Substack, and What It Did
The before and after of Substack, and what it made me realize.
I saw this post by Jack Cuison, The Mental State of a Substacker. After reading it I got the idea for this post.
I thought of how I was before Substack, and now after, and then suddenly realized something.
This isn’t a promotion for Substack and how(undeniably) great it is, I just wanted to explain the impact that it’s had on me.
Me Before
Substack has been a platform where I can share my thoughts and feelings, funny memes, and my book.
I had wanted to share my book for a long time, but my family wasn’t into it and they just thought it was something that would pass, like an obsession with a character in a movie.
I knew it wouldn’t, though. I had so many ideas, so I started writing them out, and they became my book, The Worlds Within Us. I loved, and still love, writing. It gives me a sense of having control, of being able to say what I think and to create my dream world.
Yet I still had no way to share it. I didn’t know what to do, because I loved my newly created world, and I wanted to tell someone about it, but I didn’t have anyone to tell.
I also didn’t have anyone who would get my jokes, or stick around long enough to hear them. I felt wound up all the time, a shadow in the world.
…Aaand, that’s where Substack came in.
Me After
Substack gave me a place where I could share my thoughts, feelings, and funny memes without judgement. It’s let me get to know people in other states, even in different countries. Most of the people who comment or read my stuff don’t know me, but it is an amazing way to make friends.
I’m happy with what, and who, I have. I don’t worry(as much) about how no one gets my jokes or my family doesn’t believe in my writing ability.
What I Realized
I’ve changed a lot since I started using Substack. Most people, whether they recognize it or not, they in some way chase the world. It’s our fallen nature. We chase, and we try so hard, to be the people that the world thinks is ‘cool’ or ‘hot’. That’s how to get in, to have the feeling of being accepted.
But Substack is a way that I can express myself, and that’s helped me in my daily life. I’m not trying so hard to fit in, because, I realized, you can’t. There’s no way you can ‘fit in’ or be normal, because to each person, normal looks a little bit different.
I’ve stopped trying to be what other people want me to be, but it’s a lot harder that it sounds. “Easier said than done” is the phrase everyone uses, and it’s true. It’s freaking hard to separate yourself from the expectations of the people around you. It’s hard to stop yourself from trying to conform. But the people in the history books, they weren’t commended or remembered for doing what everyone else did. They are remembered because of how they challenged the system and changed it.
They stood out. I’m learning how to separate myself from the expectations of people who want everything the same, and to stand out too.
This is encouragement to anyone who feels like they’re suffocating from the weight of the pressure put on them by other people. Don’t let them shove you in a box. Break out. It won’t be easy, but become your own kind of normal.