To tell you the truth...
We didn't want to do a newsletter.
Everyone is doing a newsletter, we said.
No one needs another thing in their inbox, we said.
And then a friend’s weekly newsletter popped up and it made us smile. And another friend announced her new Substack, and we immediately subscribed. Turns out this is exactly what we want. We do want more. More from writers we love. More from artists we adore. More from other women+ we want to support. More room to engage content at our own pace and in our own time, when we have the capacity to sit and read and connect without constantly scrolling, scrolling, scrolling.
We want more moments that feel less frantic.
More mess, less polish.
More guts, less armor.
But honestly? Creating that kind of space feels vulnerable. Maybe that’s surprising, seeing as how so much of what we already share online, not to mention the book we’ve written, is pretty damn vulnerable. But something about wanting more connection and creating space for it feels even more so. We know the wound of losing communities we loved. We know the sting of betrayal and the phantom faith that comes from choosing to belong to ourselves over belonging to others. We know the cost of telling the truth.
And yet here we are. Believing in more.
We had to admit we actually do want to create a newsletter. We actually do want to show up in your inbox with more of what we are currently thinking about and working on and to hear from you in return.
The two of us have had the unique experience of co-authoring something beautiful from a space of mutual support. To Tell You the Truth is an extension of that same sacred mutuality.
This is us holding ground for the belief that taking time to sit with each other’s stories is valuable. It’s the same reason we wrote the book. Our personal experiences may be our own, but the truths of our collective experiences are universal. We find ourselves between the pages of each others’ lives, around each others’ fires - whether on paper or this screen.
Each week we’ll strike up another fire to gather around, tell stories, and bear witness to the light of those we stand alongside.
Because that’s what we want more of.
THE HYPE
celebrating the work of women who inspire us.
Stephanie Greene, Wild Soul
Steph is the creator of the Wild Soul Community, an online space where she writes, leads classes, hosts guest creators, and cultivates rich conversation. Her commitment to advocacy is equal parts fierce voice and gentle wisdom. Steph’s table is a safe place where everyone belongs and her door is always open (as long as weapons get left in the yard). She leaves the light on as she reclaims her own territory and, with her hands at our back, inspires us to do the same.
“I hope today you remember that dark stretches of life are inevitable. They just are. But you aren't bad or broken or wrong or being punished when you encounter them - you’re human. And, even though I can’t change the lines on your map, I can be here to remind you that you aren’t alone.” @wildsoulcommunity, Instagram
You can find Steph at her website, on Substack, on Instagram, and on TikTok.