I'm not good enough to be on Substack

And why I'm here anyway

Dear Substack.

I’m not worthy to be on your platform.

It feels weird writing that out, but it's the truth, according to my brain anyway. I see so many well-thought-out and beautifully written posts and notes from so many intelligent people. Surely I cannot fit into this crowd. But here I am.

I think it's so important to push past that feeling of discomfort, ponder the reason for it, and do it anyway. It's how we learn and grow as human beings.

But then I wonder, why do I want to share my thoughts in writing on Substack anyway?

Perhaps to find a connection with others like me? Maybe it's a creative and therapeutic outlet for me. But why share it with the world rather than keep it private?

For some reason, I've always gravitated towards an outward projection of my self-expression in the many creative interests I've partaken in over the years. Almost as if I want others to validate what I think, feel or enjoy.

But why do I seek validation from digital versions of humans that I don't know and will probably never meet in person?

I guess a community is still a community whether in digital or physical form. But is Substack the right community for me?

Maybe I feel 'less than' now because I'm a mother as my primary focus these days and no longer a full-time professional.

Since having my boys, I work two days a week at my parents’ house while they look after my kids. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to do this, don't get me wrong, but part-time work paired with 'mum brain' for some reason makes me feel less worthy to share my thoughts, feelings and stories.

Although I write content in my marketing job frequently and have done so for 10 years, I still worry that my writing isn't good enough and I fear external influences and priorities have eroded my writing skill.

These are the things my brain tells me sometimes, but I know they are not entirely true. I am a worthy and capable human being and to prove it, I'm here, doing the thing my brain is trying to make me feel hesitant about doing.

To live authentically.

Have you ever felt this way about sharing your voice on a social media platform? Why do you think you feel that way?

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Hi there :)

Welcome to My Substack! My Name is Tania.

I invite you to join me on a journey of embracing authentic living. Through honest stories, creative projects, and reflections on authenticity, I seek to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. Subscribe for free!

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Authentic Living This Week

This section of my substack is devoted to everything that I feel adds authenticity and realness to my life and I hope it helps you focus on the authentic joy you can create and experience in your day-to-day lives too.

Gratitude Corner: Finding Appreciation in the Everyday

Taking the time to find things to be grateful for in everyday moments is a great way to stay grounded and remind yourself of the things that really matter.

This week I’m grateful for :

• The way my one-year-old snuggles into me, tugs at my shirt and smooshes his face up against mine in pure love and adoration. I will miss this one day.

• My oldest son saying 'I love you mummy’ in the most unexpected moments. My heart melts and my mood instantly shifts knowing this little darling human loves me so much.

• Living in a quiet, leafy neighbourhood with the sounds of kookaburras and galas greeting us each morning.

• Being able to work downstairs at my parents’ house two days a week and hearing the squeals of joy and pitter-patter of my childrens’ feet on the floorboards upstairs while I work.

• Finding pockets of time in our busy lives to have video chats with old high school friends. It’s always nice to connect across borders and oceans to recount old memories and share new ones we are making with our growing families.

What are you grateful for this week?

Making Memories: Cherished Moments & Milestones

Making memories and recording them has always been incredibly important to me. Our memories tend to fail us, so keeping a record of precious moments enhances our memory-keeping abilities.

Here are some of my favourite memories from this week:

• My oldest son started his first day of early kindy this week. It was so tough hearing him call my name in anguish as I left on the first day, but thankfully he adjusted well and has made friends already. So proud!

• A brand new indoor play centre opened up near us. I’m always a little hesitant to go somewhere new with the kids, but I’m so glad we found this place. My boys had a blast and I did too. It was such a great day for us all.

• I enjoyed some one-on-one time with my eldest son at a local lake and park at dusk. The atmosphere was relaxed yet teeming with activity. volleyball and footy were played alongside a drama crew rehearsing their lines on the rolling lawn. My son looked on curiously and threw sticks into the nearby lake.

How stunning is this sunset? I think it’s an even more beautiful photo with my son in it ❤️.

