Add to List - #40
Fighting with my Family, Nobody Wants This and the Autumn Substack meet up
How many times do people give you a recommendation and you say ‘Oh, really? Cool. I’ll add it to the list!’ and then you go away and do not add it to any list anywhere?
Well, I present you with Add to List: the Sunday newsletter containing small things that brought joy, evoked an emotional reaction or became some short-lived stability for me in the past 7 days.
Thanks for reading!
Obsession
An oldie, but a real goodie.
This WME pro-wrestling drama set between Norwich and the US, starring Jack Lowden and Florence Pugh, is a film that goes hard on the punches, easy on the eyes but heavy on the soul. With brilliant comedy writing and direction from Stephen Merchant, you’ll laugh-out-loud, maybe cry and, definitely cheer audibly at the television.
Your Sunday night sorted. If you disagree then I’ll wrestle ya.
Confession
Not my own, but confessions nonetheless.
I LOVED this relationship secret feature from Stylist. Slow clap for whoever brainstormed the idea of women anonymously revealing the one thing they’ve kept from their partners for years. A eye-opening exposé on the shame so many feel in dating and, how it might hold us back from sharing truer parts of ourselves.
Shook
How our Substack community is growing but how warm and cosy it still feels.
On Wednesday, at the same pub seven very nervous Substackers sat in early January 2024,
and I hosted our Autumn Substack meet up!As always, it was a wonderful evening mingling and understanding each others Substack paths, inspirations and challenges. Substackers are just the most friendly and interesting bunch of people you’ll ever meet!
I’ve been enjoying catching up on posts from some of our first-time attendees (
, , , , and ). They all write brilliantly — give them a follow!I reconnected with the inspiring woman behind Wendesday Wonders,
, and we discussed book recommendations for instilling creativity. Plus, I got the latest update directly from about his exciting, ’s Kickstarter.
I was able to reignite creative discussions in person with some of the lovely meetup old-timers (those who have been coming since those very first shy and small encounters). Shout out to some of our originals:
, , and . It’s been beautiful to see their subscribers grow, read their work as they evolve their ideas and see how their Substacks become part of their bigger creative and life plans. They are all so talented. I have a magical feeling about them.It’s so nice that despite how our meet up numbers significantly grow, it always feels just as nourishing and cosy as those small seedling socials that started earlier this year.
Cook
Gluten-free food.
I’ve been a little under the weather recently. Itchy skin, digestive problems, headaches…it’s not been pleasant. I worry living in Italy, I may have developed an intolerance. First off the decks = gluten.
I managed to get a great gluten-free fish and chips at the pub with
on Friday. We chatted at length about Substack growth and the deep-fried goodness, fuelled a productive typing session for me which will be publishing next week.I am, however, craving an autumnal cinnamon bun like nothin’ else.
Book
Conversations on Love, Natasha Lunn
An anthology of interviews from some of the world’s wisest icons of love, friendship and relationships including Esther Perel, Alain de Botton, Phillipa Perry and Dolly Alderton.
I loved this from Alain de Botton on striving for perfection when finding love:
“This black and white model of ‘it's got be like this and then it will be perfect' just doesn't work. It doesn't mater who you meet or when you meet them; there's pain and joy on each side of the ledger. So don't stick rigidly to one story about what your life means, because it's likely to be wrong. In fact, there are many ways of living this life.”
This book is a great one to dip in and out of, but don’t take it for granted; you’ll want to re-read and highlight sections. There’s nuggets of wisdom in every chapter.
Can’t Stop Scanning
Nobody Wants This content.
I have watched the whole of this well-written, heart-warming show and dived into a interview rabbit-hole just trying to understand how they created such perfect, romantically-enviable chemistry. That first kiss? Wow. The snogging at the start of every episode? So believable. The awkward truthful conversations that don’t flow but always end in some form of short-term resolution? Spot on.
It’s so refreshing to see the types of all-too-familiar jealously, the unhinged behaviour and the insecurity warts-and-all that come with being a modern day female entering a new relationship.
I was never an O.C. fan back in the day but I still whole-heartedly champion this Adam Brody renaissance. Anyone know of any hot single rabbis they can hook me up with? But, please, no ‘sport coats’ like Joanne, that would have me running for the hills. Ick.
Forward Planning
Submission reading. Writing. Job Applying.
Today the submissions for our reproductive rights fundraiser, RE-PRODUCTION close. If you know anyone who might have work which fits the brief and would be interested in sharing with us, please do share the link with them, we’d love to read it.
I’m also settling into the new normal of freelance life. It’s terrifying. It’s thrilling. It’s exciting. It’s exhausting.
I’ve made a plan for my week which involves a balance of creating, relating, editing and exercising as well as job applying. The hard part isn’t making the plan but, sticking to it. Let’s go!
Fancy dress in December? Let’s take this up a notch. I might have my Dick Dastardly outfit somewhere from the last office party in 20XX
So gutted to have missed the meet-up, but stoked about the Christmas party! 🥳😘