Sowing and Growing: A Summer of Substack

A Summer Reflection and a Life Update

I started writing on Substack because an author told me to.

He was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to meet with me and answer questions about writing, and he told me I should start a Substack. I had never heard of the platform, never really known that people wrote newsletters, and I certainly never thought about writing one of my own. But he said it would help me grow as a writer, and it sounded like fun, so I did it.

I remember spending hours trying to figure out what to name my publication. I went through some pretty terrible options before, thankfully, landing on “The Sowing Space.” I remember posting about my new publication on my Instagram and thinking… is anyone going to read this? A lot of people didn’t, but a lot of them did! Some even took the time to leave sweet comments or send me encouraging messages. To everyone who let me know that you read, enjoyed, or thought about my articles: thank you. You kept me going in moments when I thought about giving up.

I was so nervous when I first started posting. I didn’t want to flop (and I didn’t want other people to see me flop), but I posted anyway. I’m happy to report that people were kind, and I kept writing.

I have learned a lot within these first few months of publishing here.

• I learned that not every piece is for everyone - and that’s okay.

• I learned that sometimes I’m going to throw out an idea and be wrong. The only way our collective knowledge grows is through discourse!

• I learned that I will feel differently about topics after I have posted about them, and I have to be comfortable with that. I have to give myself grace for the fact that as I learn and grow, my opinions will change.

• I learned that my writing is always improving, but that doesn’t mean I need to feel ashamed of my old work. There is something beautiful about the work that got me to where I am, and this work is beautiful because it’s helping me get to where I’m going.

• I learned that if you wait for a piece to be “perfect” before you publish it, you’ll never share anything. You can always find something to change, but at some point, you have to stop making changes and just share the piece.

Thank you to every single person who reads or subscribes to this publication. You are not just a number on my screen; you’re a real person to me, and I value your time and thoughts more than I can express. I hope to honor the time you have given me by serving you well through what I write.

I need to say a special thank you to my most vocal supporters: my family. Mom, for being my volunteer proofreader, Grammy and Pappy, for being my most faithful readers and commenters, and Dad, who, despite hating reading, has read all of my articles in full.

The Life Update:

Now, down to business! I have officially started the fall semester of my senior year of college. I am having quite a wonderful time! I am taking some really fun/challenging Bible classes, serving as a Head Chaplain on campus, and writing my senior paper. I would love prayers for peace, discipline, and direction throughout my classes this year.

In other news…

I’m ENGAGED!

To say I’m excited would be a major understatement. Engagement has, thus far, been the most fun and joyful season of my life. My fiance surprised me with the proposal on the day I had planned to get this post published so… forgive me for being a little late. I had to celebrate!

Being realistic, I know that the onset of classes, work, campus responsibilities, and now wedding planning (!!!) will inevitably affect my posting schedule. I would love to continue posting around once every two weeks, but once a month is probably more realistic. As to what day of the week I will post… it will be a surprise for us all! 

A note for my paid subscribers: I know that most of you began paying for your subscription when I was posting weekly, so I completely understand if this change causes you to transition back to being a free subscriber. I am so grateful for all your support up to this point, and I would be thrilled to have you continue reading as a free subscriber. 

In this season of life, this publication will have to move from the more structured schedule I followed in the summer to be more sporadic and spontaneous. I got to learn what it was like to be consistent through idea droughts, and now I’m going to learn what it’s like to follow the inspiration.

Thank you again for going on this journey with me. The Sowing Space has become one of the most fun parts of my life, and this publication wouldn’t be what it is without the community that supports it.

As always, thank you for reading!

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