Recommended by Amy Brown
From one of the most talented writers I know, a seeker like me, you'll want to subscribe to Tracey's Stack as she describes it here: Writing as discovery, revelation, healing, hope, and love. Personal essays about discovering my secret identity, mothers, fathers, daughters, the cascading effects of childhood trauma, and the cost of keeping secrets from ourselves and our loved ones.
You don’t want to miss Erin’s sharp, funny, compassionate, honest take (both here and on her podcast) on how women over 40 are reclaiming their hotness in every way, looking honestly at the next half of their lives with a new set of dreams. If you want to feel good in the world and in your own skin and you're ready to change, even if it means blowing up some or all of the lives you so painstakingly built, Erin's your woman. Great insights and great thought provoking guests and content.
Jenn Baljko, based in Barcelona, is a creativity kindler, author and mindful writing coach who is magic both in person and online, through her writing and workshops. If you want more joy in your life, especially as a pre- peri- or post-menopausal woman, she's the one to turn to. Plus, she has done some incredible things, like a 3.5 year, 16,000 trek from Bangkok to Barcelona and made a documentary about it!
Need more fun in your life? Subscribe to Just For Fun! Part poet, part mischief-maker, fully fluent in whimsy, Francesca Bossert moves between Switzerland and Spain. Her poetry book, Illicit Croissants At Dawn, has been described as playful and emotional, and her romcom, Just Like A Movie, as quirky and fantastic!
Jennifer Bridgeman is one of the most talented writers I know and I am so excited to see her join Substack with her essays on the magic and messiness of being human.
David Whyte's poetry is profound, beautiful and universal in its simplicity. In every poem, I recognize myself, our shared humanity, our connection to the earth, to the past, present and future, and to possibility. When I want to connect to destiny--to my dharma--I always turn to David's poetry.
The Midst is a media and lifestyle platform for women in their 40s and into their 50s. We are transforming the conversation about these decades in women’s lives: no one is "over the hill" — they're in the prime of their lives. I like their thoughtful content that empowers women in their 40s, 50s and beyond to reimagine this period as a time of growth, exploration, and possibility.
A beautiful home for the kindest of communities, led by the remarkable Suleika Jaouad. She writes straight from her heart, inspiring the same from all of us. I always get something out of the weekly prompts and monthly calls to write together in community.
Matt Lilywhite offers not only gives smart advice on being a successful newsletter writer and make it profitable, but he also inspires us to take a step back often and remember the reason we are doing this: for the stories we have to share, and the connections we seek to make.
Corie Feiner is a gifted poet and poetry teacher who specializes in poetry of the body combined with somatic practices. Her BodyLove Poetry Workshop is a treasure. And if you love yoga, she's got a poem for every pose!
I love Emma's prolific writing, her smart and fresh takes on all kinds of topics but especially on wellbeing, creativity and the nature of modern-day work and why being a "hypenate," that is, being lots of different things at once, is so much fun.
Jane is such a source of inspiration to me, giving a platform to writers with deep and fresh insights on their craft (and life) and a wonderful Q&A in the Beyond Questionnaire.
Alecia writes beautifully about the courage to begin again. At any age. Especially when the roles of our earlier lives begin to drop away. Alecia has made many life-upending changes during the years, and has now landed in a full time life in Italy with her partner Lee. Glimpses of her beautiful Renaissance Life (Alecia is an interior designer) feed my soul, as do her deep reflections on how we are constantly growing and change. We are kindred souls and I think you will become one, too!
Everything you need to know about publishing in Courtney's wise and compassionate voice.
Laura is a writer and passionate storyteller who wholeheartedly believes that sharing stories is the biggest gift we can give each other to remove stigma, shame and judgement.
![[B]OLD AGE with Debbie Weil](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_2qg!,w_144,h_144,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6493b50c-3be4-412b-8440-a01e44af10a5_1000x1000.png)
This invitation to love ourselves better couldn't come at a better time for our society and it doesn't surprise me one bit that it came from the magnificent Liz Gilbert, as generous with her heart as any human I know. I would love to see all of us adopt her practice of writing love letters to ourselves.
Are you a good girl who wants to change that mindset? I know I've carried that lifelong societal and familial message. Michelle McQuaid has the insights, the tools and the support to change that narrative. Highly recommend checking it out!
Rebecca Makkai is funny, honest and so sharp about the writing process. She brings compassion and so much knowledge and her incredible talent to help us hone the art of writing novels. One of my favorite writing teachers here on Substack.
Written by Victoria Chin, who has been on a rollercoaster journey caring for both her parents, this newsletter offers a wealth of insights, tools and learnings to help carers on their journey, with great empathy in her writing.
Amanda Hinton is that rare bird: a heart-led, compassionate and whip-smart editor with in-depth understanding of the Substack platform, devoted to helping us find and trust our authentic voice as writers. She offers encouragement and practical steps to grow as writers while protecting our soft, supple, creative center. If you're a writer, you want her in your inbox.
As Jan writes in her bio: "Exploring the third act of life with creativity, courage, curiosity — and a few laughs. Life's a wild ride. Buckle up." If you're a woman like me also in your third act, you'll want to be part of Jan's world. I am always finding something to inspire me when I read her work.
I love Kristi's honest and compassionate space for growth-minded women who are done with diets and defining their success by their appearance.
If you're looking for a good read and writing advice, I highly recommend subscribing to the Auraist for their picks of the best-written books from US & UK prize shortlists & major reviews, along with masterclasses by their (sometimes world-famous) authors on prose style.
I love Dacy's approach to help women uncover their authentic style. She uses principles of intuitive eating and Health At Every Size in her work. She not only encourages women to question everything the culture has taught them about style but also gets into all the adjacent topics like diet culture, mental health, parenting, and more. Plus, great shopping tips and recommendations. Depressed when you open your closet? Dacy's got the answer.
Teneia Sanders is an incredibly talented singer-songwriter who is also gifted in the healing arts. She shares all of that wisdom and energy with honesty in a spirit of joy. Her newsletter is for all creators and all humans who want to feel more aligned with the flow of their art, and their lives. She's walked the path, and she shows us how.
For generous, insightful creative writing advice from an experienced MFA instructor and author, Aimee's newsletter is a great place for mentorship, advice, encouragement and craft tips that make me think in new ways about my novel in progress.
One of the best creative writing teachers on Substack. Her own writing shimmers on the page. She is also incredibly generous and interactive with readers in the comments. It's a warm and welcoming community.
Tracy is a lovely, heart-led, faith-based writer who ponders life, faith, happiness, and all the hard things that make us human. She is just starting out on her Substack journey so let's give her a boost with a subscription.
I learn so much from every conversation Michelle Hoover has with the writers she invites to share their craft with us. Both Michelle and the authors are so generous, and open and encouraging about the process of writing a novel. She has helped make first pages less daunting for me, among other tricky parts of writing a novel. Highly recommend!