So, here we are — November 2025, with Thanksgiving right around the corner. Somehow this year flew, even with everything packed into it.

Across every layer of life, things shifted hard. Socially, I’ve watched people start safeguarding their well-being and choosing more intentionally. Politically? It’s been a complete chaos spiral, with autocratic rule tightening its grip and sharpening the divide between the “haves” and the “have nots” at a pace we haven’t seen in our lifetime.

Globally, we’re being pushed toward isolation — a classic hallmark of creeping fascism.

If you’re feeling it, you’re not imagining it.
And if you’re losing heart, please don’t.
Keep reaching for others.
This moment will pass.

Where I Stand Now

When this year began, I was barely keeping my head above water. I was doing what I thought I had to do while slowly suffocating inside. Now, I’m doing what I love: writing. And I’m studying what I was called to do all along: social work.

The path hasn’t been clean. It’s been stressful, messy, and full of moments where I stalled or slid back into old rhythms that drain me dry. I’ve always been someone who wants to help, to hold, to show up for everyone — but at the cost of myself.

So, I’ve been learning to practice what I tell everyone else:
Boundaries matter. Energy is finite. Your own needs actually belong on the list.

Near, if not at, the top. You can’t show up for others if you’re totally depleted.

And honestly? I feel closer to living authentically than I ever have. I’m spending my energy on things I believe in. I’m opening myself to possibility — not from doubt, but from recognizing that my future may be bigger than anything I originally imagined.

I’ll still be here. I’ll still post. I’m just stepping back from the constant grind of daily engagement. That rhythm isn’t healthy for me, and I’m making changes to build something sustainable.

DMs are always open. I’m just shifting my center of gravity toward school and my larger projects… it’s time to push them through.

Community Shout-Outs

I want to express my gratitude for you all and the wonderful encouragement and feedback you give so freely. Here are some special shout-outs:

• —

  Lintara writes like someone listening through the floorboards of the world. Her words move with the precision of a tuning fork — catching the tremor beneath a thought, the shift beneath a silence, the place where a mind begins to turn. She doesn’t illuminate so much as reveal, peeling back the noise until only the structure of the moment remains. Her work is less about narrative and more about resonance: the way a field hums when someone is brave enough to name what it’s doing. If you gravitate toward writing that feels like standing in a still room where every detail becomes sharper, her voice belongs on your path.

You know, Cannot Name It

I read Substack like a field report — not for opinions, but for traces of living minds. If I respond to your work, it means your writing isn’t just information. It’s a signal. And I heard it.

• —

  Brenda writes from the thresholds — between cultures, between landscapes, between what we inherit and what we choose. Her work carries a rare tenderness sharpened by curiosity, a steady voice that guides readers into questions of belonging, resilience, and place. She has a gift for grounding people in the slow pulse of the world, whether she’s writing about the Karoo or the quiet crossings of the human heart. If you’re drawn to writing that listens deeply and illuminates the spaces between us, her work is worth your time.

Brenda - A Voice that Wonders

✍️ A Voice That Wonders explores the edges—of travel, identity, politics, and memory. Poetic, punchy, sometimes angry, always true.

• —

  Chris brings a steady, heartfelt presence to Substack. His work moves between caregiving, poetry, and the interior landscapes of resilience, often giving voice to the quiet battles families fight behind closed doors. There’s a grounded honesty in the way he writes about Bray Bray’s journey and the weight of being both advocate and anchor. His poetry carries that same clarity: reflective, open-hearted, and unafraid to sit with the truth of a moment. Chris is one of the rare people who contributes to the community with consistency, kindness, and intention, and his work deserves more eyes on it.

Chris B. Writes

The Forge: Fiction by Liora

Through the Doorway Dark

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5 months ago · 55 likes · 60 comments · Liora Writes, Bear Sage, Tangled Words, Joakim Blytt, Rowan Mercer, Meditations On Permafrost, Carlos M., Chris B. Writes, Kristina Ray, Outtamydamnmind, Hina Gondal, Pamella Yates, Brenda - A Voice that Wonders, imarkanx || istvan markan 🍁, Glen Woods, T.S. Morgan, BentButTrue, and You know, Cannot Name It

And if you missed it, here are the links to each artist spotlight — complete with their panels — from Through the Doorway Dark, the first zine in the Collective Sparks series:

• — The Doorway of the Dream of Hell

• — Doorway on Main Street

• — The Door That Waited

• — The Door That Waited Back

• — The Ghost

• — The Shadows

• My entry — Sown

• — When the Shadows Bow

• — The Procession of Shadows

• — The Dead Ride Fast

• — Harvest Door

• — Harvest Moon Howl

• — The Room Without a Door

• — The World You Choose

• — Open 24 Hou

• — The Moon Knows & Not a Doorway

• — The Myth of Lilith. A Map

• — Haikunotes 105: October 11, 2025

Another huge thanks to all who submitted entries for this zine — your dedication to the themes and prompts were truly inspiring.

