Well this is awkward

I've moved to Substack and now have stage fright...

It feels the same way when I first had my website or my Instagram page. Suddenly, it feels like all eyes are on me, but then I have to remind myself of the difference between possibility and probability. Yes, there is the possibility that a wider platform such as Substack will bring more eyeballs on my writing (urgh, sorry, slightly weird image) but the probability is low.

So let me get over my little wobble and crack on with what I want to share. Actually, before I do that, the previous paragraph has just reminded me of a poem I wrote when I started on Instagram:

Look at me!

Don’t look at me!

Now you see me, 

Now you don’t.

Now you see me,

Now you won’t.

Nothing to see

and all on show.

Wherever did my

boundaries go?

Talking of Instagram, I’m making serious moves to kick the habit, but I’ll write more about that in a future post. This newsletter, seeing as it is December, feels like it needs to be a bit of a ‘Phew, that was the year that was’.

So here goes:

The third series of The Therapeutic Poet podcast came out this year - with conversations about creativity, belonging, addiction, emotional eating, walking the Camino, finding motivation, trauma and bereavement through overdose. I entered the conversation with Julia Warren about her husband’s death through overdose into the International Women’s Podcast Awards. That lead to the podcast being a finalist in the ‘Moment of touching honesty’ category. The absolute best thing about that was it felt like an appropriate recognition of Julia’s brave honesty about her experience and she continues to navigate her way now with grief as a constant companion alongside her two young boys.

The show ‘Stop the world I want to get off, my top ten reasons why I want to leave the planet’ which began in my local theatre sprouted legs and wings and all sorts. First, I published it as a book and then I took it to Edinburgh Fringe Festival which was an absolutely magical experience. The book was selected as a finalist in the Independent Authors Network Awards and the show received both 4.5/5 stars and 2/5 stars at Edinburgh. I will do an episode on my podcast about the Edinburgh experience soon.

I spoke at wellbeing event Mindfest, sponsored by Joe’s Buddy Line, about why it is so vital to have ‘Permission to feel’ - as in emotions, before there’s any raised eyebrows.

I continued to do a few writing workshops on hope and well being and in the next newsletter I will share with you workshop dates to come along to in the new year.

I also attended my first festival ever (yep, I’m a slow developer) in Madrid which was full of capers (old fashioned Enid Blyton kind, not the ones you eat with smoked salmon).

And then I went quiet and rested for a few months and plotted more things.

So, moving forward what’s the plan?

To record series 4 of the podcast. I already have guests lined up to talk about divorce, infertility, being an adult child of an addict - you know, cheery stuff. But as ever I promise to bring levity with the sincerity and not shy away from talking about tricky subjects.

I’m starting to sell prints, not just from The Therapeutic Poet type of poems, but also greeting cards under the brand of ‘Yummy Mummy Says’. I’ll let you know when that is up and running.

I hope to plan monthly writing workshops which will be online (although also happy to do them face to face if there is a demand for that).

I am in final chats about a couple of other projects, which I hope to share about soon too.

I know that there’s no links to other interesting bits and bobs that I usually do, but if you are anything like me you may well be on information overload as it is, so don’t need links to a gazillion other things right now.

So I’ll sign off by saying a massive thank you for signing up to my newsletter, please share so that that possibility turns into more of a probability, and wishing you and yours a healthy, happy festive season.

That’s it for now,

Jacky