This article is originally from September 2021 - and spans September - December 2021.
Okay, so I wasn’t going to do this whole newsletter thingy, but I thought, what have I got to lose? And to make it manageable, I decided I’d do a monthly newsletter that would come out at the end of each month, and each one would have a theme based on the articles I’d written/posted that month.
First, a note on the name of my newsletter — We Are Made of Stories.
One of my favourite quotes is from the astrophysicist Carl Sagan who said, ‘we are made of starstuff’. Such a simple yet eloquent and true statement. Because we’re made of the same elements as the stars. But as humans, we are also made of stories. Every one of us is composed of the experiences that make us who we are. And we are a storytelling species. We tell each other stories about who we are, and what shapes us. And as writers, we also tell stories about what makes us. Hence: We Are Made of Stories.
Since I joined Medium in September (well, my first post was August 30th, to be pedantic), this first newsletter will be a kind of rundown/summary of themes in September, October, November and December. And then come January, the newsletter will just be about…well, the overarching theme of what I write about in January (and onwards).
With that said, here’s what I’ve (mainly) written about in my first four months on Medium. I’ll link to each article that fits the topic, and mention the publication that it’s in.
September
THEME: Mental Health
Since my mom died 6 years ago at age 65, and then various other family members since then (grandma, aunt and uncle just since the pandemic alone), plus 2 dogs, I’ve come to be a big proponent on mental health and speaking (and writing) about it. And I’m also an editor (script editor to be specific) for the psychology and mental health company/YouTube channel Psych2Go (they do amazing animated videos to appeal to a younger demographic than what I am(college students and younger mainly) but I’ve been a fan of their videos for years before I started editing for them (and doing the very odd article). You can read more about my editing for them in the link below.
Before my mom died, I was a big lover of fantasy and sci-fi fiction and self-help books weren’t on my radar. Since then, for at least a couple years afterward, I read self-help book after self-help book. First on grief (understandably), and then anything else that appealed on how to be a better/happier/healthier version of myself.
Here are my pieces about mental health issues (me writing about the pandemic, editing and writing for Psych2Go, complaining about toxic positivity, tips on how to cope with tragedy and trauma).
Strong at the Broken Places — ramblings about how I’ve been getting through the pandemic — Inkslinger Magazine
Helping Mental Health One Edit at a Time — my work with Psych2Go — Inkslinger Magazine
The Anti-Self Care Revolution — me railing at the proliferation of toxic positivity/positivity memes /quotes — Illumination
9 Ways to Deal with Anxiety — a Psych2Go article — Illumination
6 Ways to Experience Grief — a Psych2Go article — Illumination
6 Fun Facts about Synesthesia — a Psych2Go article — Inkslinger Magazine
Comprehending the Incomprehensible — tips on dealing with tragedy — Inkslinger Magazine
October
THEME: Writing
It turns out, this month I wrote a lot about boosting fellow writer’s morale because it seems like a lot of people needed uplifting this month. I also wrote a fun piece on how NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) goes (at least for me, and that’s pretty much how it turned out). And how as writers, with great power comes great responsibility, and the pen is mightier than the sword and all that.
Stumbling into SEO — when one of my fictional stories on Vocal mysterious got lots of reads. I think it might’ve been the title. I need to learn more about SEO! — Inkslinger Magazine
Words have Power — we have an obligation as writers to realize the power of our words— Found in my Journal (FIMJ)
A Note to Fellow Writers — you are worthy. A morale boosting piece — FIMJ
Guide to NaNoWriMo — FIMJ
How Writing Can Save Your Life — me rambling about the benefits of writing — from letting off steam to boosting creativity by s stepping out of your comfort zone— FIMJ
November
THEME: Writing & Getting through the Pandemic
Okay, this was another month where I wrote about writing (I never really knew that writing about writing was such a thing until I started…writing on platforms like Medium and Vocal). And it seemed I submitted a bit to Writer’s Blokke! I also had a few pieces about things I’m doing or suggestions/recommendations/thoughts/ramblings about things you can do to help get you through these challenging times.
Writing:
Bringing back the Victorian Popularity of the Serialized Story— Writer’s Blokke
Hey Writer! Yes, you. Has Anyone told you lately? You suck.— all about that fun thing we all go through (right?!) Imposer syndrome — Writer’s Blokke
Wanna Give a Writer Feedback ? — Writer’s Blokke
Getting through the pandemic:
8 Reminders Keeping Me Sane in 2020/2021 — about mantras/touchstones that are keeping me going these last few years, from Stoic philosophy and Buddhism — Inkslinger Magazine
Silver Linings to the Years we would All Rather Forget — Coffee Times
December
THEME: Grief
Okay, I can feel you shutting your screen now… after all, who wants to read about grief and loss right now, at this time of year? The holiday season?! Yes, but…grief doesn’t take time off for the holidays sadly. And it’s something that can be more challenging during times like the end of year/holiday season.
Plus, this is my newsletter, and grief is something that I’m dealing with right now — it’s when I lost my mom, and sadly, I just lost my senior rescue dog, Penny, that I just had for two years and wished we could have had for eternity, so I’ve written about going through all of that — before losing her, and after (which was just 3 days ago — insert crying emoji here).
Is it Possible to Love One’s Fate — about the Stoic philosophical mantra called Amor Fati (Latin for ‘love one’s fate ) — FIMJ
How Grief Changes You (a journey of post-traumatic growth) — Growing Grief
Navigating Grief — Growing Grief
Things Not to Say to Someone Grieving — Growing Grief
A Poem That Gets Me Through Challenging Times — highlighting my favourite poem Desiderata— The Shortform
The Diamond Within — Growing Grief
How to Survive Grief — Growing Grief
So that’s the roundup and the end of my first Medium Newsletter! I hope you’ve enjoyed it and don’t worry, next month will just be ONE theme and I’ll be able to write more on that single topic. Thanks for reading and until next time, friends! Take care.
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Copyright Caitlin McColl 2021, all rights reserved.
Well hello from me in Australia! Good to read your words & get to know you more! Thanks Caitlin!