Hi Lee, thanks for another great newsletter. Your red flowers beautiful!
My thoughts are I really like the weekly newsletter being on substack, I like being able to comment and see other people’s thoughts. I also really like being able to subscribe to your writing and give you support as I have enjoyed your writing/posts for years. I subscribe to three writers on substack and a musician on patreon (the two writers recently moved to substack from patreon.) I do wonder if people have got used to not paying for writing, before digital media there used to be morning/evening newspapers, magazines, zines, publications that you would buy or go to the library to read, so I think it’s good there’s a simple way here for writer’s to offer their work for payment.
I think it’s totally fine to stick with the newsletter, that’s what we’re here 🙂
I really like your blog and hope you do add posts when you can. The style journal is excellent, as I’m in Australia our seasons don’t match so I’m used to looking for your older posts to find the right season for me. I’ll still look at you Fall/Autumn mood board, but then go look at your summer advice after that!
I love seeing your posts from Steep Hill, building, nature, pets. I like how you write about different areas of life including style.
Kirra, thank you for such a kind and encouraging response. I'm so happy you're enjoying the newsletter on Substack. I enjoy it for all the same reasons you mentioned. I also agree with your thoughts on how we've perhaps been conditioned to not pay for writing and content these days. I remember the quote, "If you're not paying for the product, then you're the product." from the Social Dilemma and it has always stuck with me. I also try to view my subscriptions on Patreon and Substack like I do with intentional style/slow fashion. I have to be thoughtful and selective about what is going to enrich my life most. Your support means so much and I hope you're having a beautiful spring in Australia!
I’m a high school teacher. There’s nothing like “facing your cringe” more than standing up in front of a room full of (deeply insecure) 14-year olds who cringe at almost everything I say, every single day. My takeaway from 12 years of teaching sometimes-insecure teenagers: lean into the cringe. Your audience benefits from it, and they grow, because they see a model and start to embrace their own cringe, whether they’re teenagers or subscribers, or teenage-subscribers. They need to see your authenticity because they’re surrounded by anything but authenticity. (And for what it’s worth, as someone who is “cringed” at every day at work haha, you have been one of my favourite blog follows for a while. A+, Lee!!)
Noelle, this gave me a good laugh and such a boost. Thank you! You’re a true hero for facing that level of scrutiny everyday. I totally agree, authenticity for the win always. Your students are lucky to have you!
Sep 30, 2023·edited Sep 30, 2023Liked by Lee the Bee
I’ll miss the weekly sentiments! It’s one of my favorite parts of the Friday newsletters and often prompts a journal entry for me. I agree with Hanusia, your blog has been one of my top favorites and I miss the more regular blog posts. As busy as life is, your work and content are something I savor each week!
Thanks Lillie, I’m so glad you enjoy the weekly sentiments and don’t worry because they’re staying in the newsletter! I’m just not going to be posting them as a separate thread/post here on Substack. I did that for a few weeks and it was just feeling a bit unnecessary. I really appreciate the blog love and kind words. More posts to come for sure!
Thank you for the shoutout, Lee! I love your weekly newsletter (and all your content) and always love seeing your name pop up in my feed. I agree with you that being in Substack feels so creatively energizing at the moment. It’s let me take a step away from social media (yay!) and consume content at my own pace, which I absolutely love.
Thanks so much Michelle! I'm with you 100% on the creative energy here (it's almost more intense than I was anticipating lol) and discovering writers and creatives that I might not have found otherwise (yourself included!). I'm ALL for stepping back from social media and love that Substack lets me stay connected in an intentional way. Cheers to continued creative joy!
This is going to sound very similar to Hanusia's comments...But I really miss your blog! Your weekly round up is a nice thing, but not why I come to you in particular. I paid for a sub in the hopes that it will encourage some clothing/style content again, even if it's in this newsletter as opposed to on a blog (I guess I'm the only one reading blogs these days?). I hope I will be able to continue to support you long-term, but I also agree that the Substacks are getting out of hand. I can't afford to subsidize every single writer/blogger on this platform whose content I enjoy. I have to be really choosy, and I feel bad about that, but it's not sustainable long-term. I actually just subscribed to 2 magazines recently, because it's a much more affordable way to support a larger number of writers. I hope the pendulum will swing around again. This is not your issue, I know, but just letting you know the context in which some of us read or subscribe to newsletters! In the meantime, I hope you're able to find a way to create that works for you AND your loyal readers!
Thanks so much for your support and the kind words about my blog Caitlin! Your perspective on Substack is totally fair and I feel the same in many respects. That’s why the Friday newsletter is free and will remain so. I do intend to share more style content again soon and I sincerely appreciate your encouragement towards that. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
I’m glad you’re enjoying Substack, but I really hope this doesn’t mean you are scaling down on blog posts as a result! Your blog is one of my favorites and I’ve been missing seeing posts there lately.
