Hello from a Human Jungle Gym
And a pivot from should to must.
Stepping softly in 2024.
Sitting on the couch with my laptop while Davy plays LEGO. (This is seriously a whole new level!) We haven’t taken down our Christmas tree yet and I’m still hoping to make gingerbread ornaments this week.
But we’re inching toward “normal.” I’m putting together my university courses for the spring semester, sending out messages about the Entwined anthology, and printing a planner that will fit into my locally made traveler’s notebook.
Well, I’ve jinxed myself mentioning the LEGO. My kid is now climbing all over me like a jungle gym, but let’s persevere.
I should probably also celebrate reaching 500 subscribers, which is supposed to be a tipping point. I’m told growth is easier and to be honest I’m a bit trepidatious about that.
Growth for growth’s sake is not a goal for me, but so long as the numbers represent kind humans who are engaged with the work I’m doing I’m happy that you’re here.
Pivoting from Should to Must
It’s pretty ironic that my first post was about intentional inconsistency and yet I’ve spent my entire time on Substack trying to create a consistent publishing schedule because I “should.”
I also know my own people tend to be a bit overwhelmed and overcommitted and so I keep adjusting the frequency (weekly, monthly, fortnightly) trying to get it “right.”1
But every time I try to slow down I have too much to share. So instead of being driven by time, which is not real, I’m going to try something new. Posting when I have something I must share. And embracing the fact that frequency will vary. I have a lot queued up for January, but after this month I’m hoping to slow down a bit.
(Editing Note: It’s now almost 2pm. Even this simple post, which I hoped to finish before lunch, has taken hours somehow. I can’t turn off my autistic attention to detail so I have to accept that whatever I choose to do I’m going to sink a lot of time and energy into. What I’d like to find this year is a way to show up here, but not spend hours and hours on Substack content every week. I’d like to allocate some of this focused energy toward other projects like writing a novel.)
Your Favorite Posts from 2023
I took some time this morning to look back at the work I’ve shared here over the last year and what you loved the most.2 I always love these recap posts from
because I alwasy find something I missed. I’ve split them up into a few categories starting with…Most Comments
I see comments as the biggest marker of “success” for a post. I’m not here for business really - even if I have a few paid offerings - I’m here for connection. And comments are where I can hear from you. This post “went viral” for me, but I value the conversations we had more than the eyeballs.
I'm not a brand. I'm a human. 🫀
I’m still recovering energy from the picture book launch. But I’ve written a longer piece for you today. This has been simmering for a while now. Last year I took two big marketing classes by brilliant teachers and I’ve decided to ignore some of their biggest advice.
Most Comments (Runner Up)
You also showed up in force to support me in the comments of my coming out post. I noticed a few people disappeared after this, but the love outweighed the silence.
Most Views
Apparently controversy gets clicks. This post had over 1k views and would have had loads of comments I’m sure if I hadn’t turned them off. More clicks also resulted in the most new subscribers.
Please stop calling yourself an HSP. 😫
Ok, deep breath. I needed to pull you in with the caption, but I’m sorry if I’ve flared up your nervous system. Let’s start over. I’m mindful that I’m addressing sensitive humans. You might find it hard to change your mind because it means admitting that you’re wrong. I get it. I’ve felt that way too.
Most Views (Runner Up)
It seems the second best way to get engagement is to host a collaborative project. The open call for my Entwined anthology was my second biggest Substack post and my highest on Instagram.
You are a writer even when you need sleep more than morning pages. 😴
When I was a new mum I knew that I needed art. But I didn’t quite understand why. (Not like I do now.) It’s incredibly hard to make art as a new parent because of all the time and energy that goes into keeping a tiny human alive. But I expected this. So I had a plan.
Your Favorite Podcast
I don’t seem to have the bandwidth to podcast regularly, but I’m so glad
and I carved out time to chat last year.Morgan Harper Nichols on Creativity as Communication 🎨 Ep. 003
I’m back from my podcasting hiatus and so excited to share this episode with autistic artist & poet Morgan Harper Nichols. We talk about creativity and its intersection with neurodivergence. It was such a great chat I completely forgot we were podcasting because Morgan was such a joy to talk to. Join us as we geek out about the things we love and our shared experiences.
My Favorite Posts
I thought I’d also include some of my favorite posts that flew under the radar this year.
For example, this follow up to “going viral” about artistic style and how that varies from branding.
A brand is a can of soup. 🥫
Hello everyone! I’ve been blown away by your response to I’m Not a Brand I’m a Human 🫀. You’ve written so many amazing comments and emails I haven’t even managed to reply to you all yet. But I will! I see you and I’m so glad to hear from you. My branding post seems to have really struck a nerve. So many of us are feeling the same way!
If you subscribed to me after my HSP post you might be interested to listen to this podcast episode about sensory differences. Podcasting is a bit like shouting into the void so if you enjoyed this (or any other podcast episode) I’d love to know.
What is Sensory Modulation? 🌀 Ep. 002
Episode 0002 Today I’m so excited to announce that I am co-creating a picture book with friend and illustrator Gracie Klumpp. 🥳 This is the second episode of Neurodivergent Space Time. This is a little experiment in unmasked podcasting I started last month. If you missed the first episode you can listen
This year I stopped posting writing behind a paywall. (I have new plans of the paid tier that I’ll be announcing later this month.) Here’s a post I originally wrote for paid subscribers that is now completely unlocked. Hop in my TARDIS and come for a trip through for a decade of writing and sharing online.
10 Lessons from 10 Years of Blogging ✏️
I’m time blind so I only just realized that I’ve been blogging for 10 years. And I’ve been a resident of the internet for waaaaaaay longer than that. I really do see Substack as a return to blogging even if we’re calling it something different these days. My definition of blogging is writing and publishing long form content for an online audience. And th…
Now, I’d love to hear from you!
What are you excited about making or doing in the new year?
Cheers,
If you’re curious about my Choose Your Adventure format it was a big flop! I spent hours writing 3 separate posts and most people didn’t click through to anything. Of the three posts I wrote only one got any real engagement. My takeaway is that this format is fine for a round up or some bonus content, but if I really want people to read something it needs to be in the body of the main post.
I scrolled through Substack stats and typed everything into a spreadsheet, but I’ve signed up for Google Analytics to make this easier next year. (If you want to know the stats for your Substack without doing the gruntwork here’s how to set that up.)
"So instead of being driven by time, which is not real, I’m going to try something new. Posting when I have something I must share. And embracing the fact that frequency will vary." Yes, yes, yes! I'm trying to follow a similar flow. It's a work in progress, but it feels much better than forcing myself to follow a made-up schedule.
To me, you seem to manage to produce prolifically while also through genuine authenticity, which I hope is an encouragement. You're an inspiration, and I'm both jealous of and admiring your growth this past year. It's beautiful.