Substack Wrapped

Thanks 2023, you were (really) AWESOME!

“You can’t really decide to paint a masterpiece. You just have to think hard, work hard, and try to make a painting that you care about. Then, if you’re lucky, your work will find an audience for whom it’s meaningful.”

Susan Kare, designer of the original mac interface

Hi all,

How was your Christmas?

Hope there were sparkles and fun times galore. Perhaps you got some thinking time, some planning time, some writing time?

If you’re hanging out here on Substack over the holidays with a little time on your hands, I shared a round up of my collaborative posts over on

Creatively Conscious

you might want to connect to and read.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I also wove together a post about earning money here and not burning out. I felt close at one point; I talk about it in the article.

This is from a holistic perspective i.e holding my life, business and Substack gently and weaving together my Big Dreams and quiet ambition within that. There are also lots of numbers… 🤓. I don’t mind sharing those. I work part time and I have since I became a mum in 2014; there is lot’s of white space in my calendar and lots of time to be in motherhood. It’s my beautiful reality.

Earning money (on Substack) without burning out...

Thank-you 2023

Here and now we are sweeping away the dust and sparkles of what will be the old year and starting to turn towards the new. I don’t have a word or intentions for 2024 yet as I’m still stunned at the gratitude and lessons for 2023.

Just for fun, I wanted to send a note into the Substack universe to say thanks to this space, to it’s staff, writers, people for supporting our journey this year. For making us better writers, for connecting us and helping us to build community and our writerly business.

Perhaps you want to share something similar on Notes?

Who do you want to thank? Who has supported and nurtured your writing here, who restacked what you have to say, pressed the HEART often and sent you thoughtful comments?

Perhaps like me and

David Venus

you’ve had your first couple of “🧌 🧌s” or some doom inducing imposter syndrome you’ve climbed out. Perhaps those things and wading through the Substack overwhelm has nudged you closer to your true north?

Let’s step into the light and say;

“That’s it from me for 2023, you were brilliant and I was enough.

We made magic together. Goodbye to 365 days of experimentation, connection and self expression. You were TOTALLY amazing and oh thanks so so much for all the lessons - I needed those too!”

Made by Amy - https://va-ink.co.uk

Saying thank-you is such a joy in wrapping up my year here…

I have to thank all of you for supporting my work, asking me alllll the questions and keeping me excited about showing up to share in service to you.

You are THE best colleagues a gal could ask for - I’m so grateful! ✨ I’m so excited for the next steps of our journey together!

Special thanks go to my Substack teaching colleagues Ms Queen Bee of

Substack

Sarah Fay

and the Substack Wizard

Russell Nohelty

. 🐝 🧙‍♀️ These guys have made my permission slip to be here and take up space with you all gigantic. I’m so grateful for their work and for spending time with them both this year. I also want to say congrats to Sarah for hitting a personal milestone. So very well deserved.

Thanks also to

Farrah @Substack

for boldly asking me about my goals and connecting me with such great writers and people here. To

Sara Tasker - Me & Orla

for having a delightful virtual cuppa with me. Ever grateful of your creative whimsy and way of seeing the online world.

Thanks to team

Substack Writers

for replying to my emails quickly and efficiently - a top tip for you if you’re really stuck!

A HUGE thanks to all my podcast guests for their time, ideas and support of

Sparkle on Substack

as an idea;

Leonie Dawson,

Tamzin

,

Annie Ridout

,

Susannah Conway

,

Russell Nohelty

and

Laura Oldfield

,

Cait Flanders

- each of our conversations blew my mind and expanded my creative thinking about what we do here - thank you! You can listen to all the episodes right here.

My creative colleagues and writerly friends;

Suzy Walker

,

Amber Horrox

,

Lauren Barber

,

Sarah Shotts

Laura Oldfield

Sophie Ingleby

Luisa Skinner

Emma Simpson

Caroline Ferguson

Juliet Thomas

and the

Heart Leap

gang! Thanks for holding me through the rejections, the milestones and the lessons. Thanks for sharing your beautiful words and creative process with me.

My Substack “special interest” gang;

Kat River

,

Erica Perry

,

Claudia Wilde

,

Laurita Gorman

Hunter Burgtorf

and

Catching Shower Flowers by Tess Guinery

- your creative work inspires me so deeply and I’m so grateful we get to geek out about this platform together. ✨

And just incase you missed it at the top; a genuine heart felt thanks to all of you subscribers, readers, cheerleaders, supporters, people who subscribe and/ or share/ pay for my work here or other places. If I could tag you all, I would and please know I see you and I’m so excited about what Substack magic you are making. Let’s celebrate and support each other always and step into what’s possible as we head into 2024!?

🎉

I’m so so grateful to you all for the space we have co-created this year.

Being here on Substack has made my year. I’ve never had one quite like it.

Even when I hit career highs, when I stood up to receive awards for my Creative Producer work, when I was awarded hundreds of thousand pounds of funding for my project work nothing compares to being here. On Substack I feel like we win EVERY single day.

At what is a very turbulent time for the cultural sector, Substack has been such an encouraging space to create, connect and make ambitious plans for the long term. Yes, the space is changing but we have front row seats to the show - let’s embrace it and get ready to write, create, connect and cherish the people behind the posts and publications.

Here’s to 2024, our Substack publications, staying creative and all the sparkles!

Claire

✨

PS - You can catch all 10 Sparkle members call/ workshop replays here and there’s still time to download your 2023 reflection tool or buy your 2024 planner to supercharge your soulful Substack for 2024!

More here;