing, bravery and bold moves about what to offer to the world. Thanks for being here.

Expand full comment

Thanks for such a thoughtful response, Claire. YES in short 🤣 I agree. I'd also add it's about self worth and even dignity, something which traditional social media seemed to suck out of us.

Expand full comment

Oh my goodness the dignity thing - gosh it’s been so complicated for us hasn’t it and yet we’ve kept showing up in this web of complex ways of being and emotions and BS. I’m so tempted to burn it all down and delete all my socials you know!

Expand full comment

Ha! I know that feeling. I'm very tempted also. I'm going to try and use them more as a shop window for the foreseeable.

Expand full comment

I love that analogy it’s so boundaried and intentional - let’s do that! ✨ 🪟✨

Expand full comment

Really enjoying these Substack insights and congrats on getting featured in Substack Reads! Very well deserved! Beautiful writing :)

Expand full comment

Oh thanks Molly that means a lot I’m always more nervous of sharing this type of writing but I was so in flow with it I thought you know what let’s just get curious about what sharing feels like!

Expand full comment

What a lovely piece. I totally agree with you about the warm generosity of spirit there is here - in stark contrast to most of social media. And thanks for the reminder to use recommendations more - I haven't quite got to grips with that yet

Expand full comment

Oh Louise thanks - it’s SUCH a nice little exercise writing the blurbs for folks you love I really enjoy it!

Expand full comment

Lovely newsletter thanks Claire & congrats for your mention!

Expand full comment

Oh thanks so much it felt really nice!! Not something I was expecting or working towards. 🌸 how’s your week been here?

Expand full comment

Good thanks - getting ready to launch my next Gentle Adventure - still finding out what works for me, and still appreciating the platform very much. I hope you have a good weekend! x

Expand full comment

I love that and the the fresh takes available to us all here. ✨🧚‍♂️

Expand full comment
Comment deleted
April 28, 2023
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

That's exactly it isn't it Chanel - we get to write, create and share on our own terms here and what a beautiful space to do it in.

Expand full comment