Hey Holly. I used to link to your work when I was writing for EcoSalon back in the feels-like-so-long-ago. And I'm so glad to see you landing here: it's a good place with a real Golden Age Of Blogging vibe developing, and (I can't hammer this home enough) it's everything that Instagram has become the exact opposite of, infuriatingly and toxically and exhaustingly. It's all those things. So - yeah, smart move, I reckon. Welcome. :)
Mike wow, hi! It’s so nice to see you here. Yeah, I am happy to be here now. I needed to expand a bit in a new direction. I love having comments again, makes writing online less lonely!!! I am so glad you said what you did, validating!
This rallying post is rocking my world. Thank you for verbalizing what I haven’t been able to say. I’m delighted to see you and Victoria here -- on substack!
Me too :) I feel good about adding something new to invest in - so I have my blog and classes and also my substack - instagram is definitely going on the back burner for me right now!
OMG, me too. I haven’t been on IG in ages, primarily because the ratio of ads to followers is totally imbalanced in my home stream. Like, what’s the point of being on IG, following all these people I want to be in touch with, only to be shown ads? It’s ridiculous.
I could've written most of this myself! I still blog and keep at it, but I MISS blogs, the comments, the community, the link ups, the feel of being part of it all & adding value myself.
Looking at one of your books in my bookshelf Holly, wishing you all the best with your new Substack platform. Keep writing, right!?
YES we must keep writing, sharing, trying... There will also be a space and a place to share in the way that fits our personality. I'm so happy you found me here and also, that you have one of my books - thank you for supporting me in that way. :) Means the world.
Yes, to all of it. For all the reasons stated, I gravitated immediately to Substack, and it's my main way of finding good content on the Internet now. I hope it stays that way.
Hi - happy to meet you and yes, I am wishing also for a safe space to enjoy reading interesting things again, content that doesn’t work harder than it has to and runs a bit deeper!
I took a break from Instagram about 3 weeks ago, still on it!, and am feeling many of the same things. What was once a community event with my friends started to feel like a casino. I hope you find Substack as rewarding as I do, and I look forward to reading more!
Hello Holly! So happy you're here and so happy to be here!!! I feel like newsletters have become the new way of blogging, for those of us who miss the good old days of a few photographs and text. I, like you don't hate IG, but for something that started as a new way of connecting with others, has never been so disconnected. So thrilled to see some of my favorite bloggers (you included ☺️) making their way here. Looking forward to more!
"A blog felt like taking a sweet, sunny drive in the country on a Sunday morning. Instagram is the autobahn during peak traffic, no speed limit, with a hailstorm raging complete with thunder and lightening. Oh and you have 5 babies in the backseat throwing food, a dog on your lap licking your face, and 6 cats in the passenger seat." Absolutely loved this part, made me laugh- couldn't have said it better!
It’s so good to see you here, Holly! I love Substack and how it combines blogging and email, it really does feel a bit like the good old blogging days but with advanced features. Many of us feel so disheartened with Instagram, your assessment is pretty spot on. I still like it for photo journaling but I also love coming to Substack for the community and more substantive content. I’ve always loved your blog and look forward to seeing more of you here ❤️
Hi Kerstin! Nice to see you here, you indeed kept it on the down low! I joined back in April of 2021, but never wrote anything, I felt like as a design blogger I didn’t fit in here... I also needed to exhaust my efforts on Instagram first before resigning and trying a new “thing”, but writer’s gonna write!i couldn’t suppress my calling anymore 🤣 so when I saw Victoria from SFGirlByBay (fellow design blogger) jump on with a full-on paid subscription and end her blog after 16 years, I thought, “OK I just need to give this a whirl. Maybe a design blogger can find a second life here....” My reasoning now is that it could be a really fun low-key no-pressure space for me to just have explore something new, find new friends of design, and for me to simply write stuff. PLUS it’s QUIET! I can focus here. I’m giving myself 6 months to test and see how my weekly consistency will pay off (not literally - more like how it helps fuel my love of writing once again and connect me to good people and conversations)... Time to give it a whirl! 🍦
Oh Holly, I can relate soooo well to all that you have written here! You have described my feelings about blogging and IG perfectly.
I found Substack in April after searching for a more meaningful platform where I could build community around Fine Art/ Nature lovers. I was so tired of the frenetic pace of IG and jumping through hoops to see and connect with like-minded people. I'm still on IG, but with much less commitment. Love my art friends over there! Joining Substack was such a terrific decision, I'm loving it here and feeling like I am entering a better flow with my work and thoughts...growing slowly, but steadily with regards to subscribers.
