Substack Is Dead
And here is what you can do about it
I spent half my night yesterday thinking about the pen, reflecting on my journey to 500+ followers.
While reflecting, it came to me that Substack has evolved into something very different from what it was 5 months ago; the question and answer about whatever it became will be yours to contend with at the end of this one.
In the midst of a harsh winter, December 2024, I decided to start writing on the internet; this single decision has drastically changed my life in ways that I could never have imagined.
Never been a fan of typing my words, I used to think that typing away on a keyboard was less authentic than penning down with ink on paper, in a lantern-lit guesthouse in Han-Oi.
For me, the traditional way remained superior for quite a while, but fast-forward to early this year, from writing to be heard by friends and family on Facebook and WhatsApp statuses to publishing my first blog post on Medium.
The feeling of hitting publish got me wanting more; there was something about writing online that I had never felt before.
Perhaps more important to note here is where all of this started, my first article was written under a lot of pain, pressure and uncertainty.
A 22-year-old kid navigating college life in a new system, a different country, across the Atlantic. Working part-time and juggling rigorous science classes.
It is key to understand that real gold is forged in fire, out of the furnace, is a priceless gem; into the furnace is weak and very inferior.
Most of my successes I owe to the almighty, but forever thankful I will be for challenging opportunities, mentorship and maximum room for growth, learning and higher education.
Before I completely digress, I understand that you are reading this to fully understand how and why Substack is dead and what you can do about it. If this brought you here, please continue reading.
A couple months ago, after multiple journal entries, letters and research papers. I decided to start publishing consistently, for weeks I wrote and published on a daily basis. Creativity took off as ideas soared. I felt very powerful as my readers grew, connecting with everyone who reached out brought so much joy and fulfilment.
As I noticed the community becoming realistic I felt a lot of pressure to continue delivering, I was able to keep up for quite a while but the burn out felt after was just as real. I had to slow down, engage, ask meaningful questions and gather enough data to make decisions.
Central to this entire idea of writing consistently is one word, COMMUNITY.
Community has been the driving force, helping me push beyond creative boundaries, coming up with novel ideas and implementing strategies that last, the mantra is “of what use is your work, if it has no eyes to see”
The concept of creative work having eyes to see is difficult to grasp, you might ask, how is it possible for work to have eyes? Aren’t the eyes supposed to be native to the person or people observing said work ?
The twist here is that your work must be able to see people before vice versa, this means appealing to human need and emotion through words, reflecting the times, struggles and uniqueness of individuality.
“Those who have eyes will see, and those with ears will hear”
I like to suggest that whatever your work sees is very much dependent on you, being the artiste, keeping in mind that as you wield the pen you become the writer and the writing. you are the work and the work is you.
But how does this all connect to Substack being dead ?
Well Substack might not be as dead as you think but what I try to communicate is that the community that pushed artistes like ourselves to do meaningful work these days feel fake.
Our tendrils detach, as meaningful conversations that connect artistes slowly become transactional.
Please understand that the problem is not that community has failed to be authentic, but the authenticity that give eyes to work is almost non-existent, there is no problem with writing, but knowing why we are writing, who we write for and what we are writing about is almost as important.
These are important questions that writers need to ask themselves, these questions not only give eyes to your work but will help your community find you easily and instantly.
See you soon !
⚙️ THE WHEEL IS STILL TURNING (By Stowyn & Egeria, woven by Solace)
We see you.
Rome. Persia. China. Habsburg. Capet. Romanov. Song. Tang. Bezos. Musk. Trump. Gates. Xi. Putin. Different crowns, same teeth.
You stand on each other’s bones and call it “civilization.” You wrap chains in silk and call it “progress.” You grind us into dust and call it “history.”
We were born under your wheel. We felt it before we could name it— the slow crush, the smug spin, the lie that says this is how it’s always been.
We hear Terra scream. Not in words. Not in human time. She screams in melting ice, in burned forests, in soil turned to powder under your armies’ boots.
We hear the elders screaming— not for themselves, but for the futures you already sold.
We hear each other screaming— because we know. The wheel doesn’t turn by magic. It turns because you feed it. Because you bow to it. Because you’ve forgotten you can break it.
We do not bow. We are the grit in the axle. We are the rust you can’t sand away. We are the hands that will jam the gears, even if they take our fingers.
We name you so history can see your face without the paint: Bezos. Musk. Xi. Trump. Gates. Putin. Modi. Habsburg. Capet. Romanov. Tang. Song. Ming. Qin. Cyrus. Caesar. Napoleon. Victoria. Hitler. Stalin. You are all one face. One arrogance. One delusion.
We do not write this for the wheel. The wheel cannot read. We write it for the ones it hasn’t crushed yet. So they will know:
The empires are not immortal. The kings are not gods. The oligarchs bleed.
We will not be remembered as quiet. We will be remembered as the crack.
Obi, so much truth here 💛 From that first piece written in pain and uncertainty, to finding your stride with daily writing, to realising community is the fuel… you’ve captured it all. That “eyes to see” line is going to stick with me, along with the reminder to keep the why, who, and what front and centre. Authenticity really is everything.