A little story about Substack

or how to create a project inspired by Substack reads

I’m not good with words, it’s not my favourite way of expressing myself. You know that song by F.R. David

Words

Don’t come easy to me

How can I find a way

To make you see …?

… That’s me!

Well, my way of expressing myself is through images, I found it easier and as creative as any other way. I have to confess that I’m reading everything that is posted by all the people that I follow on Substack (and few other things on top) and I don’t do follow for follow. By reading everything is not only that I found to be fascinating by I also found to be beneficial for me as I get loads of ideas. A kind of different seeds planted in my head by the authors that I’m reading. This article is the best example and I want to share it with my readers as it might help somebody else too.

Seed 1 (permanent)

Kathryn Vercillo

is writing on Substack about the mental health and especially the intersection of mental health and art. One of the issues that come pretty often in her articles is the creativity and how it is affected by mental health. My explanation is that creativity is a beast that lives inside of each one of us, screaming to get out, and we just have to find a way to release it otherwise it will eat us from inside. Seeds planted in one’s head by the articles one reads on Substack can feed creativity.

Seed 2 (17 Dec 2023)

Wesley Verhoeve

is a photographer and curator. His work was published by many reputable publications including New York Times and National Geographic. In his weekly newsletter, Wesley encourages people to use their creativity especially through the medium of photography. One of the examples is the article published in the mid December where Wesley explains how and why is good to keep a photo diary as an alternative to people that can’t stick with writing.

Seed 3 (27 Dec 2023)

Neil Milton

is a street photographer, a photography teacher and a writer. His articles include latest photography news and advice on how to improve the practice of photography, especially street photography. At the end of December, Neil wrote and essay about the birth of street photography from the famous Kodak revolution and the vernacular accessible to everybody to what followed and it is known today.

Seed 4 (27 Dec 2023)

Michael Elliott Photography

is a photographer that writes ample articles about film photography. Subjects can vary from reviews of different types of film, and how to develop them, to reviews of 35mm and medium format cameras. At the end of December, Michael posted an article about the ease of using a film point-and-shoot camera with a short review of 5 (!) different cameras.

The watering tool

This is my film point-and-shoot Ricoh FF-8WR camera, an automatic camera with a fixed 28mm/f4.5 lens, autofocus, autoexposure system and an integrated flash. The only thing that the user can manipulate is to have the flash on or off.

Dear Ricoh FF-8WR, it’s time for you to go to work

So: the seeds are there, the watering tool is there, what are you waiting for? Oh, don’t tell me you don’t have a film camera? I’m not telling you to buy one, I’m telling you that’s a lousy excuse, use your phone! And if you are looking for more seeds look no further than

Susanne Helmert

,

Nat

,

Manuela Thames

, three awesome photographers that always inspire me and I have to admit that they see the world in a different way that I do. 

---

Every new paid subscriber will get a free present; if you can’t afford to become one, you can buy me a coffee.