302 Comments
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Angie|BarkingBeagleDesigns's avatar

I'll be honest, I didn't. I worked my regular job and tended the home and special needs adult son and hubby. There's plenty of ideas but ran out of steam to write them..

Alyson Mosquera Dutemple's avatar

Hi, hi!

This week I wrote about my love for love radio, even, especially, when DJ’s make mistakes on air. Plus Frida Kahlo and me doing my best Bruce Springsteen impersonation. I’m from NJ, I’ve been working on it for years 😂

https://alysonmosqueradutemple.substack.com/p/i-really-do-heart-radio?r=92y81&utm_medium=ios

Denise Cruz-Castino's avatar

Hi! Love this! I have been writing about loss, my mom recently passed, about parenting, about finding jobs, about writing, because well, writing. So many life things! Here's my latest one about parenting: https://denisecruzcastinowriter.substack.com/p/the-one-thing-many-parents-get-wrong?r=55wb6a

Look forward to connecting with other writers!

Susan Telford's avatar

Hi everyone and a heartfelt thank you. During the 5 day Notes challenge I wrote this Note about the changes in my life, my work and me since my burnout in 2016 and how the words "slowing down to the speed of grace " became my modus operandi, as well as my publication name! It has absolutely blown up and I have had more than 100 new subscribers this week. Thanks to Erica whose feedback really improved the Note, including a before and after photo was her suggestion and to everyone who commented, liked and restacked, and of course to Jessica for offering the Challenge and this community! After 3 years on Substack it has been BY FAR my most viewed Note and has had over 6000 impressions - I would call that viral!! 😀

https://substack.com/@susantelford/note/c-275056626

Denise Cruz-Castino's avatar

Hi Susan, I'm curious since I'm new here, what does it mean to write a note? I've only been writing articles.

Susan Telford's avatar

Hi Denise, so it's short form writing, like social media on Substack. Here is an article on how to get started. It was the missing piece for me and I was aways a bit half-assed about Notes! have learned better now! https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/14564821756308-Getting-started-on-Substack-Notes

Denise Cruz-Castino's avatar

Oh thanks so much for sharing! Appreciate the help. I feel like all thumbs on here at the moment lol

Unlearning Became Unleashing's avatar

Hey y’all! My Substack is a space for dismantling everything we were handed and building something real instead. Here’s my unlearning post for this week https://substack.com/@unleashingzizzy/note/c-279626414?r=5jaqyq&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

Great to be here and connect with all of you! ❤️

Erica Lucast Stonestreet's avatar

That was a powerful piece. I have a friend who has a stalker, and I've heard a lot of the same things. I hope he eventually stops. You deserve that peace.

Mid-life in Medellín's avatar

Thank you so much. You can be standing in a room of women and you only need to reach out you hand and you will touch someone affected by a form of violence at the hands of a man. It really is the epidemic we need to talk about more.

Quiet Alchemy Space's avatar

Hi, I’m Kerri. I write about midlife as a transition and space to evolve with our changing minds and bodies into our next selves. I’ve developed a photo journal process with prompt series to help us discern what steps can get us there. This week, though, I revised and posted my article introducing a framework behind that method that anchors it and shows that evolution process. It started with my daughter’s bad haircut (quintessential teen experience). https://substack.com/@kerrifair/note/c-279086572?r=2i1azo&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

Mary Braun Bates, MD's avatar

Good morning! I'm Mary and I write auto fiction that is heavy on medical fact about being a primary care physician in small town New Hampshire.

Here's my latest: https://marybraunbates.substack.com/p/spotting-chest-pain

Denise Cruz-Castino's avatar

Sounds lovely! Can't wait to read more. My son went to boarding school in New Hampshire. It's so gorgeous there!

Mary Braun Bates, MD's avatar

NH is so beautiful. Which one? I lived in the town with PEA for 20 years and took care of people who worked at many of the other ones.

Denise Cruz-Castino's avatar

He went to New Hampton for hockey. I wrote a little bit about him going to boarding school in my latest post if you want to read it: https://substack.com/@denisecruzcastinowriter/note/c-279467495?r=55wb6a&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web

Victoria's avatar

I highly recommend Mary's articles for her storytelling (her characters are patient amalgams), and her translation of medical conditions/issues. You'll be wanting her as your PCP after reading them

Mary Braun Bates, MD's avatar

Aw, thanks, Victoria!

Human Threads's avatar

Hello, I'm Louise. I write a mix of things: poetry of my cancer journey, reflections about writing my debut novel (a Hugenout historical fiction) and about how migration has shaped us.

