Substack LOVE
Is for everyone... Your seasonal writer nominations, recommendations and a chance to meet with us on zoom in January!
“All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.”
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‘Substack LOVE’ - your recommendations with Claire and Kat
For your reading and connective pleasure over the holidays!
This piece was SUCH a joy to receive - copying and pasting your comments and excitement at this space holding was a thrill, honestly!
One of the first questions I was asked about Substack when I first started getting excited about it was ‘who do you read?’ - that was then and this is now. Back then, I read very little. I’ve talked about it before. I was here just to be for a while, to find space, to write, to find my voice out of a dark time. As time went on I read some more and I shared those writers with you all.
In the early days, it was hard to find new folks to read who spoke to my soul. My first true reading love here was
(and I still read her pieces every single Saturday). I love the care, attention and storytelling that goes into her essays and the escapism she allows me.Here and now, we are finding we haven’t go quite enough reading hours for all of the beautiful writing have we?
It’s like curating your own library? My saves for Christmas time were ‘a plenty’ and I have managed to catch up with them all. ✨
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Shelves upon shelves, books upon books, lifetimes upon lifetimes, humans connecting with other humans; it’s so BEAUTIFUL! Substack LOVE is for EVERYONE!
and I believe whenever you started and whatever you are doing here you’re right on time. There’s no rush, no need for comparison to creep in… you’re arrived, you are safe and it’s all going to be SO beautiful. There is a spot for you and so much joy is incoming!We have time, there is so much time!
Hide and Seek
In October, we published "Substack Love" - a collaborative post where we invited you all to nominate your favourite writers, to give voice to smaller creatives here on Substack.
We were beautifully overwhelmed with over 160 comments. We asked you to share the love, and you all showed up beautifully and celebrated so many writers and creatives! Thank you!
Our intention was to collate and categorise the nominations into a post so that you could all have a simple way to find other like hearted writers, connect, and collaborate yourselves - However, little did we know it would be such a welcomed mini project. We see you saying it’s harder for smaller publications to be seen and this is what this work is about.
Please know generosity always breeds generosity and the 1-21 clients who once told me they didn’t feel ‘invited’ to the party are now celebrating so so many wins and growing beautiful communities of their own.
SO we are pivoting, intentionally of course.
Instead of sharing a big old list of writers accompanied by some emotional disconnect and mild overwhelm as to whose links to click.
We have officially closed commenting on the "Substack Love" post.
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In this post, we selected a big handful of the first set of nominations, and will also re share the Substack Love post link, with our BIG encouragement for you to go and dive into the comment section FILLED to the brim with high quality nominations; alongside meaningful comments so you actually can have an insight as to why these writers have been nominated and what they like to share about.
One of the simplest ways to grow here on
, is through creating genuine relationships with other writers. This platform was built FOR word of mouth style growth, meaning - it rewards connection. We are really, really into that and have seen it happen time and time again.We have both grown here on Substack through making the effort to find like hearted writers, and connect with them. If we enjoy their work - we share it. If we read their work - we comment. We say HEY! I see you! I love what you're doing here! Thank you for showing up! We ask genuine questions, and add genuine discussion, we join communities and create them.
The result of that has been an ongoing emotional investment into this space, which then turns around and rewards us with feeling of fulfilment, friendship, community, and feeling seen here, which I know many of you are interested in cultivating more for yourself also.
That's what we created "Substack Love" for and that's what we want to invite you into.
Take the time to connect with other writers here. It's a very worthy investment for your heart, mind, spirit and network! Pay to read articles, join communities.
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We do plan to create "Substack Love Letterboxes" periodically though out the year as a way to get connected to "smaller" writers who may be new, or not widely known just yet.
I’ve posted and tagged the first few folks who nominated an article and we’d love you to save this post and go show the writers some LOVE! Read through the whole post and scroll back to pick JUST one that really resonated? If you have time go again?
Substack is for us; the writers, the authors, the dreamers, the creatives, the photographers, the artists, the mothers, the care-givers, the alternative livers, the spent creative, almost giving-uppers - it’s our platform and we’re shaping it in real time.
Online universes can be an incredible space to share and connect and we want to encourage MORE generosity, MORE tangible energy between Substack writers,
MORE LOVE!
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Social Media Rules Don’t Apply
We also want to mention we have a free zoom meet coming up on 17 January, 9.30am GMT.
We’ve called it ‘Social Media Rules Don’t Apply’ and it’s a deep dive into LEAVING the heavy rule book of ‘online “socials” life’ at the door and coming on in to the BRAND new Substack beach party! We’ll get into being of service and growing community across Instagram, Substack and Substack Notes!
Big coat, wellies and a scarf or bikini and a cocktail?
You’re all WELCOME! There’s no up-sell we just want to support you. Book your free spot here.
Sending love for your holiday time,
Claire and Kat
x
SUBSTACK Love!
Ok, let’s get into it…
Here are the first few nominations and the rest are locked into a beautiful safe space int he comments of the original post so you can find other readers, writers and connect.
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Sarah Robertson from Brand Seasons nominated
“Hannah Ashe is making waves on Substack this week. She writes about career shifts and creativity, and I love her latest post about how she’s connecting and collaborating in this space⚡️”.