On a bigger scale, I appreciate being able to follow along with many creators on Substack, but I don’t have the budget to subscribe to most of them. I feel like eventually, the model will circle back around to larger publications vs. the channelled approach of paying for individual writers’ work- kind of like how the streaming TV model is now circling back to bigger conglomerates and bundled subscriptions.
Thanks so much for this note and feedback Hanusia. I really appreciate your readership of the blog and I'm glad to hear it still has a place in your time online. I'm still working out where my time and creative energy is best directed. I've seen some folks posting to both their blogs and on substack so perhaps this is something I will do going forward.
I hear you about not being able to support each writer/creative individually and wonder if Substack will offer something like a general subscription where you can access multiple (or all) substacks for a flat rate.
Always appreciate you reading and being here! Have a great weekend. xo
I’m new to your Substack, having stumbled across it via another creator, and I’m so glad to find you! I’ll check out your blog as well. I’m trying to wrap my head around blogging vs Substack and how to manage them both. Pleased to see those sentiments echoed in your writing here.
Hi Lisa, Welcome! I'm so glad you found your way here. Its good to hear I'm not alone in my blogging vs substack quandaries. Only so many hours in the day. I've seen a few bloggers posting excerpts on their blogs and then the full post on Substack. I think that can help readers move over to this space but it's definitely not without time involved. The cost of hosting a site with 10 years of photo heavy content is also non-trivial. Anyway, lots to ponder. Thanks for chiming in!
Lee, I’ve loved your blog for many years and hope it continues, or at least doesn’t get taken down! I’ve gone back to it over the years for your product reviews or when I’ve “finally” bought something you’ve previously styled and I need tips. I do love your newsletters too 😀. Social media is such a fast moving place these days, that even as just a consumer it can feel overwhelming trying to keep up! I usually save Feedly blogs for a big weekend session, and also my fave YouTube clogs to watch. It must be equally overwhelming being a content creator!
Thanks for the kind words and your longtime support Miriam! It means a lot to know that you can see the challenges and appreciate the overwhelm of creating content for platforms that are ever changing (including this one). I love that you bank your favourite content for a weekend catch up, that's a great idea. I hope you have a lovely one!
Another voice in support of your blog. Have been a long time reader. And I’ll echo they more eloquent comments about how Substack feels very unsustainable. I hope it’s a short term trend, or changes format in some way, as most of us can’t afford to subscribe to each paid newsletter as much as we want to support the creators and writers we admire and enjoy.
Hi Lee, thanks for another great newsletter. Your red flowers beautiful!
My thoughts are I really like the weekly newsletter being on substack, I like being able to comment and see other people’s thoughts. I also really like being able to subscribe to your writing and give you support as I have enjoyed your writing/posts for years. I subscribe to three writers on substack and a musician on patreon (the two writers recently moved to substack from patreon.) I do wonder if people have got used to not paying for writing, before digital media there used to be morning/evening newspapers, magazines, zines, publications that you would buy or go to the library to read, so I think it’s good there’s a simple way here for writer’s to offer their work for payment.
I think it’s totally fine to stick with the newsletter, that’s what we’re here 🙂
I really like your blog and hope you do add posts when you can. The style journal is excellent, as I’m in Australia our seasons don’t match so I’m used to looking for your older posts to find the right season for me. I’ll still look at you Fall/Autumn mood board, but then go look at your summer advice after that!
I love seeing your posts from Steep Hill, building, nature, pets. I like how you write about different areas of life including style.
That is an epic amount of tomatoes! 🍅
Kirra, thank you for such a kind and encouraging response. I'm so happy you're enjoying the newsletter on Substack. I enjoy it for all the same reasons you mentioned. I also agree with your thoughts on how we've perhaps been conditioned to not pay for writing and content these days. I remember the quote, "If you're not paying for the product, then you're the product." from the Social Dilemma and it has always stuck with me. I also try to view my subscriptions on Patreon and Substack like I do with intentional style/slow fashion. I have to be thoughtful and selective about what is going to enrich my life most. Your support means so much and I hope you're having a beautiful spring in Australia!
I’m a high school teacher. There’s nothing like “facing your cringe” more than standing up in front of a room full of (deeply insecure) 14-year olds who cringe at almost everything I say, every single day. My takeaway from 12 years of teaching sometimes-insecure teenagers: lean into the cringe. Your audience benefits from it, and they grow, because they see a model and start to embrace their own cringe, whether they’re teenagers or subscribers, or teenage-subscribers. They need to see your authenticity because they’re surrounded by anything but authenticity. (And for what it’s worth, as someone who is “cringed” at every day at work haha, you have been one of my favourite blog follows for a while. A+, Lee!!)
Noelle, this gave me a good laugh and such a boost. Thank you! You’re a true hero for facing that level of scrutiny everyday. I totally agree, authenticity for the win always. Your students are lucky to have you!
