Thingness
n. (philosophy) the state of being a thing, of being real, of having existence
Do you often find yourself pondering what it means to not simply exist, but to be alive to everything?
Welcome to On Things, a newsletter for the curious-minded who love delving deeper into the things that make us feel more alive.
It’s a place to navigate the various facets of what I like to call aliveness—the joys and the uncertainties, the tensions and the desires.
It’s a space to reflect on things and chew on questions, without feeling the pressure to rush to an answer.
It’s a moment to ponder things that get lost in the swirl of it, and remember to be awake to the day while we’re in it.
You’ll find regular writings, interviews and notes that weave together observations, pithy quotes and research to help reframe common stumbles in daily life and find pockets of aliveness.
Some things about me
I’m Madeleine Dore, a writer and interviewer exploring how we can broaden the definition of a day well spent.
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. It’s filled with insights on how to embrace the ebb and flow of our work, creativity and life.
My work continues to explore themes of creativity, curiosity and connection, and I’m delighted to be bringing various things to life in this vibrant little corner of the internet.

Become a paid subscriber to access all the things
If you’d like to delve deeper, consider becoming a paid subscriber to gain access to these exclusive things:
All the things: Every single post to inspire curiosity, creativity and aliveness
Tell me things about: A new interview series exploring varied and wonderfully specific topics to enhance your curiosity.
Weekly things: Sent every Sunday, it’s filled with inspiring and nourishing things to read, ponder and try as well as ideas for delving deeper into the themes for each essay.
Things from the day: My personal notes from the day — many subscribers have told me it’s their favourite thing (!) about the newsletter and inspires them to be awake to their days.
Archived things: Take your time to dip into previous themes such as unlived lives, change, and many more.
There’s also a special subscriber tier called Believer in things for those who wish to extend their support and receive a bonus thank you!
Much like life, this newsletter is an ongoing experiment. I hope the letters will inspire you to cherish little things, discover remarkable things, explore conflicting things—and be reminded of the important things.
Sending good things,
Madeleine ❤️
