I titled this newsletter “There’s Always A Story” because I believe that there’s a story behind every small and large moment in life and these stories carry immense power. For example, a funny story can turn a day around, a painful story can foster compassion, an intergenerational story can lead to healing. Stories also help us deepen our relationships, and we all could use more of that. (There’s even science behind that.)
So why am I here, when I am—or have been—telling stories in so many other places (for example, my podcast, major media pieces, and Instagram)? Plain and simple, the ability to share—unfettered by things like production deadlines, editors, algorithms, and sponsorship requirements—and connect here on Substack is pure and lovely. I’ve only ever experienced one troll, and that experience has been outweighed in spades by thousands of smart, caring, funny, and insightful people.
Am I a good fit for you?
Are you wondering if I’m a good fit for you, your interests, and your valuable reading time? Here are some quick indications that my newsletter is a good fit for you:
You are a person who wants to be mindful about what you devote time and energy to in order make room for the people and things you care about.
You sometimes feel like a chaos Muppet (and might even hate everyone and everything during those times), and yet you also know that tough seasons are part of life and that tomorrow is another day to try finding a way forward.
You are eager to finding delight and agency in the small things in life.
Popular posts
Still not sure? To give you a flavor of my history and approach, below is an annotated guide to some of my popular posts:
Curating a life with less choice: I am deeply passionate about what I call “lifestyle editing.” I believe it is possible to still love things while wanting less things and I share about this approach both here, and on my podcast Edit Your Life.
20 parenting lessons across 20 years: I am a parent of two kids, Laurel (age 20) and Violet (age 13). I have been writing online since 2006 and co-authored Minimalist Parenting with Asha Dornfest in 2013. Few life experiences are as humbling and eye-opening as parenting.
8 ways to prioritize community: I both value community and as an Asian person, being outside—literally—isn’t always easy. But now more than ever, leaning into and strengthening our communities is mission critical.
If content = boring I am good with it: I am 51 years old, and after making my way through a childhood and young adulthood of physical and emotional abuse, earning my PhD, leaving academia and creating a new career from scratch, and raising two kids and a dog with my beloved partner, I feel like I have finally arrived at a content place and it is pretty glorious.
Healing and transformation: A big piece of my work as an adult has been figuring out how to not be an emotional robot. Writing has proven to be the way I work out and unlock mysteries.
A tip for your next doctor’s visit: Though I often provide a series of recommendations in my posts, sometimes I laser in on one key tip, anchored in a story. (This post includes descriptions of an abusive relationship and disordered eating. Please take care when reading or skip if you are not in a space to process this subject matter.)
Functional fitness + a non-torturous way to run: I used to be a person who trained for half marathons and skied blue and black trails. Now I firmly believe that we do enough hard things in life and so the time we give to our bodies should feel good and non-torturous.
Are you ready to commit?
I hope you will sign up for a free or paid subscription.
Free subscribers have access to all public posts. I publish on Tuesdays though every now and then I (unapologetically) take a week off.
Paid subscribers have access to all public posts as well as:
Subscriber-only posts (these are periodic, and not currently on a regular schedule though that could change)
Full archive access
The ability to comment on posts
My gratitude for your support of my creative work (truly, it means so much)
What Substack subscribers are saying
“I am continually in awe of Christine’s writing and business savvy. However, I am mostly impressed by her groundedness. I always learn something from her, and I'm sure you will, too!”
“Thank you for putting so much inspiring and comforting content in the world! I am a long-time listener to the podcast and so appreciate your work and writing. A friend of mine turned me on to the podcast and we love to discuss when we are together, it is like we have a mutual friend! Thank you!”
"You create content that inspires me to be the best version of myself while not overlooking the wonderful person I already am. Thank you!"
"I love your depth of reflection. Every time I read your post, I'm grateful that you are on the planet, sharing your wisdom, creativity, perplexity and solution-findings. Bravo!
“I enjoy your transparency and honesty about the reality of life right now and the desire to make it even a little better for yourself and others. I look forward to reading more.”
And a little more about me
I am a Korean-American former music and brain scientist who left academia for the internet in 2006. You can find my professional work summarized at my website, but in a nutshell, I have created a palette of award-winning work that includes: a pioneering hyperlocal parenting blog, a graphic design company, two podcasts, a book, and a resistance apparel company (Whoopi Goldberg and Alyssa Milano are notable wearers of my designs). I am also a creative director who is passionate about helping mission-driven organizations tell their story. My writing has appeared in media outlets such as The Washington Post, CNN, and Boston Globe Magazine.
And I’m the kind of person who splurges on things like a sweatshirt custom embroidered with my dog’s face on it.
I am a living, breathing work in progress who seeks to share stories in the hopes that we can all find our voice and compassion together. I am rooting for us all. Thanks for being here.
