๐ Happy first birthday to us! We need your honesty! ๐
Tell the truth! How can we improve Katya Cares for the upcoming year? Feel free to respond via email, leave a comment, or take the 4 question survey!
Hey caring people,
Happy birthday to Katya Cares, our community! It has been a year of us!
Some of you have been subscribing for a month or two. Many of you have been subscribed for a full year.
Since you had about a million opportunities to unsubscribe from my emails, social media, and life, there is not a day that I'm not grateful that you're still here!
I find great joy in writing. It aids my thought process, facilitates my learning, and even kickstarts my day. However, writing is a personal endeavor for me. While I feel compelled to write, I do not feel the same instinct to publish my work.
As a shy introvert and a non-native English speaker, publishing feels quite daunting. It brings feelings of embarrassment and shame. The act of publishing and then reaching out to someone is rather intimidating. As if to say, "Hey, I exist, if you still care.. no worries, if not.โ
In one year, I published 27 pieces, and you all made it a joy!
Reflecting on our time together, it's clear that sharing stories has transformed this platform. It's no longer just a newsletter about things I've learned (the likes of which fill half of my inbox), but it's now a vibrant community.
Every message, comment, and talk has added to our collective story, showing how much our lives and experiences are linked.
When someone tells me they're reading my work during their commute, making it more enjoyable, I picture a crowded train and my friend engrossed in my writing on her phone. Another person shares that she savours her coffee while reading my content, and I can almost smell the coffee and hear her chuckle. When one of our friends reads my writing and responds with relevant reading material, I read it in my voice and his. We create our group story with every shared word.
Everyone in this community contributes to our story, whether by participating in a survey, being interviewed and featured, or continuing a conversation in person.
Together, we explored 27 different topics, which sparked conversations and connections among us.
I will continue writing and publishing. My goal for the second year is to publish 28 pieces, as 28 is my favorite number.
But I want to publish the types of writing that help you feel more connected, leave you thinking, and somewhere in there, Iโd love to add an extra laugh into your day.
What would that mean for you? What can I do to help with that? What would bring you joy? Iโd love to know so I can publish more of that.
What can our community do to make this a better experience for everyone? How should this evolve?
Those are some big questions, but Iโve created a simpler survey to begin collecting feedback!
Help us make Katya Cares better by trying out Substackโs new survey feature!
This quick survey is anonymous, requiring no email or name.
If you prefer using Google Forms, I've created an identical, completely anonymous form here:
Important: As an Eastern European Jewish New Yorker, I value honesty. I was taught that genuine friends want each other to improve. So, any feedback you share will not upset me. Instead, receiving multiple responses of any kind will inspire me. Regular feedback is the key to improvement. I mean it! I get more compliments than I deserve!
Thank you in advance for caring enough to help out, and happy birthday to us again!
With gratitude and care,
Katya