This week an oak leaf inspired a poem about family & trees 🍃 🌳

https://substack.com/@louiseprinjha/note/p-202553316?r=35xgwa

Death Project's avatar

HI all - I'm grateful for this space to share and get to know others! I write about starting over, in-between spaces, elder care, and intimacy. This week's post was heavier than most, about a shooting in my neighborhood and how to process the "normalcy" of violence (also: potted herbs and a new mop...) I was hesitant to post it for all kinds of reasons, but it was on my mind so I decided to share. Thanks for reading: https://deathproject.substack.com/p/how-do-we-live-next-door-to-the-brutal?r=6zi0b4

Rachael Wolff's avatar

Hi, I'm Rachael. I've been writing for about ten years now because I just can't stop. My latest book was just released in April, but I had gotten a little burnt out from the social media grind. I came to Substack and my writing spark came back. I'm so grateful for the community I'm finding here. So much inspiration. The piece I wrote this week was actually sparked by a friend who was worrying about me, so the title is what I told her. https://fromalovingplace.substack.com/p/im-only-ever-somewhere-until-im-not?r=8cesfg

Mischa TRY's avatar

Hi all — I'm Mischa, and I write The Recalibration Years.

It's about navigating the convergence that hits so many of us in midlife — career, health, identity, ageing parents, growing kids, and now AI reshaping what work even looks like, often all at once.

This week I shared the next piece in a series called "Y: Your Next Move" — the part of the framework that asks the harder question. Not "what's wrong?" but "what's next?" This particular piece is about where to even start when you know something needs to change but you're not sure what yet.

https://mischatherecalibrationyears.substack.com/p/y-your-next-move

Looking forward to reading what everyone else has been working on this week. 🤍

Mischa TRY's avatar

Thank you - I love the work you are doing too … I can already think of a couple of people I know who could benefit from reading your articles!

Death Project's avatar

th;anks for your post! I'm in between so many things, it's hard to know where I am sometimes, let alone what is next. I write a lot about caregiving and elder care and liminal spaces.

Mischa TRY's avatar

Thank you so much 😊 I can empathise with you after looking after my elderly parents, and the aftermath when one of them dies and the one left doesn’t want to be here anymore 😔 It’s a hard space to operate in - so please look after yourself too!

Stephanie Dolmat's avatar

Stephanie of the Sea Witch Diaries here -- I write about feminine leadership on the water, adventures on a sailboat in the South Pacific (with a little dose of smut in there!), desire in all its forms, and imagining different futures.

I published my second piece for my Substack this week about the weighted, old school word "adornment" and why this word has felt so vital to me in my post-divorce era. https://seawitchdiaries.substack.com/p/a-weighted-and-old-school-word

Go Your Own Way's avatar

Elizabeth here (I need to update my name).

8 years ago I sold my home, stored my belongings and slowly became myself again without the roles of mother/employee/wife/grandmother/sister/daughter. Along the way I learned that the women in my family had been bold throughout generations for various reasons.

My great grandmother divorced in the early 1900s!

Writing helps me process my journey and theirs! And hopefully my writing will be someone else's survival guide.

This week's essay was about the universe making sure I heard the message about moving on.

https://substack.com/@qemartin/note/c-275133298

Stephanie Dolmat's avatar

Ooh I've been thinking about both my Babcia (my grandmother) and my mom being divorced too, in my own post-divorce era! Can't wait to read yourss.

Gabriella Espinosa's avatar

Hello everyone! I am Gabriella, podcast host and writer for Pleasure in the Pause, a space where I explore midlife women’s health, sexuality and identity. Inspired by Mireille Silcoff’s recent NYT piece on midlife & invisibility, I published this piece about aging, visibility and the story we get to hand back. Thank you for taking the time to read it! https://gabriellaespinosa.substack.com/p/the-prescription-i-didnt-take?r=1lvttg&utm_medium=ios

Death Project's avatar

Such a great piece - thank you! I am in my mid fifties and got laid off last September - what a gift! I've been road-tripping, exploring, and creating my own rules. My sons just told me how inspired they are by my starting over now. Looking forward to more (I just subscribed)

Gabriella Espinosa's avatar

Thank you for reading my essay! Being visible to yourself first is the key and you’re doing it!

M.J. Schwartz's avatar

Hi, I'm M.J.! This week I wrote about a few mindful writing practices I employ. I shared them because 1. I use them all the time and find them so useful and 2. I have a mindful writing workshop coming up in July.

https://imperfectpeople.substack.com/p/on-writing-mindfully?r=1spl7n