I won't let my substack make me feel bad

on letting go of perfection

Everyone’s Substack is doing so well.

That’s what Substack tells me via my email inbox. About all the academics and cultural critics and artists and musicians and writers and all these people who have AMAZING Substacks (they do!!).

Yesterday I read an email and noticed that I was feeling like…I was on social media.

You know that feeling, where you think everyone’s life is better than your own?

I felt myself shutting down.

And then I remembered last week, when I had an idea to write about not letting comments, likes or (lack of) shares let me feel like I’m not good enough. And then I remembered that over 50% of you who receive these emails open them, and many of you read them.

I started this Substack as a place for me to write and connect with others without social media. I’d deactivated all of my social media accounts, so I came here.

It’s been three years. I’ve been writing here for three years. My other Substack, which was once called FIRES, was featured by Substack, and I applied for…