i love everything you write and i was thinking about this a few days ago. i have way less suscribers and way less essays since i'm new to writing over this corner of the internet but still, the only one that has gained a lot of interaction was the one where i talked about grief and how it can hit on normal days too. i was surprised by the reactions but i started to wonder if i had to write about sad, and personal stuff in order for it to be good. thank you for proving that it can be good if we write about the happier moments too ❤️
I relate to this so much!! I always worry that once I write about all the bad things, I'll have nothing else left to write about, but I'm trying to focus now on writing more from a place of fulfillment, writing about all the good in my life too. It's a hard adjustment, but it's been a fun challenge!
p.s. I read the first paragraph and freaked out bc I thought you moved out of DC. Was relieved when I realized it was a flashback haha!!!
Yes! I had an anonymous blog once with tens of thousands of followers before people even followed blogs. It was because I anonymously wrote abut the horrors of my divorce. Now the divorce is long over, and I don't want to write about it here on my partially semi-anonymous blog, and I'm having issues finding what to write about. Happy is harder. it just doesn't flow.
omg lol the way i have “is writing only for sad people?” in my drafts rn. synchronicity is scary. anyway, its not, on both fronts. you’ll keep on writing and creating beautiful art, because that’s what you’re meant to do. have you ever done the artists way?
wait stop i love this for us.. the brain link is active 🙂↕️🤍 writing doesn’t have to be sad and we aren’t defined by our sadness. i’m actually planning on starting the artists way very soon (even though it scares me a little but i’m excited to challenge myself)
One of the reasons I haven't been frequent with writing on my substack because I'm always held back by the nagging question in my head: “Why can't you write about happy stuff?”
Meanwhile, my journal is bursting at its seams because I write uninhibited there (mostly melancholic tbh)
I haven't found an answer or even a way to navigate between writing to evoke feeling(s)/build a connection based on shared feelings/ make sense of the whole human experience as I go through it but it feels good to read a piece like this and know that I'm not alone.
This is beautiful. It doesn't help that we glorify the Tortured Artist - Van Gogh, Plath, Picasso. I've often felt like I had to trade my wellbeing for intellectual glory. But it's not sustainable and it's not worth it. I could go on but I won't... thank you for sharing <3
ugh. i feel you. i associate writing with a time i was very depressed and lost and now that i’m better i find that writing is so much more difficult. when it’s not about me it takes longer, i need to do research, fact check, make sure i’m not making arguments pulled out of my ass, and yet… i find it way more rewarding. like i’m proving myself i can write things that aren’t about me or that aren’t depressing.
diaristic/confessional writing might come easier because it’s what got us attention with it shouldn’t stop us from trying other styles and formats.
yes!! i love this! i agree completely, i feel like doing the longer form, more researched pieces have been something of a solace. they’re such a great way to keep writing and to push myself in a different direction 🤍🤍
I really resonate with this. I often feel that my best work comes out of my worst moments, and it's hard to feel like I can make meaningful things when I'm in any other place. It's still something I'm working on. Thanks for putting this into words!
love this so much, I can relate to it a lot. I similarly started my substack when I was in a mentally dark place and writing gave me the outlet I needed. My most popular essays are about my pain, and as I’ve grown and healed over the years, I find myself lacking inspiration because I don’t have that heavy feeling in my chest pushing me to write. I even sometimes feel like I have nothing “profound” to say if it doesn’t include trauma lol. With Mother’s Day coming, there’s almost an expectation to write about my complicated relationship with my mother, but I don’t really feel the need to because I’d like to keep it more private. Trying to navigate writing a blog when what you’re most known for writing about is no longer what drives you is weird.
oof your last sentence hit me hard 🤍 this is such a weird thing, sharing our deepest feelings on the internet, and i’m hoping that we can all find a space to share what feels right for us without needing to be sad for content
Also I dunno what your previous pieces were about (I'm a fairly new reader, please don't judge me -- I'll get around to them sometime), but the reason I'm here is 'cause of the newer pieces. And so are other people, I'd wager. If anything, I'd take that as a seal of quality.
Btw, I really appreciate that you put Revenge Of The Sith on weekly faves lol
I loved reading this piece so much! I've been thinking and reflecting about these questions a lot, and I've been wanting to write something about it, especially since reading this book by a Spanish author called Rosa Montero (it's called "o perigo de estar lúcida", I'm not sure if there's an English translation for it). she talks a lot about how creativity and particularly writing is often intertwined with mental health and psychological struggles; it's a mix of her own experiences with biographical accounts from other writers and thinkers, and studies on psychology, neuroscience, etc. in the book she reflects about how depression, sadness, trauma, anxiety, existential anguish and so on can fuel artistic expression, but also lead to emotional turmoil. I found the whole thing quite interesting, but also unsettling and frustrating. it made me question if in order to be a good writer, you have to be sad and miserable all the time. in my head there was this idea that trauma and pain were the key to good writing, that we have to suffer in order to be considered good writers and have our work seen as something valid. as if happiness and fulfillment and enjoyment don't have their place in creative work. anyway, the more I think about it, the more I want to reject this idea and this narrative. and this piece you wrote just proves the point that good writing can happen in the good moments too!
i love everything you write and i was thinking about this a few days ago. i have way less suscribers and way less essays since i'm new to writing over this corner of the internet but still, the only one that has gained a lot of interaction was the one where i talked about grief and how it can hit on normal days too. i was surprised by the reactions but i started to wonder if i had to write about sad, and personal stuff in order for it to be good. thank you for proving that it can be good if we write about the happier moments too ❤️
thank you for sharing this!! it’s such a complicated feeling, isn’t it?
