This newsletter is proof we do hard things

the 1-year-anniversary of Unpacking + a new-ish direction

Stephanie Jucar Cooley

Jul 07, 2023

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Former editor of Cosmo & ELLE, Farrah Storr told me about writing:

assume your audience doesn’t care.

Sounds about right. An ongoing challenge for writers as we live the realities of 2023.

Why read when you can click on a reel of a cat in a backpack traveling through Paris or watch a pudgy old man realize he’s forgotten how to skip? Why read an 800 word essay when you can skim an inspirational quote on a social media post instead?

Our society is reading less books.

We’ve watched magazines and newspapers die. We refrain from long form essays and articles with deeper analysis.

There’s so much to take in on the internet. How do I keep up with all the other sparkly things you see online?

As I continue this newsletter with the aim to share quality work, I hold space for a universal truth.

Everyone loves a good story.

And each person has different appetites for how to consume stories.

Some want to read it, leisurely, in pages on a book or on a Kindle. Maybe we don’t want to read at all. We’d rather hear it, like in an audio book or a podcast. Sometimes we’d rather see our stories via pictures. Many of us are visual and lean onto video for consumption.

This is the year I’ve uncomfortably tried new things, took risks, and embraced new creative forms. I’m about to do more.

I’ve played around with audio and you will continue to have the option to hear me tell stories. On this newsletter, I’ve added voiceovers and read my post aloud. I also started a video podcast, called Real Mother F*ckers, with my co-host Vanessa Anderson, on the many sides of motherhood.

I will collaborate with more writers. I’ve interviewed other writers and experts and I look forward to sharing more of their smart perspectives. More newsletters will have an outward look. I’ll explore what is pressing our society and the several ways one can view these obstacles.

I will play around with video. Lucky you. You get to see my face and all its crazy expressions on a more regular basis. Each time I write one of these newsletters, a part of me is sort of bummed I can’t tell you the entire story, for the sake of word count, and to keep you interested and reading, of course. Because I love telling a good story, I’m going to experiment with adding supplemental video to my piece. It will include the extras, little tidbits and other stories and analysis that didn’t make it into the post.

Here’s a preview of a few topics I will explore in upcoming newsletters: experimenting with hypnosis, mental health conundrums, lessons from flipping my car, avoiding burnout, mental mind games, ways to be kinder to yourself, and more.

I’ve been writing the Unpacking newsletter for 1 year (54 editions!) and I want to thank you for reading and supporting my work.

You said what I wrote resonated with you. The list below is some of the most read posts, which were about aging and beauty standards, our relationship to alcohol, and complicated and traumatic relationships. It’s proof we’re trudging through a lot of similar hard things in this human experience.

How we bought a home no one wanted: Before + After photos of our house renovation and the art of taking your time, spending lots of money, and knowing your home will never be finished
I pick up dog doo so you don’t have to: Lessons on trauma, loneliness, and getting "old"
I don’t want to grow old: 3 perspectives on aging from 40-year-old mothers of daughters
Can we stop our weird drinking culture?: Giving the boot on our alcohol-related projections
I see dead people: How a visit to a medium helped me see another side of my late dad

This has been a year full of inspiration so I’m sharing a few Substack writers. When I think about how to do better, I think of these writers and what they’ve done with their work (plus many more!). They have inspired me with their art, exploration of different mediums to share their writing and other art forms, the brave and smart topics they explore, their brilliant way with words and storytelling.

Writing this newsletter; wearing a tee I bought from a Substack writer, Dear Dilate, who collaborated with an Aussie clothing brand, By Billie (see below)

Jade writes hard truths around motherhood. I admire her deep analysis on hard topics. She has a great series of Q&As with other moms. How cool is this? She collaborated with By Billie to make the awesome shirt I’m wearing in the cover photo.

Charlene Storey of Haver & Sparrow features her beautiful photography alongside her great content around slow living.

Matt ia the king of multi-medium content and I love his love of so many forms of art. Also check out videos he’s been creating on his Instagram.

Jenna Park is the OG internet rambler and her writing is so thoughtful. Check out her story on trying to find the medium between bed rotting and the grind. I feel this!

Jill from Life Litter does article voiceovers and she’s a great storyteller. Her latest piece on a trip to Williamsburg is a hoot.

Founder of the now defunct Man Repeller makes me want to explore fashion more.

Lisa from Human Stuff has a large IG following but started her Substack to get in touch with her love of writing. “I’m not the best at it but I’m devoted to practicing.” I love what she’s done integrating her other skills in photography and storytelling off the social media realm. Looks like she also has a retreat coming up.