I made a surprising decision last night.
I joined Substack a few days ago so I could simply read another author’s article on Catholic social teaching (one of my favorite nerd interests). In doing so, I also stumbled into the land of positive writers.
Unlike the darker and snarkier atmosphere of my Twitter feed, my Substack feed was immediately filled with encouraging writers seeking comradery. Writers who post things such as, “Let’s encourage one another!” “New writers, send me something raw, unpolished!” “No need to write for clicks; write for substance!” “Hey newbies, follow me and I’ll follow you…we’re stronger together!”
The energy got me moving because I had been praying God might connect with other writers with similar values and pursuits. Maybe this was the opportunity. I therefore spent the two days churning out a few short posts to join, commenting on other’s work, and exchanging a few DM’s…but strangely, it left me feeling a little sick.
At first, I wasn’t sure why.
Then, I had a flashback to the first time I started teaching at a new school.
I was surrounded by smart, seasoned teachers who wanted me to succeed. It was a time before Google classroom, so they began literally dropping resources at my door: binders, workbooks, old lesson plans…until I was completely overwhelmed by it all.
Sure, I appreciated their generosity of spirit, but I also realized that if I spent my time looking through all their materials, I’d never actually create my own. I therefore learned the importance of saying thank you, skimming the material briefly (in case, you know?), shutting the door, and focusing on my own work.
And that’s how I felt on Substack.
While the platform and people offer a much kinder package than other social media sites, the “help” it was offering was, for me, simply ill timed. In fact, at this time, it was basically a Siren from the course I was supposed to be following.
How do I know this?
Because the posts I created for Substack had nothing to do with the work I was supposed to be in middle of writing. I’ve been working a few projects that are in draft stages and simply aren’t ready for an online audience of any kind; and yes, I sidelined that work to join the Substack fun.
And that’s why last night I made a surprising decision: I deleted my account after only 48 hours.
Keep in mind, my decision had nothing to do with Substack or the writers there. They actually seem like a pretty impressive group (who if the time is right for you, I encourage you to check out).
I simply realized that not everyone’s writing journey follows the same course, and it’s important to know which one you’re on.
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