Carina Grasbeck who writes Kirja & Kaffe also cheer leaded Hannah’s work;
and Kathryn from
- I admire how Kathryn Vercillo celebrates artists, creatives and writers. Each week she rounds up her favourite posts in such a thoughtful way ✨Also cheer leaded by Birgitte Rasine who writes The Cacao Muse
Lastly - I’d like to nominate Lauren Barber. Her words are a balm for the mind and I found her recent post about finding creativity in our mothering so empowering 💫. Lauren was also nominated by
which was cheer leaded by
Rahma who writes A Woman Who Wanders and said; “I second. I love reading Lauren Barber and seeing myself reflected in her gentle words ❤️”
✨ Jenna who writes Magic & Musings shared;
They said; “I also adore Raine’s work. Like myself, she writes about finding the magic in the mundane and the small joys of the everyday”.
“A beautiful soul I love here on Substack is Jodie. Her words are so soothing and she too is trying create a slower life”.
Lauren Barber writes The Mother Well nominated
She said; “every post of Claudia’s is stunning but I particularly loved this one and the storytelling within it.”
Lauren also posted about
and said; “I found the generosity to share the depth of creative process from Sarah here was incredible.”
and Lyndsay too;
“I adore everything that Lyndsay writes. It truly is beautiful but this post I loved.”
and lastly;
Lauren said; “this post by Speak Your Peace was extremely powerful and is a really important topic for conversation.”
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Debs Stott writes Mappery: Not just for Navigation said; I'm going to go with Anna Brones'. Her recent letters have been resonating so deeply with me.
Here's one;
and A. Wilder Westgate loved this too!!
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Hunter Burgtorf who writes The Magically Mundane told us;
There are so many amazing authors mentioned here! This post by A. Wilder Westgate floored me and was hauntingly beautiful -
I am obsessed with Breanne Rodgers over at The Redemptive and loved this essay she shared;
I love Jennifer Cat's writing and her Energetics of Autumn post was so great;
I live for Jodie Melissa's writing (and Instagram) and this post was such a wonderful reminder to slow down -
Victoria Harrison writes about seasonal living and I so love her take on integrating the ancient rituals and magic into everything she does. This post on lunar living was amazing -
I feel like everyone knows
? But I am still so in love with her work. This post about being a Mother Writer is something I've deeply resonated with and written about endlessly since reading -I know there are so many other incredible writers but these are just a few that inspire me!
What a wonderful idea. I love how this space continues to surprise me with its warmth and support. ❤️
Anja Todorovic writes The Heavenly HERitage
and told us; “This piece IS a must read for every Mama 🤍”
Laura Durban over at Laura’s Substack
Thank you for sharing Asia, dear Anja! I absolutely fell in love with her posts!
Lindsay Johnstone over at Writes What Now? with Lindsay Johnstone
This and everything else from
. She deserves a far bigger readership on here.Carina Grasbeck who writes Kirja & Kaffe
said; “Oh, what a lovely idea! I love everything that Kerstin Martin writes on Autumn Diaries”:
“She has been cheering me on to write on Substack and has been an inspiration for me.”
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Stella Kalaw writes Sundays with Stella A kindred spirit- Manuela Thomas. She just started her newsletter. Through writing, art and creativity, she explores the beauty that emerges from pain and suffering.
Nikko Kennedy writes Brighter Days, Darker Nights I have greatly enjoyed the homesteading tales leading up to this vacation story:
Jess who writes Loadofolbobbins’ Bloggins
What a joyous thing to do! I'm loving Janelle Hardacre's posts and this one in particular 'A Lesson in Hope' was a beautiful balm for the soul!
Noha Beshir who writes Prone to Hyperbole by Noha Besh…
It so perfectly captures the insane exhaustion of being a new parent, the unending sleeplessness, the desperation for rest in any form. It took me back to those early years. Parenting is HARD!!! Marc writes about it with such honestly and grace.
writes Something More and said;
“Oh this is a glorious idea! Well done, Claire and Kat. I can see this becoming a huge addition to celebrating Substackers”.
Feasts and Fables writes Encourage Meant. Love this idea. Super-generous. In our 'Encouragement Manifesto' we include '4. Celebrate Others' so this is right in our ballpark! Brilliant.
Adding in the fabulous
whose writing is bliss.To continue reading and saving some beautiful work from 2023 head to our original nomination post here… leave us a 💕 in the comments section here if you’ve found someone new to read? Share on Notes and tag a writer to cheerlead and support their work?
Thank you for participating so wholeheartedly.
We’ll be back with another Substack LOVE opportunity really soon!
All our LOVE
Claire and Kat
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PS - I have to give a SPECIAL mention to my friend
who has started a NEW community building space for us unpublished writers. Incase you missed her announcement on Notes, Luisa is an exquisite writer, space holder and a beautiful human you will want to be connected to. Find This Writerly Life here. ✨
Thank you for the words for new Writer’s like me, “There’s no rush, no need for comparison to creep in… you’re arrived, you are safe and it’s all going to be SO beautiful. There is a spot for you and so much joy is incoming!” 😇 and always beautiful photography 🥰
What a delight to read through this post with all these lovely people highlighted!