Introducing "Pocket Treasures"
Newsletter Rebrand: On motherhood, writing, and the things I’ve collected along the way
When I first toyed with the idea of starting a Substack, I knew that if I spent a bunch of time upfront before launching it, I would never launch it. I’d hum and haw over the title, the format, which headshot to use, and the mission statement of what I wanted to write. All that would be too daunting, and I’d give up before I’d even written a post.
Instead, I just posted an article one night after the kids went to bed. I launched with the uninspired, pre-populated title of “Casey’s Newsletter” before I could second guess if this was a good idea. But now that I’ve been consistently showing up for six months, I’ve gotten a better sense of what this newsletter is all about.
Pocket Treasures are what I call the items I find in my pocket after a day with my kids. The boys hand me their treasures with sincerity, excited to share what they’ve found in the world. “Here, Mommy,” they say and place them in my palm. Although I don’t always understand why this item is important to them, I do understand that it holds significance. So I pocket it for later.
Why this rock? I sometimes I wonder as I pull it out of the dryer (I’m learning to be better at checking all pockets for this exact reason). Why this rock out of all the other rocks that he saw along the creek bed today? It doesn’t matter that I know. It matters that I provide the space for them to share with me.
When I sit down to write a Substack article, I feel like I’m turning out my own pockets with the things I’ve “collected” over the past week or so. Instead of trinkets, I’m storing up ideas, observations, reframes, stories, or recommendations. I’m holding out a thing that held value for me, and I wonder, if maybe, you will find value in it too.
Welcome to a new era, friends! I’m so glad you’re here.
XO
Casey