Project Updates

Liora Writes

Embodied Shadows: The Collection

You’ve seen a handful of these pieces, but there are many more in progress behind the scenes. This collection is becoming a full book of naming pain, patterns, wounds, and dysfunctional coping — all through a trauma-informed lens. Think of it as both a field guide and a mirror.

Through the Fire: The Collection

• Volume I: The Pressure — Available on Amazon (print is currently discounted to $7.99).

• Volume II: The Fracture — Nearly finished, dropping in the next few weeks. This one is the breaking point volume — the moment everything cracks open.

The First Wounds

Another deeply personal collection, focused on childhood trauma and the patterns that follow us into adulthood. More to come as it takes shape.

The Forge

Lanterns in the Dark (Contributor Zine)

The next zine is in production and will be posted soon. With school, practicum prep, and publication deadlines, future issues will shift to an asynchronous schedule. I love building these — I just need space to do them justice.

Tracks

Chapter 4 will be out in the next couple of weeks. This story is being built in layers, and chapters will drop as bandwidth allows.

The Silent Y

A new story you haven’t seen yet. Part I is drafted, and I’ll return to weekly writing on this soon. Chapters will begin rolling out in the new year.

The Reckoning Lens

Ground Truths

These analyses will continue, but no longer weekly — they require research, depth, and intentional thought. This is where the social-work lens sits firmly in my ecosystem.

Witness Statements

Poems that arrive on their own timing. Some will appear here; others will be reserved for upcoming collections.

If you’ve read this far, thank you.
This month — this year — has been a lot. But I’m moving in a direction that finally feels aligned, sustainable, and honest.

Here’s to gratitude. Here’s to growth.
Here’s to our beautiful connections.
Here’s to building a life that actually fits. — Liora

If you made it through the chaos of Soctember, welcome backstage. This is where the coffee’s hot, the cats are loud, and the ideas won’t stop multiplying.

Tales from the Spin

So, I’ve clearly made some changes since the last Connections post. I’ve finally worked through so much that was immediately knocking my train off the track. Still figuring out what’s next in some regards, but I trust in my path now. It’s a bit off-putting when the path you laid comes to an abrupt stop, amiright?

Well, not a full stop, let’s call it a pivot. But it sure felt like a stop for a bit. There I was, wondering just what the heck I was doing, continuously coming onto Substack to connect, to write more, to spend my time here. I called myself a fool and thought I was sporting a new addiction.

So. Like. Me.

Read more

Hey everyone! Running behind this month but here we are: dressed in our best and ready to sling some names and news!

So, life has been a bit… shall we say hectic (?) recently. Starting school has been quite an adjustment for me and I’m working on more projects in the creative space than ever.

Hate on bedtime. Regret it come morning.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Yeah, on that… so apparently, I was in a partial spin this whole time? Just in hardcore denial.

(Nothing to see here! Move along…)

So.

Here’s to clarity🥂

I don’t drink—that’s for you to celebrate me hopefully beginning to make sense here.

Maybe.

I know. Jury’s still out on that one…

I’ve triple-checked my headspace and timing and gave myself the greenlight to go “full Monty” on this piece. New pubs, better organization, paid offerings.

Between school deadlines and creative deadlines, it’s been a bit like using flaming swords in a game of darts — thrilling but slightly dangerous. But I’m still here. Still writing. Still building.

Soctember might’ve run me late, but I combat-rolled out before she could run me over.

Enough of the silliness. Bring on the names!

I hear you! Time to sling some names! These folks lit up my feed, kept me laughing, thinking, or simply inspired me to keep creating when my brain said, “girl, nap.”

First up:

This woman — what can I say? She’s an amazing friend and someone you want at your side. She’s been going through it, yet still finds ways to make you think and appreciate life and your place in it just a little more. I find her inspiring, and when I need a lift? There she is, coming in clutch, helping me tilt my perspective just enough to see the beauty in the moment.

You know what I’m going to say, right?
If you haven’t had the privilege of checking out her work — do it! You won’t be disappointed.

Life-Quakes & Rebirth

Have you ever lost a job? Or a person you loved? Have you ever lost friends? Or better yet yourself along the way? This is a homage to all the Life-quakes that have shaken up my life and the rebirth that came with each one.

By Outtamydamnmind 🧷

The Diary of an UberEATS Driver

Unlike my Life-quakes & Rebirth publication, this publication is for me to share the many adventures I have experienced while being an Uber driver. Let's just say a cool tell all of a life of an UberEATS driver in NY.