I would love for our worlds to connect! I am on a mission to bring peace and beauty to this crazy, wild world through my art and writing. My latest project is an obsession with clouds---mostly due to the fallout of the pandemic--like many people I was yearning freedom and wide open spaces! So looking forward to your posts! Welcome to the peaceful world of Substack! xx
Hi Holly, I think this is a splendid idea! I love that you're championing something new and keeping your own inspiration moving forward. I'll be watching where you take this and exploring the possibilities it offers. Alles Liebe.
Hi Holly. I’ve been following your work since 2007 and have been inspired by your work personally in so many ways. Like you I feel exhausted crafting content with my heart and soul only to feel like I’m shouting into the void. A couple hearts, a few comments from the same people and only a tiny percentage of my (very small) following ever even seeing my work. I don’t create for numbers but I am desperate for the community that is created through the vulnerability of art. I’m hopeful that maybe this platform will create that space again. Thank you for sharing your story here.
What a wonderful comment, thank you for this. I also don't create for numbers and really want a community as I had for over a decade, so for me, this is my new direction. :)
Your post nearly brought tears to my eyes as I feel the exact same way. You were the first blog I found back in 2008, that inspired me to start my own. It was a wild adventure and I could have never imagined the opportunities and connections blogging gave me. I completely agree that today's social media is too fast paced and lacking any real connection. I'm trying to keep up over there but it's overwhelming and I feel so much pressure to constantly be posting. I love the direction you are going and while I had never heard of Substack until now, I am happy you brought me over. I'm looking forward to reading/listening to all of your posts, Holly! I adore you, friend. xoxo
Oh Kim, I still remember meeting you and the LOVE in your heart and the twinkle in your eyes. You are such a lovely person since the first time I "met" you online, and then in person, it was an instant confirmation for me that I was attracting the right people to my work - kindred spirits who really just want connection and to feel something that we're doing matters, right?
Yes Holly! Thank you for putting into words what I haven’t been able to sum up so eloquently yet. I’ve been a fan of yours since 2015 and it’s so lovely seeing some of my fav peeps migrating to substack. Feels like I’m returning to a favorite cozy nook.
Oh Jennifer thank you, sorry for replying so late, I got Covid and so did my family and I sorta fell off the grid but I’m back now. Yes I think this feels like a cozy nook here too. I really enjoy it and it’s great to see you here. ❤️
I’m so glad you’re here! Everything in this post resonates so deeply within me and I’m excited to read more and be a part of your creative community on this platform. I’ve been (albeit) a somewhat quiet follower of your’s since the beginning - even excitedly meeting you once at a book signing - and love how you’re able to put my similar thoughts into words and keep ignited the creative flame I have inside. Thank you for continuing to evolve and inspire!
yes to everything you said. I'm one of those people who try to balance family, small business (that I'm trying to grow) and a day job. I have a blog, I have Facebook and Instagram and Pinterest, I even have a newsletter list, but it's all so exhausting. There's so much pressure to be present all the time and to create content non-stop (otherwise the algorithm will just make you invisible) - and if you don't, you carry around that bad feeling of not doing/being enough all the time - that inspiration and creativity are simply snuffing out. For me at least. With limited resources (particularly time), it's an absolutely essential decision to make how and where you spend you time - and with whom.
So now I am very curious about Substack (I'd never heard of it before you mentioned it in class) and I am excited to maybe become part of a new community that's more relaxed and inspiring and less about the hustle. I look forward to seeing what you will create here ✨
Hey Holly. I used to link to your work when I was writing for EcoSalon back in the feels-like-so-long-ago. And I'm so glad to see you landing here: it's a good place with a real Golden Age Of Blogging vibe developing, and (I can't hammer this home enough) it's everything that Instagram has become the exact opposite of, infuriatingly and toxically and exhaustingly. It's all those things. So - yeah, smart move, I reckon. Welcome. :)
Mike wow, hi! It’s so nice to see you here. Yeah, I am happy to be here now. I needed to expand a bit in a new direction. I love having comments again, makes writing online less lonely!!! I am so glad you said what you did, validating!
This rallying post is rocking my world. Thank you for verbalizing what I haven’t been able to say. I’m delighted to see you and Victoria here -- on substack!
