Sharing our Raw Human-ness

We are all on Substack for our own reasons but what hasn’t escaped me is that we all share so many commonalities. I may be pointing out the obvious here, but I felt an urge to address this (& another point - further down), so here I am. ✍🏼

Stay with me, if you have a few minutes…

We write on Substack for many reasons - writing to earn a living, to share pain, to share joy, to fight loneliness, to hone writing skills, to learn and share knowledge & wisdom, to find kindred spirits, to belong to a like-minded community, to provide advice, peak curiosity, to make a statement, to escape reality just to name a few, but most of all..most of all really, we are all here sharing our raw human-ness (please click on this link for a special treat, you won’t be sorry ;-)

We all want to be seen, heard, understood and accepted as our genuine, raw human selves. At least this is my perception thus far, after a tad more than two months of taking up residence on Substack. We are all storytellers.

What makes us human? Our vulnerability, our trust & faith, our love for one another (or hate), our need for social connection, our creativity and our values & morals amongst others.

Being a writer or storyteller is a beautiful thing isn’t it? It is an engagement with language which conveys the human experience. Whether you’re a novice or not, writing to release pain or joy and lay bare your heart, is a skill, a creative art to be respected.

Think about this for a minute, the words you write are conveying your own unique story…your w-o-r-d-s are responsible for illuminating the colourful tapestry that is called life. I mean when you sit down and really think about this deeply, it is a potentially transformative (or at the very least, illuminating) experience you are providing for your audience.

According to research, brain activity changes when we read a story. “Our brains like stories, because clear narratives cut through distractions. Stories help us pay attention–particularly in this attention era, when vying for people’s focus is more coveted than ever”. ¹

“The neuroscience of storytelling helps uncover the science behind our brain's story-craving tendencies. At our core, we are wired to translate information into narrative form, drive for resolution and meaning, and connect with others. Stories provide our minds with rich sensory experiences, patterns and coherence, and opportunities for social bonding”.²

Whether it’s prose or poetry your thoughts and emotions are being dissected and expressed, it’s a magical thing not to be taken for granted, it is your own very special gift.

With writing (& pretty much most other things in life) there is a human trait that sometimes appears to elude us, patience. Why do I say this? It’s because embracing life as a “writer” or storyteller means you need to practise patience.

The patience to see where our writing will take us and the patience to just give it a chance to take root. The wait…the wait for a curious audience and then Followers and Subscribers (in the context of Substack, Medium & miscellaneous other blogging platforms etc., etc.).

Why does anyone “Follow” another? Is it “just because” or is it to return a favour? Or, is it because there is a sincere interest and curiosity in what we are writing and our story mirrors a part of their own?

Wouldn’t you want someone to Follow or Subscribe to your content because your words resonate with them, nothing less? Surely being a writer of any calibre demands at least that much integrity?

Yes, we all want subscribers (who doesn’t?), it is exciting especially when they’re paying subs right? After all, who doesn’t need money? To make money doing something you’re passionate about, now isn’t that the dream?!

It is thrilling to see your sub numbers climb daily (paid or not), of course it is, I’m not discounting that in the least. As I said earlier, we are all here for our own reasons.

Not everyone is that lucky though, to immediately garner a large Follower and Subscriber base, and that’s where patience comes in.

You write for release and sometimes to escape a mundane life - you are writing for yourself, is what’s important to remember (yes, it’s to provide value for your Followers & Subscribers too, but hopefully you get my point).

YOU are the person that matters the most, in this whole equation.

“You are not small.
You are not unworthy.
You are not insignificant.

The universe wove you from a constellation
just so atom, every fibre in you comes from
a different star.

Together, you are bound by stardust, altogether
spectacularly created from the energy of the
universe itself.

And that, my darling,
is the poetry of physics,
the poetry of you.”

~ Nikita Gill

If you can be patient with yourself while ideating, writing, rewriting and editing & polishing your piece of work (some writers don’t need to spend very much time refining their content however, because they’re already extremely skilled and experienced at this writing gig), why not be patient with the whole of the writing community?

Let’s practise delayed gratification for a change. Most things in life take time, but especially if you’re a writer searching for a captive audience.

Building reader trust and even peaking their curiosity and interest takes MUCH effort and skill.

Wait dear writer & storyteller, wait…patiently, but do not hold your breath ;-) This goes for me too obviously 😄

All good things take time.

We are all on the same path here…

Your tribe will find you (& maybe even that book deal!)

Trust!✨

Image courtesy: Suzy Hazelwood via Pexels

1. Courtesy neuroleadership.com (The Neuro Leadership Institute)

2. Courtesy innovativehumancapital.com (2024 Official member, Forbes Coaching Council)