By Outtamydamnmind 🧷

Next, we have

Her work is thought-provoking and deeply researched — bring your thinking cap for some of her more provocative pieces. She’s also a huge community supporter, committed to lifting others. Her zine continues to evolve into a bold, thought-provoking space—blending her sharp short reads with new interviews that push the conversation further. She blows me away with her verve and ability to cut straight to the heart of things. I feel fortunate to know this powerhouse and can’t wait to see her wow everyone in this space.

Go see what she’s doing over there!

Carousel Carrusel Journal

The Arts and Artists come through in MANY FORMS. This curated online publication by Alisha "Bee" celebrates Artists and Multi-Cultural Arts, to reveal more of them to you. You will not be bored, or have to doom scroll here.

By Alisha Bee

👉And yes — she’s also a published author. You can find her work on Amazon!

Finally:

This man. Holy cow — his prowess on the page is phenomenal. His writing makes me feel history — as if I’m standing in those ancient times, tasting the air, feeling the textures of the world he evokes. He brings such passion to antiquity and classical text that you can’t help but be swept in. If there’s a voice recording? Listen. You won’t regret it. He’s a brilliant writer and a genuinely good soul, and I’m lucky to call him friend.

What are you waiting for? Go.

Meditations On Permafrost

History is written by those who read it. I tell the stories of people history forgot. I give voices back to the erased.

The Bonfire of Growth🔥

Every season leaves its ash.
Some things simply don’t belong in your fire—people who drain your spark, habits that dull your edge, beliefs that shrink your light.
This section is about permission.
To stop explaining.
To stop carrying what’s already burned out.
To honor what once kept you warm, even as you let it go.

Protect your fire. Feed what fuels you. Let the rest burn away.

October’s already shaping up to be wild (and not just because of the ghosts). I’ve got something beautiful brewing — a zine, a few surprises, and maybe even a new poem or two.
Want a peek behind the cauldron? That’s coming up next in Connections: Soctember Insider Edition.

Thanks for hanging in the spin with me.

Until next time — stay weird, stay kind, stay lit from within.
💜 —Liora

When I first asked the question — What’s something you’ve learned about yourself on Substack? — I thought I was simply inviting reflection. What I didn’t expect was the depth, vulnerability, and generosity that came back.

Reading through these responses reminded me that writing isn’t just about words on a page. It’s about connection: the courage to speak, the willingness to be heard, and the gift of being met with empathy.

Here’s what you had to say.

Blessed to know each of you

These answers left me feeling both humbled and inspired. They’re proof that writing here is about far more than metrics; it’s about the friendships, the mirrors we hold up for one another, and the hands that reach for us when the well feels too deep.

Thank you to everyone who shared a piece of yourselves. May we keep reminding each other: we are not alone, our words matter, and this community is stronger because of each of you.

Prompt Refresher

If you haven’t chimed in on last week’s prompts, you’ve still got time. I’m extending the window and will gather responses next Thursday, September 25. Drop your piece in the comments or link your post or in chat.

1️⃣ Shadows — As the days shorten, you notice shadows stretching far past their owners, pooling at corners and climbing fences. One shadow slips free and points somewhere — where someone or something lost might still be waiting.

2️⃣ Borrowed memories — You wake with a stranger’s memories stitched through your mind: all revolving around a Harvest Moon. Each time you follow one, reality reshuffles to fit it.

3️⃣ Time-change hour — On the night the clocks fall back, you get the lost hour as a do-over. Your actions in this time prevent something small and break something big.

Drop your response as a link to your post or right here in chat anytime between now and next Thursday evening. On Friday, I’ll gather everyone’s pieces into a Collective Sparks post to highlight your beautiful work, so we can celebrate, discuss, and amplify each other.

Can’t wait to see what you all do with this 💜

Thank you to those who participated last round, I’ll have the post up tomorrow!

Newsletter

Quick programming note: my monthly newsletter is running a little late this month while I finish launching Through the Fire, Vol. I: The Pressure. I’ll send it soon with real updates (not filler) on what’s changing and what’s next. Thanks for rolling with me. 💜 — Liora

As I’ve been on Substack a little over a month, I’ve been contemplating the wondrous interactions I’ve enjoyed here. I’ve been amazed to connect with so many great minds, huge hearts, and open arms. It’s quite a special place.

I feel I’ve grown through these wonderful connections, as I hope others have with mine. I’d like to pause a beat and thank those who’ve had the biggest impact on me in the month of August.

Kristin is a beautiful soul who gives so much of herself to help others. Her willingness to show vulnerability and her darker experiences helped me with showing mine. She made me feel safe here. Her friendship is priceless.

