Hello to friends old and new! Some of you will be coming here with probably a little too much information about my life and lens already, but for those who I haven’t yet met online or IRL, I wanted to give a little flavour of what’s to come…
After 15 years working as a fashion, lifestyle and features journalist on titles including Grazia, Glamour and Sunday Times Style and now nearly a decade of posting pictures of myself accompanied with a paragraph-long captions on Instagram, I’ve been looking for a new home to share, let’s just say, a little more depth 🤣.
I want this to be a space where we can have truly nuanced conversations with ideas and arguments given space to breathe. While the world around us becomes ever increasingly binary, I want to create a space to explore the middle, the thorny, the bits the world has forgotten about. Because, for me at least, those have always been the most interesting bits. Unfortunately, traditional journalism doesn’t always agree, with editors wanting you to express a singular opinion and be resolute in what you believe. The most successful are righteous in their views, because that is what makes the splash. Paragraphs where you qualify your argument are cut, stories which even partially fence-sit are spiked and often when I read myself back in print, I find myself sounding messianic rather than measured. An entire industry has been clickbaitified. That’s not just a worry for writers. It’s a worry for society.
Conversely, I truly believe that seeing the world in black and white deprives us all of the richness of the bit in between - the not exactly crystal clear shades of grey.
So that’s why I’m here, on Substack. To change all that. to explore the ‘grey’. I hope you’ll join me for the ride.
So how is this going to work?
I’m glad you asked. Basically there are three main types of membership.
Become a FREE subscriber!
As a free subscriber, you’ll receive a weekly newsletter of my honest reflections, spanning everything I’m curious and excited about week in and week out. You will also get to comment and talk to members of this community. I’ve got plenty of serious things to talk about, but fear not, there’ll be a good quotient of well-considered puff too - after all, who doesn’t need to be silly and frivolous sometimes from time to time?
So you’ll get this newsletter delivered into your inbox every Sunday. Or if your inbox is groaning you can read me in the Substack app, which you can download here
Become a PAID subscriber for just £5 a month!
Firstly supporting my writing at this crucial crux in my career will mean the world to me. But if my gratitude is not enough, here’s what else you’ll get!
As well as the weekly column you will also get access to my monthly Ask Me Anything. This is a place where you can ask me anything about writing, fashion, beauty or, well..anything really! I’ll post this every month and you can simply write back to me with your questions.
You will also be given exclusive access to my weekly ‘Chat’. This is a bit like Whatsapp where you can talk to me and my community. It’s a lot of fun and is a completely private space for us to talk freely without the noise of social media. You will need the Substack app to take part, which you can find by clicking here
There will be other features too, all of them GOOD, I promise. But as yet, I’m not sure what that will look like. Rest assured, however, you will always be the first to know.
If you think you can afford this (slightly cheaper than a drink in a bar, so think of it like shouting me a glass of house red for my writing) then I’d be hugely grateful.
For those interested, click below and choose either my monthly or annual subscription.
Finally….there are a limited number of Founding Memberships
This is for those who want to engage on more of a personal level. You’ll get all of the benefits of a paid membership as well as a one-hour Zoom class with me. On the call, we can discuss anything of your choice- growing your social media empire, fashion, writing, how to make a tapestry frame. Whatever!
