A Self-Centred Approach to Launching a Substack

Or: What happens when I stop trying to plan my way to connection

Promises to Self 
...a 'found poem', from an extract from my Compassion Journal

Wary of starting with expectation–
a duty to create, fulfil promises
to anyone but myself.
Creating a strategy feels like a booby trap.
A great road to self-gagging.
Might stop me writing at all.
By definition, any Substack called
Self-Centred
can't be driven by
likes, reposts, subscribers.
I don't want the pressure of the calendar,
hooked into creating content
when it puts me out of whack
with my own internal rhythms.
Pressure to create content
rather than connection.
Forget algorithms and "shoulds."
My head, heart & guts will guide
building connection
with myself and you.

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The Tension

I love my role as a therapeutic creative writing facilitator – creating spaces that help others build self-trust and amplify their voice. But there are aspects of my own practice that betray that goal: over-planning to anticipate every need – real and imagined, emails revised endlessly to prevent imagined offence. Over-delivering to purchase connection. As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent woman, I recognise this pattern. I'm ready to let this fear-driven behaviour go.

This Substack is part of my goal to become Self-Centred. And the irony and potential pitfalls aren’t lost on me.

Every piece of Substack advice says: create a strategy, promise a posting schedule, build your offer suite, optimise for engagement.

My body-self wisdom says: Nah.

My gut says:This feels like self-gagging.

My heart says: I want connection, not performance.

My mind says: But shouldn’t we have a plan?

This is the coherence work. Noticing when external advice (even good advice) creates internal discord. And asking: what am I actually here to do?

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What I’m Centring Instead:

• Writing from present experience – what’s alive in me now

• Modelling the mess – process, not just polish

• Trusting what emerges – found poems, tangents, unresolved questions

• Permission to stop – if this becomes another performance, I’ll pause.

The promise: I’ll write when I have something true to say. I won’t manufacture content to meet a calendar.

The invitation: You’re warmly welcome. Pull up a chair.

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Your Turn

Optional Prompt:

• Where are you trying to strategise yourself into connection?

• What would happen if you centred your own rhythm instead?

(No need to answer publicly – this is an invitation to notice, not perform but you are welcome to share in the chat if you would like to.)

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Explore building self-trust and developing your compassionate voice?

I’m running a 4-week Compassion Journalling course in February, exploring how to build relationship with yourself through two-pen dialogue. It’s about listening to what’s actually true, not what should be: https://www.katepoll.co.uk/#compassionjournalling

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