Julia, this was a really wonderful piece, I think it was what I needed to read right now. You're so right about that shift from comment threads to Notes, and something is really lost in this transfer. I begrudgingly started to use Notes several months ago, because I liked the idea of using it to share pieces that I enjoyed (especially from smaller substackers), but at a certain point the line between 'sharing' and 'promoting' really felt to blur. We're hardwired to looks at the likes and the growth and think 'ooooh, this is good', but it's really not the reason I started writing here. It's so easy to start engaging with these platforms from a good place, but then fall into traps of engaging with them in the ways we don't want to.
But anyways, I'm thankful for you and your writing! This piece made me rethink how I engage on Substack, and what I want out of it. Thank you!
Thank you. It feels uncomfortable to criticize Notes when I also use it (and indeed, may post excerpts from this piece there later today). I recently deleted the Substack app from my phone because it was starting to feel too much like social media, and now feel even more adrift. The bottom line is, I am having less fun on here these days, and feel more drained/less inspired. This seemed like a necessary thing to voice, though it scared me to hit publish. I'm glad the words resonated--perhaps there is a future on here that will bring back what I once felt. I'm optimistic it's possible :)
I know I haven't kept up with vessels in the past month but that doesn't mean you can just up and leave! Stay and GROW! (lol when I came across that word in your post, it sounded like a distorted sound effect from the 80s where some dude screams GROW at the press of a key)
I'm trying my best not to 'learn' how to use Substack bc it was never meant to be a tool of growth, but rather a medium for my words. I think you share that sentiment, and I don't think we're alone in feeling so.
Ha! I like that. I like all of this. Thanks, rish. I've been experiencing a bit of burnout and I think possibly misplaced some of that to not having "fun" on the internet for a bit. I'm starting to come out of it and am very happy we are / this is / I am still here :)
I'm loving being on Substack but I'm lonely for my life in traditional bookstores. I'm lonely for the return to stage performance—to rooms where I can see people's eyes.
Thanks for sharing. I’m reading next weekend at Anchorage’s Zine Fair and am both terrified and a little excited for that in-person energy… any tips? (Haven’t picked what I’m reading yet but it will either be a poem or flash fiction)
Perform your piece and record it. Then listen and highlight in red the words that you're stressing. You're very likely reading in the standard ubiquitous literary sing-song rhythm. Then yellow highlight some nouns and verbs that you haven't red-highlighted. Read and record but empathize the yellow highlighted words this time. Listen to it again and you're gonna hear a very different rhythm. It's gonna make you uncomfortable to read and listen to it. But embrace that different rhythms. Practice over and over, playing with the yellow and red highlighted words until you find a mix of that is new to you.
Julia, this was a really wonderful piece, I think it was what I needed to read right now. You're so right about that shift from comment threads to Notes, and something is really lost in this transfer. I begrudgingly started to use Notes several months ago, because I liked the idea of using it to share pieces that I enjoyed (especially from smaller substackers), but at a certain point the line between 'sharing' and 'promoting' really felt to blur. We're hardwired to looks at the likes and the growth and think 'ooooh, this is good', but it's really not the reason I started writing here. It's so easy to start engaging with these platforms from a good place, but then fall into traps of engaging with them in the ways we don't want to.
But anyways, I'm thankful for you and your writing! This piece made me rethink how I engage on Substack, and what I want out of it. Thank you!
Thank you. It feels uncomfortable to criticize Notes when I also use it (and indeed, may post excerpts from this piece there later today). I recently deleted the Substack app from my phone because it was starting to feel too much like social media, and now feel even more adrift. The bottom line is, I am having less fun on here these days, and feel more drained/less inspired. This seemed like a necessary thing to voice, though it scared me to hit publish. I'm glad the words resonated--perhaps there is a future on here that will bring back what I once felt. I'm optimistic it's possible :)
I, for one, hope you don't leave. ❤️
Thanks Jenna. I don't plan to! I just want to find ways to make it fun again
I know I haven't kept up with vessels in the past month but that doesn't mean you can just up and leave! Stay and GROW! (lol when I came across that word in your post, it sounded like a distorted sound effect from the 80s where some dude screams GROW at the press of a key)
I'm trying my best not to 'learn' how to use Substack bc it was never meant to be a tool of growth, but rather a medium for my words. I think you share that sentiment, and I don't think we're alone in feeling so.
Ha! I like that. I like all of this. Thanks, rish. I've been experiencing a bit of burnout and I think possibly misplaced some of that to not having "fun" on the internet for a bit. I'm starting to come out of it and am very happy we are / this is / I am still here :)
I'm loving being on Substack but I'm lonely for my life in traditional bookstores. I'm lonely for the return to stage performance—to rooms where I can see people's eyes.
Thanks for sharing. I’m reading next weekend at Anchorage’s Zine Fair and am both terrified and a little excited for that in-person energy… any tips? (Haven’t picked what I’m reading yet but it will either be a poem or flash fiction)
Perform your piece and record it. Then listen and highlight in red the words that you're stressing. You're very likely reading in the standard ubiquitous literary sing-song rhythm. Then yellow highlight some nouns and verbs that you haven't red-highlighted. Read and record but empathize the yellow highlighted words this time. Listen to it again and you're gonna hear a very different rhythm. It's gonna make you uncomfortable to read and listen to it. But embrace that different rhythms. Practice over and over, playing with the yellow and red highlighted words until you find a mix of that is new to you.
Wow, this is wild! I love it, thank you. Mind opening