I’ll miss the weekly sentiments! It’s one of my favorite parts of the Friday newsletters and often prompts a journal entry for me. I agree with Hanusia, your blog has been one of my top favorites and I miss the more regular blog posts. As busy as life is, your work and content are something I savor each week!
Thanks Lillie, I’m so glad you enjoy the weekly sentiments and don’t worry because they’re staying in the newsletter! I’m just not going to be posting them as a separate thread/post here on Substack. I did that for a few weeks and it was just feeling a bit unnecessary. I really appreciate the blog love and kind words. More posts to come for sure!
Thank you for the shoutout, Lee! I love your weekly newsletter (and all your content) and always love seeing your name pop up in my feed. I agree with you that being in Substack feels so creatively energizing at the moment. It’s let me take a step away from social media (yay!) and consume content at my own pace, which I absolutely love.
Thanks so much Michelle! I'm with you 100% on the creative energy here (it's almost more intense than I was anticipating lol) and discovering writers and creatives that I might not have found otherwise (yourself included!). I'm ALL for stepping back from social media and love that Substack lets me stay connected in an intentional way. Cheers to continued creative joy!
This is going to sound very similar to Hanusia's comments...But I really miss your blog! Your weekly round up is a nice thing, but not why I come to you in particular. I paid for a sub in the hopes that it will encourage some clothing/style content again, even if it's in this newsletter as opposed to on a blog (I guess I'm the only one reading blogs these days?). I hope I will be able to continue to support you long-term, but I also agree that the Substacks are getting out of hand. I can't afford to subsidize every single writer/blogger on this platform whose content I enjoy. I have to be really choosy, and I feel bad about that, but it's not sustainable long-term. I actually just subscribed to 2 magazines recently, because it's a much more affordable way to support a larger number of writers. I hope the pendulum will swing around again. This is not your issue, I know, but just letting you know the context in which some of us read or subscribe to newsletters! In the meantime, I hope you're able to find a way to create that works for you AND your loyal readers!
Thanks so much for your support and the kind words about my blog Caitlin! Your perspective on Substack is totally fair and I feel the same in many respects. That’s why the Friday newsletter is free and will remain so. I do intend to share more style content again soon and I sincerely appreciate your encouragement towards that. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
I’m glad you’re enjoying Substack, but I really hope this doesn’t mean you are scaling down on blog posts as a result! Your blog is one of my favorites and I’ve been missing seeing posts there lately.
On a bigger scale, I appreciate being able to follow along with many creators on Substack, but I don’t have the budget to subscribe to most of them. I feel like eventually, the model will circle back around to larger publications vs. the channelled approach of paying for individual writers’ work- kind of like how the streaming TV model is now circling back to bigger conglomerates and bundled subscriptions.
Thanks so much for this note and feedback Hanusia. I really appreciate your readership of the blog and I'm glad to hear it still has a place in your time online. I'm still working out where my time and creative energy is best directed. I've seen some folks posting to both their blogs and on substack so perhaps this is something I will do going forward.
I hear you about not being able to support each writer/creative individually and wonder if Substack will offer something like a general subscription where you can access multiple (or all) substacks for a flat rate.
Always appreciate you reading and being here! Have a great weekend. xo
I’m new to your Substack, having stumbled across it via another creator, and I’m so glad to find you! I’ll check out your blog as well. I’m trying to wrap my head around blogging vs Substack and how to manage them both. Pleased to see those sentiments echoed in your writing here.
Hi Lisa, Welcome! I'm so glad you found your way here. Its good to hear I'm not alone in my blogging vs substack quandaries. Only so many hours in the day. I've seen a few bloggers posting excerpts on their blogs and then the full post on Substack. I think that can help readers move over to this space but it's definitely not without time involved. The cost of hosting a site with 10 years of photo heavy content is also non-trivial. Anyway, lots to ponder. Thanks for chiming in!
Lee, I’ve loved your blog for many years and hope it continues, or at least doesn’t get taken down! I’ve gone back to it over the years for your product reviews or when I’ve “finally” bought something you’ve previously styled and I need tips. I do love your newsletters too 😀. Social media is such a fast moving place these days, that even as just a consumer it can feel overwhelming trying to keep up! I usually save Feedly blogs for a big weekend session, and also my fave YouTube clogs to watch. It must be equally overwhelming being a content creator!
Thanks for the kind words and your longtime support Miriam! It means a lot to know that you can see the challenges and appreciate the overwhelm of creating content for platforms that are ever changing (including this one). I love that you bank your favourite content for a weekend catch up, that's a great idea. I hope you have a lovely one!
Another voice in support of your blog. Have been a long time reader. And I’ll echo they more eloquent comments about how Substack feels very unsustainable. I hope it’s a short term trend, or changes format in some way, as most of us can’t afford to subscribe to each paid newsletter as much as we want to support the creators and writers we admire and enjoy.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for the kind words about my blog. Have a great weekend!