#2 - Optimism, spring books, how educators are struggling and the good side of self-doubt
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#2 - Optimism, spring books, how educators are struggling and the good side of self-doubt
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Hey there, glad to have you here.
If you’re new here, this is The Substacker, the best of the indie side of Substack, hand-picked every week. It encompasses news, art, science, books, movies, and all other forms of inspiring ramblings common to Substack.
The articles presented here are all free to read, so enjoy.
Writing optimistic fiction at the end of the world
Finding reasons to be cheerful
I remember the 90s being a safe decade full of growth, entertainment and exciting prospects. I was a teenager in the UK, and everything seemed to be getting better. Tech was still cool and the internet was just emerging as something genuinely brilliant. It felt like the world was heading in the right direction in terms of equality, albeit still very slowly. Societies were becoming more secular, with conflict over religion of all things seeming like a relic of the past. I thought we were on track for our Star Trek utopian future.
Rethinking indigeneity
When a word doesn’t mean what you think it means
For as long as I can remember, I’ve thought of indigenous as meaning native or original to a given area, whether talking about people or about flora and fauna. Turns out that for as long as I can remember, I’ve been wrong.
#61: Stubborn optimism
On finding motivation from a place of love, not fear
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been grappling with a bout of climate anxiety. Climate change is scary, and working in this space means that I think about it a lot. I get into a cycle that is hard to break: because climate change is so big and urgent, it can feel hard to justify self-care, which leads to burnout and pessimism. This ends up making the problem feel even more overwhelming. Perhaps this is familiar to you, too.
Education, Ergonomics and Exits
Hug your favourite teacher today
In the spirit of our Tag Der Arbeit long weekend, better known to some as Labour Day, it seems apt that I’ve recently been thinking a lot about my latest job transition and what I want for myself moving forward.
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. After working as an educator with young children for nearly four years, I decided to call it quits. I took some time off to figure out what I wanted to do next, and at the beginning of this month, I started my new role in a digital marketing agency.
Growing a Substack community is more than just a numbers game
How can we create space for meaningful connection and avoid the pressure of growth-at-all-costs?
Writing can quickly become a numbers game. We count words, comments, likes, shares, restacks, and - above all - subscriber numbers. In our era of hustle culture and grow-fast-or-you’re-a-failure pundits, subscribers can end up becoming just numbers too. But they’re much more than that - they’re people, our people. Every single subscriber is a valuable member of our community, a person who decided that we’re worthy of their time and a place in their inbox.
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Summer Reading Time
Put some of these May releases on your TBR for the summer
What a nice weekend I had; I hope your weekend was fun, relaxing, and productive—whatever that means for you in your life. I hurt my knee in early March, and it’s not improving. I’ve been to the doctor twice, and x-rays show no bone damage, so I started physical therapy yesterday, and hopefully, this will provide the solution to the pain.
Women thinking
& the benefits of doubt
I go back and forth when I get ready to write. I always convince myself I need to read more. I love reading—it’s a journey, it’s knowledge, it’s daydreaming, it’s puzzling, it’s finding connections and explanations. It’s a kind of flow, trance state.
I Want to Live in a Stop Motion World
The wisdom of slow, small things (+ my fav. stop motion accounts)
I’m a thoroughly modern woman, and by that I mean I spend too much of my one wild and precious life scrolling on social media. Is it a time suck that gives me gnawing headaches at the back of my neck? Yes. Is it a little wondrous treasure trove full of stunning art and footage of bubble-net feeding humpback whales and completely niche memes about moss, raccoons, and vultures? Also yes.
I have received a lot of support in the past two weeks; thank you for that! I saw the need for something like The Substacker, but the response has been greater than I had expected.
If you think this edition could be of interest to others, consider sharing it.
See you next time! :)
#2 - Optimism, spring books, how educators are struggling and the good side of self-doubt
What a great idea Luiza! I agree that smaller, lesser (or mostly unknown) creators need visibility too. And Thank You so much for the shout out; it is so appreciated. I enjoy sharing my love of books and reading with others. :)
Thank you so much for your recommendation! 🙏💜