Why Substack? Why Now?

Why Blog in the Year of Our Lord 2023...

Why Substack?

I came of age in the age of social media. I was in middle school when I first had a social media account. We have yet to fully comprehend the lasting effect social media will have on us personally, and our discourse corporately (Watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix for further consideration).

I confess, some of my days have been governed by the latest trending topics and debates that unraveled in niche pockets of Twitter. Other times, I rely on some of my favorite social media follows to do the heavy lifting which hinders me from honestly and critically assessing a topic at hand. We all have a decision to make. We have the responsibility to choose who we will be. I have fallen into the temptation of tweeting solely to go viral or gain some followers. I have even conducted myself on social media by how I want others to perceive me.

Maybe you can relate.

I lament that I missed out on the blogging era. I am not so naive as to think there were no similar frustrations then, that we find on more contemporary social media platforms now. But, I think being able to write one’s self clearly is something we have abandoned. We are conditioned to produce fragmented thoughts and ideas, and social media rewards this.

The benefit of long-form blog is space—space to think, process, engage with commenters in good faith, and most of all, space to write yourself clear.

I decided to limit my social media usage and invest in this little corner of God’s internet to reflect and just be. I want to become a better writer. I want to build a discipline for writing. I want the freedom to grow as a thinker and writer. I want to have the freedom to think thoughts and be wrong. I want to learn from the mistakes I am destined to make.

I am intrigued by Substack’s platform. I like its simplicity. I think the comment feature is great and is conducive to longer form engagement. I hope to cultivate a space, and a community of people who can sharpen my thinking or encourage me along the way.

Why Now?

As I mentioned in my first post, I am five months removed from Divinity School and five months into a new season of my life as a pastor. I am still learning who I am outside the structure and comfort of school. Last week, I came to terms with the fact that I do not care for myself well. As a result, my therapist encouraged me to explore new hobbies to bolster my “self-care muscles.” She shared with me a document with over 30 hobbies to consider. Starting a blog was one of them.

So, I started a blog.

I have always enjoyed writing. More often than not, I wrote because I had to. Now, I have the freedom and desire to write because I want to. I plan to use this space to reflect on where I am in life, process works I am reading, offer devotional reflection on Scripture that has captured my mind and anything in between. I hope to publish a post once or twice a week.

Admittedly, this is more for me than it may be for you. I am not doing it for proceeds or platform. I am exploring a new hobby. However, I welcome you along on this journey with me. I am learning as I go, and I am happy you are along the ride with me. Looking forward to learning with you!

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I want to hear from you!

What are some of your personal self-care habits/tips or favorite hobbies? Let me know in the comment section!

SH