Thank you Katrina, I was so happy to see your name here, made me excited!!!!
Oh Holly, I’m so happy to be here! It’s thrilling!
Me too :) I feel good about adding something new to invest in - so I have my blog and classes and also my substack - instagram is definitely going on the back burner for me right now!
OMG, me too. I haven’t been on IG in ages, primarily because the ratio of ads to followers is totally imbalanced in my home stream. Like, what’s the point of being on IG, following all these people I want to be in touch with, only to be shown ads? It’s ridiculous.
Hi Katrina!! People ask me about you and your tutorials all the time! We miss you. Bring them back! ☺️
OMG, those were the days -- so fun. If I knew then what I know now, I’d be kind and gentle with myself to avoid burnout!
Ha! I know what you mean. You always gave us so much real, usable knowledge!
I could've written most of this myself! I still blog and keep at it, but I MISS blogs, the comments, the community, the link ups, the feel of being part of it all & adding value myself.
Looking at one of your books in my bookshelf Holly, wishing you all the best with your new Substack platform. Keep writing, right!?
xo
YES we must keep writing, sharing, trying... There will also be a space and a place to share in the way that fits our personality. I'm so happy you found me here and also, that you have one of my books - thank you for supporting me in that way. :) Means the world.
Yes, to all of it. For all the reasons stated, I gravitated immediately to Substack, and it's my main way of finding good content on the Internet now. I hope it stays that way.
Hi - happy to meet you and yes, I am wishing also for a safe space to enjoy reading interesting things again, content that doesn’t work harder than it has to and runs a bit deeper!
I took a break from Instagram about 3 weeks ago, still on it!, and am feeling many of the same things. What was once a community event with my friends started to feel like a casino. I hope you find Substack as rewarding as I do, and I look forward to reading more!
Ha ha ha YES a casino! It’s true! Your comment made me laugh, thanks and also thanks for stopping by! 💓
Hello Holly! So happy you're here and so happy to be here!!! I feel like newsletters have become the new way of blogging, for those of us who miss the good old days of a few photographs and text. I, like you don't hate IG, but for something that started as a new way of connecting with others, has never been so disconnected. So thrilled to see some of my favorite bloggers (you included ☺️) making their way here. Looking forward to more!
"A blog felt like taking a sweet, sunny drive in the country on a Sunday morning. Instagram is the autobahn during peak traffic, no speed limit, with a hailstorm raging complete with thunder and lightening. Oh and you have 5 babies in the backseat throwing food, a dog on your lap licking your face, and 6 cats in the passenger seat." Absolutely loved this part, made me laugh- couldn't have said it better!
Hi 👋 so nice you’ve stopped by!!! I really appreciate your honesty- it’s true what you said about feeling disconnected, agree 100%!
It’s so good to see you here, Holly! I love Substack and how it combines blogging and email, it really does feel a bit like the good old blogging days but with advanced features. Many of us feel so disheartened with Instagram, your assessment is pretty spot on. I still like it for photo journaling but I also love coming to Substack for the community and more substantive content. I’ve always loved your blog and look forward to seeing more of you here ❤️
Hi Kerstin! Nice to see you here, you indeed kept it on the down low! I joined back in April of 2021, but never wrote anything, I felt like as a design blogger I didn’t fit in here... I also needed to exhaust my efforts on Instagram first before resigning and trying a new “thing”, but writer’s gonna write!i couldn’t suppress my calling anymore 🤣 so when I saw Victoria from SFGirlByBay (fellow design blogger) jump on with a full-on paid subscription and end her blog after 16 years, I thought, “OK I just need to give this a whirl. Maybe a design blogger can find a second life here....” My reasoning now is that it could be a really fun low-key no-pressure space for me to just have explore something new, find new friends of design, and for me to simply write stuff. PLUS it’s QUIET! I can focus here. I’m giving myself 6 months to test and see how my weekly consistency will pay off (not literally - more like how it helps fuel my love of writing once again and connect me to good people and conversations)... Time to give it a whirl! 🍦
Oh Holly, I can relate soooo well to all that you have written here! You have described my feelings about blogging and IG perfectly.
I found Substack in April after searching for a more meaningful platform where I could build community around Fine Art/ Nature lovers. I was so tired of the frenetic pace of IG and jumping through hoops to see and connect with like-minded people. I'm still on IG, but with much less commitment. Love my art friends over there! Joining Substack was such a terrific decision, I'm loving it here and feeling like I am entering a better flow with my work and thoughts...growing slowly, but steadily with regards to subscribers.
