Ever Dreamed of Writing?
Practical tips and inspiration from a writer who took the leap.
Courage to:
Embrace the unknown and move to a new country for love: This meant leaving behind her familiar life in Australia and starting over in Finland, navigating cultural differences and language barriers, all in the name of a deep connection.
Continually reinvent herself: From houseboat cleaner to rock singer to mindfulness teacher, she fearlessly explored diverse career paths, always seeking new experiences and embracing the challenges that came with each transition.
Share her authentic voice with the world: Despite the vulnerability and potential for judgment, she bravely opened up on Substack, sharing her personal experiences and insights, building a community around her writing, and inspiring others to do the same.
Meet
from Flucking Flourishing
Q: Tell us a little bit about your background
I recently turned fifty-one. I’ve tipped over into another stage of life, the one where I (perhaps) have fewer years on this glorious planet than the ones I’ve lived.
I’ve managed to fit a whole lot into those fifty-one years… I’ve lived in four countries, I’ve collected another two languages, I have three children—two of my own, and have been married twice (still married to #2, my souls mate)
When people ask me where I’m from I find it hard to answer because I was born in Melbourne, Australia, but lived in Canada for two years before moving to country South Australia so I never know if I should say Melbourne or Adelaide. I usually say Adelaide because it’s the longest I’ve lived anywhere.
In terms of houses, the longest I’ve lived in the one house is nine years, the house I grew up in. It was by a lagoon near the River Murray, surrounded by scrub and big River Red Gums, a bird’s paradise.
I’ve had many different jobs in my life, several less than satisfactory ones since moving to Finland seven years ago. I'm a qualified teacher, and education is what I love. I grew up at a school camp, and it seems that this has seeped into my soul.
Jobs I’ve done in no particular order:
Houseboat cleaner
Dishwasher
Telemarketer
Tour guide
Museum guide
Teacher
School pastoral care leader
Relief teacher
Rock singer
Museum front of house
English tutor
Coach and mentor
Mindfulness teacher
Retail sales
Entrepreneur
From the outside, moving to Finland seven years ago was perhaps a crazy thing to do. I’d lived here before as a seventeen-year-old and had some Swedish language (I live in a Swedish-speaking autonomous province of Finland). When you meet someone whose heart is open and you connect on a level you never thought possible, you take steps to make sure you can be together—so I did! It felt right and it still does. It doesn’t mean it hadn’t been hard, because it has been. I’ve had to rebuild myself in a way. Face shadow parts of myself, learn new things, try new ways of being, all whilst experiencing perimenopause 😅
Writing (and reading) has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was writing books at pre-school (I learned to read at age 3). My work as a teacher has meant I wrote a huge amount but not like I write now. I was about to write “not creatively” but that’s not entirely true! I started writing and posting poetry on Instagram in 2016 and my writing life has just snowballed from there—a slow rolling snowball!
Community and connection has always been important to me and it’s taken this long for me to start building a community on my own terms, which is amazing and exciting!
Q: Beyond the act of hitting "publish," what's the most courageous thing you've done as a writer on Substack?
I started a new publication at the start of September. I’ve been writing on Substack since 2019 but I woke up one day with the idea for Flucking Flourishing and I just did the thing!
Q: Many people dream of writing but fear judgment or failure. What advice would you give to those who are hesitant to share their voice on Substack?
Your story is needed. The world needs diverse stories, and yours is unique. No one has had your experiences. Failure is a part of life, and if you’re curious and open to what putting yourself out there might bring, then press publish. The irony is that in the beginning there’s barely anyone reading you so you can get better and develop as you go, collecting like-minded humans on the way who follow your writing journey!
Q: In your opinion, what's the most courageous thing a reader can do after engaging with your work?
Interesting question. For Flucking Flourishing, it’d be joining the community. If it resonates and you’re inspired in any way, signing up to be part of it can really transform your life.
Q: Vulnerability is often a key component of courage. How do you balance being vulnerable with maintaining healthy boundaries as a writer in such a public space?
There are aspects of my life I haven’t written about and very possibly won’t. I guess you can never say never, but that’s a boundary for me. Being aware of who else is a part of your story and how it might impact them is a question to ask yourself before pressing publish.
Vulnerability is a strength. The courage to tell a story can change lives, laws, and the future. For example, Giséle Pelicot, who has been open and vulnerable about her hideous experience of the ten years her husband drugged her and used her in such a violating way—her vulnerability is changing the world for the better. I really hope that no one has a similar story to tell. But the idea that we all have stories to tell, even if it’s through fiction writing, is one that spurs me on.
Q: Courage often involves taking risks. What's the biggest risk you've taken in sharing your writing or building your Substack community?
Putting myself “out there.” Substack, at this point, is a supportive space but not all corners of the internet are. By putting myself out there I’m opening myself up to anyone, because not everyone is “on Substack.” There are mean people and trolls out there who can make people’s lives a misery and I know of people who have retreated and closed down their blogs because of the haters. That’s a risk I’m taking, like all of us who write here. I’m grateful that Substack as a platform has structures in place to support writers and community space holders if they’re ever in a pickle.
Q: If you could go back and tell your pre-Substack self one thing about the journey ahead, what would it be?
Amazing things are coming! And it’s so much more than writing!
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Thank you for this experience! It was a pleasure 💖