Substacks recommended by Sandra de Helen’s Finding Joy

Recommended by Sandra de Helen’s Finding Joy

The Habit of Art by Kelcey Ervick

Handwritten & illustrated newsletter about making art and telling stories.

Wonderful drawings, and with life lessons.

- Sandra de Helen’s Finding Joy

The Thread of Her Tale

By Bea

Reflections on stitching inspired by Hilary Mantel’s Cromwell Trilogy: a place to talk about the wrong side of the fabric.

For fans of Hilary Mantel, Cromwell, and of course fans of fabrics, quilts, and stitchery.

- Sandra de Helen’s Finding Joy

TRAVELS TO DISTANT CITIES

By Blake Nelson

travel writing and other things

I enjoy Blake's travel stories so much. He adds details you rarely see from anyone else, and his experiences are rich.

- Sandra de Helen’s Finding Joy

Ladyparts

By Deborah Copaken

The unvarnished, naked truth about living, working, loving, moving, and surviving in a woman’s body. Winner of the 2025 Webby Award for Best Independent Publisher.

The Howling Newsletter

By Jezz Lundkvist

Turning chaos into creativity! Follow my path as a neurodivergent artist carving out a freelance career through the storms of ADHD, ASD, and mental health.

I like reading artists' letters about their art journey.

- Sandra de Helen’s Finding Joy

Jeanette Winterson: Mind Over Matter

By jeanette winterson

Imagination. Ideas. Creativity. Conversation. This is the life of the Mind.

Excellent truth-teller

- Sandra de Helen’s Finding Joy

The Writing Vein

By Dot Hearn

An adventure in cross pollination creativity - exploring the interconnectedness of our creative spirits and the mutable boundaries of genre.

The Audacity.

By Roxane Gay

Writing that boldly disregards normal restraints.

Working On

By Kelsey Worth Solomons

This is a newsletter about art, craft and working towards a more creative and sustainable lifestyle, often through the lens of material culture. Written by Kelsey Worth Solomons, a writer and textile artist from Buffalo, NY.

Badreads

By Lauren Hough

Essays, bad jokes, rants, and unsolicited advice from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Hough, and a dog named Woody Guthrie.

A Narrative Of Their Own

By Kate Jones

Essays on the lives and literature of women.

yarnstorm

By Jane Brocket

Welcome to yarnstorm, the sequel

After reading Jane's newsletter about sewing machines, I knew this was a writer after my own heart.

- Sandra de Helen’s Finding Joy

In the Writing Burrow

By Margaret Atwood

Whatever comes into my addled, shrinking brain.

The Talking Bone: Writing with Rene Denfeld

Rene Denfeld is the award-winning author of four novels, including the USA Today bestseller The Child Finder. Her novels are inspired by her real life justice work. Her Substack is your guide to writing—and selling—your book.

The Practicing Writer 2.0: A Newsletter from Erika Dreifus

By Erika Dreifus/The Practicing Writer Newsletter

Curating fee-free (AND paying/funded) calls and competitions—plus other resources—for writers of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction.

If you are a writer who offers your work (submits), this is a wonderful resource of fee-free opportunities. She also offers much more about writing, all of it useful.

- Sandra de Helen’s Finding Joy

Do one thing a day that scares you, especially if everything scares you.

I enjoy stories with comics. Maybe you do too?

- Sandra de Helen’s Finding Joy

janinsanfran

Will work for justice. And joy. This: http://happening-here.blogspot.com/ Or perhaps this: http://596-precincts.blogspot.com/

Spark

By Elizabeth Marro

Come for the book recs, essays, nosy questions, awkward confessions. Stay for the conversation.

Spark by Elizabeth Marro is what brought me to Substack in the first place. I eagerly await Spark every Saturday morning. If you're a book lover, you will too.

- Sandra de Helen’s Finding Joy

Friends with Words

By Tanya Mozias

A linguist, single mother, and former world traveler writing about language, culture, and identity from the most complicated place on Earth.

Tanya speaks from her heart and talks about her life -- which is so different from mine. I appreciate her viewpoint.

- Sandra de Helen’s Finding Joy

CRAFT TALK

By Craft Talk

CRAFT TALK is a weekly newsletter about writing, creativity and productivity from author Jami Attenberg. This is also the home of #1000wordsofsummer, where, once a year, we write 1000 words a day together for two weeks straight.

Thyme, Place & Story

By Susan Wittig Albert

Sharing what we've learned about living in place, growing plants, growing older, crafting, reading, and writing.

Graphic Rage with Aubrey Hirsch

Comics about gender, justice, aging, and life as a woman in America.

Your House Machine

By Rebecca

Tactical advice for streamlining your home with systems thinking and engineering concepts. Keep your home organized, feel peaceful, and get back your time.

Survival by Book

By Courtney Cook

work, love, art & other life-stuff, seen through a bookish lens

Books & Bakes

By Laura

themed book recs + recipes for tasty treats