Spontaneous Post from an Inconsistent Writer
Birth of Clarity #60
Welcome to the Birth of Clarity newsletter on Substack.
I’m not a very good writer. I’m under no illusions there. But I do really enjoy it. That’s why I’ve continued with this newsletter for so long… even if the pain in my wrists and elbows grows worse every time I start typing!
Even if I’m not a bad writer. I’m definitely inconsistent! And I often wonder if my writing would’ve improved if I were more consistent. I guess the answer is simple! Sadly, I haven’t managed to write enough on a regular basis to find out.
I’ve actually been on this platform since 2019. Way before all the cool kids came here. And my, how Substack has changed! Not necessarily for better or worse, it has just changed a lot in the 7 years I’ve been here.
I’ve seen a lot of people come and go. Lots of writers have blown up then faded away. Others have stayed consistent and grown their audiences. Some have started and stopped before they gave it a real go.
Although my writing hasn’t been consistent, my audience has. I’ve been on the same number of subscribers for years. But when I say I enjoy writing, despite the pain it causes, I mean it. I may not have a big audience, but I love writing for them and for me when I actually sit down to do it, like I am today.
And these are probably my favourite articles. When I sit down out of nowhere and just start typing. There’s no specific reason for writing this right now, but I just really fancied doing it… so here we are!
I’ve been through so many different periods in my writing. From chasing subscriptions and wanting to do this full-time, to wanting to quit and never write again! I’ve launched different versions of this newsletter and started numerous new ones! But I think the sweet spot for me is simply just writing when I want. When I really have something to say or when I feel like sitting down to get something out of my head.
I’m pretty sure Viam either wrote an article or “Note” about a similar topic recently, but I feel like I am not the sort of person destined to write for money. I’ve never been good at promoting myself and I’m not structured or consistent enough for any sort of subscription-based model. I am better off when I just write because I enjoy it or when I feel something I say will help someone.
Thinking back to all the changes since 2019, I have to say… I don’t care for this algorithm-driven world. I mean, how are some of the utter nonsense notes I see on Substack getting 5k+ likes! It also pains me to see some of my favourite writers clearly using AI to do their writing for them… although I have to admit, I’ve used AI for title suggestions and for artwork… so am I any better? Side Note: I quite like the AI artwork for some of my articles!
Anyway, I know I write about addiction and recovery a lot. However, I feel that’s one of my greatest achievements, so I like writing about it. I also know I write about my failures a lot, but I can’t help it! I honestly try to write to help others. And for me, being raw and human helps. Not everything is 100% positive and not everything can be 100% motivation. For me, when I read articles written in a similar vein, they resonate. I can feel people’s struggles and strengths through their words and I get something out of reading them.
So, while I enjoy writing for myself, I have to be honest and say that I still hope that the words I put down are things that people want to pick up. I hope that they enjoy what they’re reading. And maybe get something from my writing.
With that being said, I’m not sure what anyone is getting from this article! Haha! I just really wanted to write and apparently this is what I wanted to write about… whatever this is!
Should I be writing things with more substance? Probably. Do I regret writing this? Maybe a little. Am I going to hit send? Yes!
I encourage anyone to start writing. Whether that’s to get famous and earn loads of money, to help people overcome their struggles or simply just to sit down and write something for yourself. Writing will never not be a good idea!
Thank you for reading and much love to you all.
Thank you for reading: “Spontaneous Post from an Inconsistent Writer.”
Before you go, here are some useful articles related to today’s post:
Please check out the last post: “Part 1: When the Numbing Stops but the Noise Remains.”
And 💜 and Restack this post on the Substack app.
Take care,
Roscoe | Birth of Clarity
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Roscoe, I am also incosistent, don't worry. I think we are the rule rather than the exception. I recall following you on old Twitter when I was early in my recovery back in about 2016/17. Its great to see you still writing. You, like many people I know who have managed to accumulate a number of years in recovery have a nack of not letting knock-back's set you back for too long. You have a "bounce-back-ability", if you will. I will try to be more proactive in reading your posts going forward my friend. Oh and yes, you really are better than those people who lazily just let AI write their posts for them. There's no authenticity in that so I am glad you have resisted temptation to do the same. Have a great day.