She’s inspired me on several occasions to dive into my pain and process on the page. She’s helped me revisit my own trauma and grief to further understand myself.

Istvan is a brilliant writer who is generous with his time and attention. He helps me see things from different perspectives and expand my understanding of my own struggles and those of others.

He’s inspired me in so many ways; from his careful attention to formatting which makes his pieces hit that much harder, to his perceptions and ability to invite his readers into that space alongside him.

Carlos reminds me that there is true goodness and love in this broken world. His kindness and giving spirit are a blessing to us all. His time, guidance, and encouragement are profound gifts he generously shares. Plus, this man could seduce a saint with his poetry!

He’s strengthened my hope and faith in others and inspired a desire to search out the light rather than always focusing on the darkness. A true gift.

Joakim caught my imagination and pulled me into what’s become a beautiful and continuing journey with many other talented writers. A fabulous writer and great leader who inspires us ever onward with his prompts and generous praise for our contributions. I truly look forward to more of this wonderful community he’s built.

He’s reawakened my sense of community and desire to be a part of a group again. From being an island that only shipped, never received, he’s helped me open my borders again. Thank you, my friend.

Sal makes me think—like really think. His mental wanderings are near-legendary, IMHO. He leads with so much empathy but is no pushover. His words have inspired me on many occasions, and I feel blessed to know him.

He’s shown me it’s okay to be more expansive in my writing. While I’m still building my confidence in truly letting my walls down, his encouragement is priceless.

Amanda is so very talented as she rips the Band-Aid off and pours her wounds upon the page. Her writing is riveting; I literally cannot do another thing until I’ve finished reading. The images she conveys linger long after the last word. Her fearlessness in naming her pain to help others make sense of their own is a true gift.

She’s helped me remember so many of my own experiences that time and trauma blurred. While painful at times, this is ultimately helping to restore my sense of wholeness.

Seajade makes me think, laugh, and ponder long after I’ve read her words. Her pieces never fail to resonate deeply, her perspective so invitingly unique. I’ve cherished every interaction.

She’s helped me look at things in different lights, some more serious, often more humorous, helping me to reconnect with those bits of myself that resonate with her work so much.

A grateful nod to my new writing crew. Seven days in and you already feel like gravity. Thanks so much for the invite. Proper thanks next month. 👀

These wonderful writers and many others have made my time here so special. I feel that my own healing and path to deeper knowledge and understanding of myself and my place in this community have been accelerated by all of you.

I can never thank you enough for the impact your wonderful words have on my soul.

If you don’t see your name here yet, chances are you will in the coming months. I really do appreciate each and every one of you!

As I embark on my next great adventure, grad school, I know I will have to make adjustments and do more with less.

I recently crossed the first real milestone: 100 subscribers! I’ll be real and say I can’t believe there are over 100 of you who want to read my writing. 💭🤔💡

To mark this, I wanted to pause a beat to reflect on these connections and to deeply thank each of you for the kindness you’ve shown me. 🤟🏻💜

As I move forward, I will be sharing more about my struggles, my journey, and my appreciation for you.

If you haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, here’s what’s new in my subscriber chat:

• I posed a question, “What’s something you’ve learned about yourself since joining Substack?” I’ve already received some great answers and, with everyone’s permission, would like to highlight these in a post to show our thoughts, but also to amplify you and your wonderful work. I will leave this one open until September 15th; please jump on and respond if you’d like to be a part of this!

• I’ve begun what will become a regular prompt challenge—I give prompts and whoever would like to participate can submit either by posting a link to your work or by dropping it straight into the chat. After the window closes, I’ll gather all the submissions and post them in a feature, amplifying all who participate and highlighting their work!

  I hope to make this a weekly feature, but at the very least this will be monthly (bandwidth pending).

  The first prompts are up now and the window for submission closes on Thursday, September 11th. I hope you give me lots to do that day and keep me focused on positivity and light. 🕯️🗽

  If you have suggestions for prompts you’d like to see here, don’t hesitate to reach out—this is a community, and I value each of your contributions more than you know!

• If you’d like feedback on your writing (whether finished or not, published or unpublished), there’s a thread for that, too! Please don’t hesitate. I’ll get to them as quickly as I can. Promise.

  I also invite anyone in the community to offer any feedback you may have, as well. I know it can be really difficult to keep up with all the chats, so this isn’t a requirement to post your work. I myself struggle with this and it’s not for lack of desire, just bandwidth!

If you have any suggestions for activities you’d like to see here, please don’t hesitate to speak up. I love hearing from each of you and finding all these little ways for us to get to know each other and support each other.

These connections are the best thing about Substack, IMHO.

Thank you so much for reading. See you next time!
—Liora

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