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
Names shared with gratitude. If you prefer not to be listed, tell me and I’ll update.
Read Next → Connections
These pieces come from the work of mending and reigniting, healing from trauma, finding tenderness again, and holding on to the wild, sacred fire that survives every storm.
If my work here speaks to you and you’d like to support it:
– Buy me a coffee – a small boost for the human behind the words.
– Feed the kitties – cover a day’s meals for the colony of feral and free-roamers I care for, and you’ll get my Whiskers in the Dark mini-zine as a thank-you.
Every like, comment, referral, and recommendation helps my work get seen. I appreciate honest engagement and connection. If something here moved you, share it.
If this lit a spark, subscribe free so the next ember finds you. Upgrade for full access to my archive and a deeper dive.
Lost in the fire? Head to the Welcome Page
Liora, that means the world. I only ever hoped to spark a few ideas - but what’s grown here is so much bigger than me. Your words, your presence, the way you lift others up - that’s what makes this community real. Thank you for opening your borders and letting us in. I’m grateful to be on this journey with you.
I’ve always been a community seeker and this resonates with me. As a new substack member, I am grateful for the handful of people who have been receptive to my stories. You are one of them and this post is encouraging. Thanks!