1 Year Substack Anniversary

milestones and reflections

A year has passed since I started this Substack, so right now I am quietly celebrating consistently showing up for myself. I know that the done thing is to write for others (which is also what I like doing). But even before I get to others, I need to write for myself. Writing, or journalling is a cathartic act. Purging emotions and letting them tumble out in raw form before cobbling them together into more coherent sentences, brings me relief.

If I didn’t have an outlet for my feelings, I think I’d be like a volcano waiting to blow; inevitably stepping over the dead bodies in the morning. This is what my private journal is for — it’s a valve to release emotional pressure and let things out in a less destructive way. I’m not sure I could share those writings with anyone other than a therapist. This Substack on the other hand is a slightly calmer way of writing and expressing these experiences, often with the benefit of time as a softener.

Showing up this way for myself is something I’ve rarely done. Telling my stories, acknowledging they have value and keeping at it — whether other people read them or not — has been vital in building a bit more resilience.

What I also hope is that you all find something to engage with in Seeds, Weeds and Wildflowers. I’m happy knowing some of it resonates, or informs or perhaps even brings a new perspective (particularly with the Autism related posts). Whatever your reason is for subscribing, thank you very much for reading.

Going forwards, my plan is to keep this a nature and story journal, but I’d love to share more of my musical adventures with you too. It’s a big part of my life yet I don’t have an algorithm-free online space for the music I make (which is mostly acoustic guitar with a folk vibe). Seeds, Weeds and Wildflowers could be the place for it.

I thought I’d use the rest of this post to highlight some lesser known parts of this journal. So allow me to introduce you to The Archive. I love archives. My day job involves them and I can’t get enough of them. They appeal to the collector in me. I love the fact that each Substack has one, and you can find the Seeds, Weeds and Wildflowers archive here. The Archive is where you can find all of my posts in chronological order, all 45 of them so far. If you haven’t already seen them, you may be interested in reading these:

River

Magpie

The Enchanted Woods

Notes from the Trees

Wassailing

The Birds

Imbolc

Collecting ideas about getting older

The Autistic Spectrum

The Rocky Spine of the Sleeping Warrior

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I’ve added a few previously unpublished photos at the top and bottom of this post. It’s a small selection from the past year. I hope you enjoy them.

Thank you for subscribing and reading, your support means a lot.

Jo