I would love for our worlds to connect! I am on a mission to bring peace and beauty to this crazy, wild world through my art and writing. My latest project is an obsession with clouds---mostly due to the fallout of the pandemic--like many people I was yearning freedom and wide open spaces! So looking forward to your posts! Welcome to the peaceful world of Substack! xx
Debbie thank you - I am so happy to see you here and look forward to connecting more. :)
Thank you so much Holly.Happy Friday/Weekend! 🤗
Hi Holly!! So great to see you here and connect in a whole new way! I couldn’t have articulated this any better. Bravo!
Thank you lovely lady, thank you for inspiring me with your blog for 16 years!
XOXO!! Thank you, Holly and I can say the same for you!
Hi Holly, I think this is a splendid idea! I love that you're championing something new and keeping your own inspiration moving forward. I'll be watching where you take this and exploring the possibilities it offers. Alles Liebe.
Thank you sweetheart!
Hi Holly. I’ve been following your work since 2007 and have been inspired by your work personally in so many ways. Like you I feel exhausted crafting content with my heart and soul only to feel like I’m shouting into the void. A couple hearts, a few comments from the same people and only a tiny percentage of my (very small) following ever even seeing my work. I don’t create for numbers but I am desperate for the community that is created through the vulnerability of art. I’m hopeful that maybe this platform will create that space again. Thank you for sharing your story here.
What a wonderful comment, thank you for this. I also don't create for numbers and really want a community as I had for over a decade, so for me, this is my new direction. :)
Your post nearly brought tears to my eyes as I feel the exact same way. You were the first blog I found back in 2008, that inspired me to start my own. It was a wild adventure and I could have never imagined the opportunities and connections blogging gave me. I completely agree that today's social media is too fast paced and lacking any real connection. I'm trying to keep up over there but it's overwhelming and I feel so much pressure to constantly be posting. I love the direction you are going and while I had never heard of Substack until now, I am happy you brought me over. I'm looking forward to reading/listening to all of your posts, Holly! I adore you, friend. xoxo
Oh Kim, I still remember meeting you and the LOVE in your heart and the twinkle in your eyes. You are such a lovely person since the first time I "met" you online, and then in person, it was an instant confirmation for me that I was attracting the right people to my work - kindred spirits who really just want connection and to feel something that we're doing matters, right?
Yes! Yes! Yes! Love you, Holly!! xoxo
Following since the Boston Globe article of oh so long ago. Keep at it Holly !!!!
Thanks honey!!!!!
Yes Holly! Thank you for putting into words what I haven’t been able to sum up so eloquently yet. I’ve been a fan of yours since 2015 and it’s so lovely seeing some of my fav peeps migrating to substack. Feels like I’m returning to a favorite cozy nook.
Oh Jennifer thank you, sorry for replying so late, I got Covid and so did my family and I sorta fell off the grid but I’m back now. Yes I think this feels like a cozy nook here too. I really enjoy it and it’s great to see you here. ❤️
I’m so glad you’re here! Everything in this post resonates so deeply within me and I’m excited to read more and be a part of your creative community on this platform. I’ve been (albeit) a somewhat quiet follower of your’s since the beginning - even excitedly meeting you once at a book signing - and love how you’re able to put my similar thoughts into words and keep ignited the creative flame I have inside. Thank you for continuing to evolve and inspire!
Wow how nice - where did we meet? I am so happy that you still follow me, what an absolute honor - thank you ❤️🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Dear Holly,
yes to everything you said. I'm one of those people who try to balance family, small business (that I'm trying to grow) and a day job. I have a blog, I have Facebook and Instagram and Pinterest, I even have a newsletter list, but it's all so exhausting. There's so much pressure to be present all the time and to create content non-stop (otherwise the algorithm will just make you invisible) - and if you don't, you carry around that bad feeling of not doing/being enough all the time - that inspiration and creativity are simply snuffing out. For me at least. With limited resources (particularly time), it's an absolutely essential decision to make how and where you spend you time - and with whom.
So now I am very curious about Substack (I'd never heard of it before you mentioned it in class) and I am excited to maybe become part of a new community that's more relaxed and inspiring and less about the hustle. I look forward to seeing what you will create here ✨
I recorded a 35 minute video lesson about it today and will upload it to class within the next hour or so, I think it will be helpful to you.