I relate to this so much!! I always worry that once I write about all the bad things, I'll have nothing else left to write about, but I'm trying to focus now on writing more from a place of fulfillment, writing about all the good in my life too. It's a hard adjustment, but it's been a fun challenge!
p.s. I read the first paragraph and freaked out bc I thought you moved out of DC. Was relieved when I realized it was a flashback haha!!!
it is such a challenge, and you’re right, definitely a fun one! LOL i’m still in DC, this city can’t get rid of me 💘
Thank goodness!
Yes! I had an anonymous blog once with tens of thousands of followers before people even followed blogs. It was because I anonymously wrote abut the horrors of my divorce. Now the divorce is long over, and I don't want to write about it here on my partially semi-anonymous blog, and I'm having issues finding what to write about. Happy is harder. it just doesn't flow.
omg lol the way i have “is writing only for sad people?” in my drafts rn. synchronicity is scary. anyway, its not, on both fronts. you’ll keep on writing and creating beautiful art, because that’s what you’re meant to do. have you ever done the artists way?
wait stop i love this for us.. the brain link is active 🙂↕️🤍 writing doesn’t have to be sad and we aren’t defined by our sadness. i’m actually planning on starting the artists way very soon (even though it scares me a little but i’m excited to challenge myself)
sarah i love u so much i know i already told you but this resonated so much with me and i am so glad you wrote this. thank you ♥️
i love u like crazy, thank you for always reading my little things
wow, i loved this piece sarah <3
One of the reasons I haven't been frequent with writing on my substack because I'm always held back by the nagging question in my head: “Why can't you write about happy stuff?”
Meanwhile, my journal is bursting at its seams because I write uninhibited there (mostly melancholic tbh)
I haven't found an answer or even a way to navigate between writing to evoke feeling(s)/build a connection based on shared feelings/ make sense of the whole human experience as I go through it but it feels good to read a piece like this and know that I'm not alone.
This is beautiful. It doesn't help that we glorify the Tortured Artist - Van Gogh, Plath, Picasso. I've often felt like I had to trade my wellbeing for intellectual glory. But it's not sustainable and it's not worth it. I could go on but I won't... thank you for sharing <3
ugh. i feel you. i associate writing with a time i was very depressed and lost and now that i’m better i find that writing is so much more difficult. when it’s not about me it takes longer, i need to do research, fact check, make sure i’m not making arguments pulled out of my ass, and yet… i find it way more rewarding. like i’m proving myself i can write things that aren’t about me or that aren’t depressing.
diaristic/confessional writing might come easier because it’s what got us attention with it shouldn’t stop us from trying other styles and formats.
yes!! i love this! i agree completely, i feel like doing the longer form, more researched pieces have been something of a solace. they’re such a great way to keep writing and to push myself in a different direction 🤍🤍
oh my god i relate to this so hard you have no idea
our brains are just linked like that 🤍🙂↕️
I really resonate with this. I often feel that my best work comes out of my worst moments, and it's hard to feel like I can make meaningful things when I'm in any other place. It's still something I'm working on. Thanks for putting this into words!
thank you so much for reading!
love this so much, I can relate to it a lot. I similarly started my substack when I was in a mentally dark place and writing gave me the outlet I needed. My most popular essays are about my pain, and as I’ve grown and healed over the years, I find myself lacking inspiration because I don’t have that heavy feeling in my chest pushing me to write. I even sometimes feel like I have nothing “profound” to say if it doesn’t include trauma lol. With Mother’s Day coming, there’s almost an expectation to write about my complicated relationship with my mother, but I don’t really feel the need to because I’d like to keep it more private. Trying to navigate writing a blog when what you’re most known for writing about is no longer what drives you is weird.
oof your last sentence hit me hard 🤍 this is such a weird thing, sharing our deepest feelings on the internet, and i’m hoping that we can all find a space to share what feels right for us without needing to be sad for content
I feel this
From the GOAT himself:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UljZmbgK_sI
Also I dunno what your previous pieces were about (I'm a fairly new reader, please don't judge me -- I'll get around to them sometime), but the reason I'm here is 'cause of the newer pieces. And so are other people, I'd wager. If anything, I'd take that as a seal of quality.
Btw, I really appreciate that you put Revenge Of The Sith on weekly faves lol
wow, i needed this. thank you ♥️
I loved reading this piece so much! I've been thinking and reflecting about these questions a lot, and I've been wanting to write something about it, especially since reading this book by a Spanish author called Rosa Montero (it's called "o perigo de estar lúcida", I'm not sure if there's an English translation for it). she talks a lot about how creativity and particularly writing is often intertwined with mental health and psychological struggles; it's a mix of her own experiences with biographical accounts from other writers and thinkers, and studies on psychology, neuroscience, etc. in the book she reflects about how depression, sadness, trauma, anxiety, existential anguish and so on can fuel artistic expression, but also lead to emotional turmoil. I found the whole thing quite interesting, but also unsettling and frustrating. it made me question if in order to be a good writer, you have to be sad and miserable all the time. in my head there was this idea that trauma and pain were the key to good writing, that we have to suffer in order to be considered good writers and have our work seen as something valid. as if happiness and fulfillment and enjoyment don't have their place in creative work. anyway, the more I think about it, the more I want to reject this idea and this narrative. and this piece you wrote just proves the point that good writing can happen in the good moments too!