To dump or not to dump, that is the question
And a welcome return to my beloved capital letters (there was some concern – I am okay)
I’ve made this post free to read for ALL subscribers, because I genuinely need everyone’s help. DO read on.
I’ve often wanted to ‘hop on’ here as the influencers would say, and brain dump all of the bizarre thoughts I feel the urge to share on a daily basis (like, this morning, for instance, when the first thing I absolutely HAD to talk to my husband about upon opening my eyes was TKXXXXXXXX). Or to just share a brilliant TV or podcast recommendation. Or just to wonder out loud what the HELL is going on around here (here = the world).
But I don’t, because I feel like I should keep up the ‘standard’ (questionable, I know) that I’ve set for myself here, which isn’t so much a diary, quick jump into a topic, but more formal, images placed, Ts crossed and Is dotted.
Often, what I post here is considered, researched where applicable and (hopefully) well-written. But what I’ve come to realise is – what I actually LOVE reading from others on Substack is different. I really enjoy those total train-of-thought pieces that run through the maze that is someone else’s mind. I love seeing where their topic brings them, and me.
Now, whether they’re actually train-of-thought or whether they just present that way is another matter, but some I’ve loved recently were this piece on why we need everyone to know how smart we are by Ayushi Thakkar, and this one by my fave, Clara, on group chats, Rachel Zegler and following the rules – not to diminish the effort that goes into these beautifully written pieces: My own train of thought could literally never be so refined and well formed.
So I’ll level with you: What I’m doing is resonating with many of you – some, mercifully, so much so that you willingly financially support me. However, it’s not resonating enough that I’m still growing on here, and I would like that to change. Je suis absolutely plateauing, guys. My goal was always 500 paid subs by the end of 2025, and in order to get there, maybe I need to change things up? Question mark?
Substack, meanwhile, is also changing slightly and has morphed from this super safe space for almost exclusively writers into something a little more Wild West in nature, but for now, I want to be here and I want to grow with you guys. Honestly, I have four other jobs going at the moment, filling my weeks to capacity, all stressing me out to some degree, and if I got to 500 paid subs I could can most of them and write full time. Which, to me, is the Final Boss in terms of career levels.
I don’t know what that means yet, but that’s where YOU come in. I know Substack isn’t Instagram, and feedback isn’t forthcoming – 20 likes here feels like 1,000 on Instagram, for real – but I really genuinely would love input from you, my reader, to whom I am ridiculously and endlessly grateful, as to what you might like to see/read/hear from me in future. I want to create, I want to write, and I want my work to resonate and help or entertain or inform. Whatever shape that takes it fine with me.
I would LOVE to hear from you. No really, please. FIVE mins of your time.
I’d love to know –
what you’ve read and liked
what you didn’t love as much
and what you think I could take a good stab at
any particular reason why you’re subscribed but not upgraded to paid yet (no offence will be taken I promise!)
anything else, incl. but not limited to pics of your cute dog (no d*ck pics pls, keep it clean)
You can email me here:
aislingmkeenan@gmail.com
And I WILL reply and I WILL send you endless good juju and I WILL do my best to be the Substack you all want me to be. Within reason – this will not be transforming into a foot content OnlyFans, though some say it should.
LOTS OF LOVE (please email me)
Photo by Vishal Yadav on Unsplash