What special memories have you made this week? Typing them out or capturing them in some way can help you remember them!

Inspiring Finds: Nurturing Growing & Creativity

Learning and being inspired keeps our minds active and alive. These things can also lift our mood and help us become better human beings.

Here’s a mix of interesting words, inspiring thoughts and creative enjoyment I experienced this week:

• Podcast: Listening to the Writing Roots podcast has been excellent for brushing up on my dusty fiction writing skills.

• Substack: Phone Rules by Emily Mohn-Slate has prompted me to rethink my phone habits, especially around my kids.

• Website: Thereafterstory.com is a collaborative storytelling platform for writers and readers I found through TikTok. I always loved ‘choose your own ending’ stories as a kid, and it kind of feels like that to me. What a fun idea!

• Book: I'm currently reading The Last Hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith. A sci-fi space opera romance that has some elements similar to a sci-fi story I've been writing for years. Here is one of my favourite quotes so far: 'If Scott’s ability to bullshit his fellow Manifestors could be likened to the sole of her boot, the talent, like the tread, could stay more or less intact even as the glue behind it failed.'

What has inspired you or taught you something new this week?

Keeping Life Interesting: Creative Outlets and Fun Hobbies

Life can be mundane, so it’s always nice to indulge in something creative or interesting to break up the monotony. Here’s what I’ve been up to lately to keep life interesting:

Fiction Writing

I have been writing fiction on and off for the last 10 years, however, life and other distractions often get in the way. I am back on the creative writing train yet again to hopefully finish one of my 4 half-written stories.

The two I’m focusing on are my Australian coming-of-age musical romance set in the year 2000, and my spicy sci-fi space opera with elements of Sailor Moon, V (the reptilian one) and Maleficent with bad-ass female characters. Both stories have been lots of fun to write over the years and I hope to get them out into the world one day.

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Playing with AI tools has been an easy, mobile-friendly creative outlet for me. I highly recommend trying the variety of tools out there if you’re short on time.

Quirky Nonsense Podcast

I created a podcast for fun using AI. It's called 'Quirky Nonsense'. I asked Claude to create an episode that Millennials would love, so it came up with a script about how to manifest your dreams with avocado toast. Lol!

Listen to it here

Suno AI music

I asked the AI music generator Suno to create a song about a fairy lost in a scary forest. It’s a delightful little tune with some adorable lyrics. But why is it soo good!?!?

Listen to it here

What hobbies or creative outlets did you indulge in recently?

Reality Check: Navigating Life’s Challenges

I find venting about struggles I face in life just as therapeutic as embracing joy. Writing about or vocalising the tougher moments in life helps us to process them and knowing we're not alone in these struggles is helpful too, so here are some minor struggles I faced this week:

• Fitted sheets - I don't know why but putting a fitted sheet on a mattress enrages me. It's always a struggle for me that's not helped when I have two toddlers hindering my progress.

• Chaotic mum life - Life with two young kids feels like a perpetual whirlwind of chaos. It's equal parts beautiful, frustrating and overwhelming. I wouldn't change it for the world, but that fact won't stop me from venting about how hard parenting can be some days.

• Old sandals - My favourite and much loved - Queenslander mum who loves a bargain - sandals are slowly deteriorating beneath my feet with every park, playground and shopping centre I subject them to. I want a new pair of the same ones but I can’t seem to find them 🙁.

• Backyard woes - We call this our rock field (photo below), also known as the neglected corner of our backyard. Dilapidated, pointless and void of anything other than pointy pebbles, old concrete, broken fence palings and overgrown plants. A waste of space we would love to transform into a kid-friendly haven if we had the time or money to do it. Hopefully, we will get there one day.

What do you feel like venting about this week? this is your safe space! No judgment here.

As we navigate the beautiful mess of life, remember that embracing authenticity, finding joy in the little things, and supporting one another through the ups and downs is what makes the journey so incredibly worthwhile – so keep sharing your stories, your laughter, and your love, and through this substack, I hope that we can build an amazing community of real, imperfect, and absolutely wonderful humans.