How a week without Instagram led me to Substack

and a few other things...

Whether you’re a friend from college, a friend-of-a-friend, or you just found me on the internet, I’d be so honored if you’d choose to subscribe to my newly launched musings. Thanks for choosing to spend a little time with me each week. This will replace my (previous) newsletter and I can’t wait to connect in this space. (P.S. download the Substack app, it’s great)

36 Hours Fresh | Photo by Mattie Trigo Photography

Don’t make big decisions postpartum, they say.

Clay, our third child, was seven days fresh when one middle-of-the-night nursing session I saw

Ashlee Gadd

post her annual “call to delete Instagram for a month”.

I’ve seen it before, I’ve thought about it before. But this year, it called my name. THIS was the change I need. I prepped. I told the people I needed to and got their (gasp) real phone numbers. And I got off. And though I’ve deleted the app before, this one felt different, because I had a plan with what to do with my time.

I started writing again. Like really writing, like I did in college. And editing old stories. I joined an inspiring little community of 200+ women writers called Exhale who are cheering me on. And I started asking harder questions of myself:

What would happen if I consumed less quippy puppy homestead content while my kids were in the shower, and instead jotted down notes in a notebook like Anne Lammot says? Or used my Notes app like a notes app? What if I deleted my social media off my phone and made art while I filled my tank for gas instead of scrolling? What if I took tasteful pictures for myself and not just to post them later? What if I didn’t play the game the overlords want me to play, bringing more people to their platform, helping more people stay on their platform? What could I CREATE if I had more time?

1. Why Substack? Why now?

I know many of you from Instagram. A place I’ve grown to know and love. A beautiful community, a place of inspiration and joy. A place to see my old besties pictures and be inspired to try new things.

My platform had finally grown (a little)… Instagram offered me paid reel opportunities… and I was set to launch a women’s health membership, PDF, and mini course this year…ready to pull on all the marketing prose and genius from years of experience and a college degree and then I realized: making money isn’t the only thing that motivated me any more, I hate reels and making them, and I hate playing the game & chasing the followers even more.

Just as I’ve been inspired and met so many dear friends through this medium, and I’ve never had the guts to “quit it” until now. I’m not opting out completely, but I don’t know when I’ll be back. Maybe a week here and there. Maybe not.

I am done playing the algorithm game. I don’t want to sell things on my Insta stories. I am finally fed up with being a part of the beast that I have love-hated for almost 10 years.

Substack is beautiful, and it’s user friendly and easy to write on. The app rocks, and it allows me full rights to all my work. There are no ads, no flashing reels (unless I insert a GIF), and you only follow who you want to. All win-win-wins in my book.

2. So who is my Substack for?

This space is for the moms. It’s for the tired, the broken, the rundown. It’s for the hopeful, the ignorant, the innocent, the ashamed. It’s for those of us who need to know we’re not alone. For those who need reminders that we can do all the things but we don’t have to. For those who want reminders of what our bodies are capable of. Of returning to our intuition with grace and understanding.

For questioning the current narrative. For asking questions about vaccines if you want to. For the Jesus kind of hope that only He can give but not for Hallmark sentiments. For everyday moments captured in poetry or prose. For farming blunders and homestead victories. For explorations of living with my Nana, living in 600 square feet, and raising three little humans with grace and failure. For trying new recipes and art and encouraging you to do the same.

I want to inspire you. In motherhood, in life, in homesteading, in creating, in cooking & baking. I want to be a part of helping to EXPAND our attention spans, not shortening them. I want to help us raise children who are good readers and good writers because they’ve watched their moms read good things. I have found beautiful, inspiring, and quite honestly life-changing words here on this platform, and I hope to be a part of making more.

I hope you’ll stick around if these things resonate with you. Thank you for being here and supporting my writing. It means more than you know.

3. How often can you find me here?

For now, you can expect writing content here twice a month. I hope to publish every Saturday. I’ll also be publishing some old pieces from college and I hope they’ll make you smile.

Christ’s peace to you in this new year,

xo,

Kate

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