On Things

Exploring the intangible things that bring us more aliveness

This newsletter is like a filing cabinet for those various things that help us realise life while we are living it—or what brings aliveness.

It’s where I collect the insights I encounter on being curious and creative—be it a pithy quote, a piece of advice, a hard-won lesson. It’s a place for overturning and inspecting the feelings, hidden wants, tensions, mistakes, and delights. It’s a place I can ask questions, without promising an answer.

How can I cultivate a rich life within myself?

How can I embrace human fallibility?

How can I expand life, rather than trying to solve it?

If you subscribe to the newsletter, you can expect an assorted collection of nourishing musings, curated findings, and experiments. Some things will be free to read, others will be reserved for paid subscribers (see more on that below!)

All combined, what you can discover here is subtle things, the remarkable things, the little things, the conflicting things—to hopefully remind you of the important things.

Become a paid subscriber to access all the things

If you’d like to support my work and access everything in this newsletter, here are some things currently on offer for paid subscribers.

+ Every nourishing musing + the full archive

As a paying supporter, you’ll receive every post and have access to the full archive so you can read things at your own leisure.

Some general themes I will regularly explore include embracing the ebb and flow, life-long learning, cultivating curiosity, and how to broaden the definition of a day well spent.

+ Things from the week

Soon to be sent every Sunday, this is a list of thoughtfully curated findings of things to read, ponder and do.

+ Things from the days

Nestled within Things from the week you’ll find my more personal observations. Think of it like being privy to the scribblings of a line-a-day type journal—the notes are intimate and imperfect, sometimes mundane and sometimes profound.

+ Support an expanding newsletter!

Much like life, this newsletter is an ongoing experiment—both in the things I write about here, but also in my attempts to make a living through such writings. All to say, I’ll often try new things, shuffle things, and retire things in the name of having some fun with it and seeing what works.

There are things I want to add to this newsletter as support for it grows, such as interviews, audio recordings, online events, notes from books I’m reading, advice and more. As a paid subscriber, you’ll help bring those things to life!

+ A very special bonus for founding members

Substack allows you to become a “Founding member” to support your favourite publications and writers. For those who choose this option, as a thank you I will put together a personalised list of things for you to read, ponder and do tailored to a topic/quandary of your choosing.

A little thing about me

I’m Madeleine Dore, a writer and interviewer exploring how we can broaden the definition of a day well spent.

As a labour of love, I spent over five years asking creative thinkers how they navigate their days on my blog Extraordinary Routines and podcast Routines & Ruts. The lessons culminated in my first book, I Didn’t Do The Thing Today.

I’m delighted to continue writing, experimenting and bringing various ideas alive in this little corner of the internet.

Whether you sign up as a free or paid subscriber, I really want to thank you for being part of this thing!

Madeleine x