Welcome to The Navigation
Hello, hello, welcome, come on through, take a seat and make yourself comfy.
This is The Navigation, which is my attempt at carving out a space to explore the stresses, strains, surprises and sweetness of modern life as a millennial woman, through the written word. But written word that is hopefully somewhat engaging, thought-provoking, and helpful, for you as a reader, as opposed to all the non-sensical streams of consciousness I’m often scribing away in my journal.
As we’re getting to know each other, let me tell you a secret.
I want to be a writer.
Hardly groundbreaking. Not very original. And yet, as I’ve long told myself, and a handful of close confidants who I’ve found the courage to divulge this saucy piece of information to, unlikely to be something that would ever come true. Not something I’d ever be.
But, why not? (This is a phrase I’ve recently committed to using more, following a wonderfully supportive friend encouraging me to make a career move, and helping me break down barriers in my own mind with the simple phrase, why not… more on that another time).
Why not indeed. This is something I’ve been intently pondering, probably in the past few months or so, as I’ve thought more about how becoming a writer, or being a writer, is perhaps just about writing. Obviously, when I think about ‘being a writer’ what I’m really thinking of is being a New York Times bestseller, making a decent living from my words on a page connecting with the masses (or a big enough mass that would let me pay a mortgage), and with that ideas of being able to dictate my own schedule, manage my time and channel my creativity (which I’m pretty sure is in me, but laying dormant through lack of stimulation). But what if being a writer is actually more about the practice of writing, doing it for the enjoyment, exploring whether what you have to say resonates with others on a smaller scale than mortgage-paying mases, and see how it evolves from there?
And so, that is what I’ll be doing. This isn’t going to be a place where I’ll solely write about wanting to become a writer (though given the amount of podcasts and articles I consume on the topic, it may indeed feature) nor only about finding my way as a millennial women (though that is the lens with which I may often approach various subject matters). Instead it’ll be a place where I can explore all manner of topics, along the themes of exploring who we are, how we want to live, where are we going and how are we getting there. Indeed, as it says in the tagline, musings, meanderings, and methods.
I want this to be a bit of a creative playground for myself, and so there may be posts that veer slightly off the beaten path, but above are my initial intentions, to give you an idea of what you might be signing up for, should you wish to join this escapade and subscribe to The Navigation.
As I embark on this Substack journey, my intention currently is to offer two posts a month on alternating fortnights – one essay from me, sharing my musings/meandering/methods, and one round up of culture I’ve consumed through the month that has influenced how I’m navigating life, and therefore how it might help you too. At least for now, all will be free to any willing reader. Tell your friends.
I’ve published pieces in a few other places previously, perhaps most notably with Lazy Women. If you’d like a taste of what you can expect, please feel free to check out some articles here.
And actually, it was having my latest Lazy Women article picked up by
and included in her recent Sunday Scroll newsletter that gave me the push I needed to head on over to Substack and set something up for myself. I have been following Emma’s journey on the platform through her podcast and newsletter, lapping up all the inside info – though more as an avid fan of her work, than someone who was thinking of setting up a page myself.Because, of course, who would want to read it? Who would be interested in what I have to say? There are billions of amazing writers in the world, and so even if I do have something interesting to say, surely someone else will have said it better?
But being included in Emma’s round-up of reads was actually quite a magical feeling, and gave me the confidence boost I needed to get on my laptop that same afternoon, set up a page, create a logo, and play around with this platform to figure out what the heck I’m doing. Its taken me a few more days to write this intro post, but here we are, and I have written and you are reading… and thus, I am a writer? Descartes would be proud.
In addition to Emma Gannon, there is a long list of writers and podcasters whose insights and encouraging words have, I feel it’s worth saying, led me to this point. And so though it seems far too grandiose, I would like to offer somewhat of a ‘professional acknowledgements’ section here, to give a nod to thanks to those whose words I have held in my hands or embedded in my ears, and to hopefully pass forward this inspiration to anyone who may be still reading (this introductory post has been longer than intended – well done for sticking with it!).
So, in no particular order, inspiration drawn from but certainly not limited to:*
Emma Gannon
*(If I ever write a real book, I will of course be sure to include all my loved ones, and the life-saving WhatsApp groups, and the partner who cooks dinner and etc etc etc).
What these people, indeed mainly women, have in common is a penchant to create something new, or carve out space for themselves and others that didn’t exist, encourage others to find their niche and thrive within it. They emanate the need to be true to ourselves, to live our lives in a way that serves us, and others, and brings enjoyment along the way. They are funny, they are serious, they are passionate, they are informative. Accolades I hope one day might be directed towards this newsletter.
And so, now you know my secret, you know why I’m here, and what (or who) got me to this point. Moving forward, I guess the proof will be in the pudding, of my ability to show up every fortnight with something to say, with something I deem worthy to share with the world (or at least the small number of you who I know will always join me in support – thanks Mam).
Until next time, I bid you farewell, and happy navigating.
I’m so looking forward to meeting you IRL today! ☕️