Why I've taken a step back from Chapter 39...for now

Turns out, silence can be more powerful than the scroll

Hi gang,

I’m going to be very honest in this post. And not in a Steven Bartlett podcast trailer, Daily Mail revelation, crying to the camera kinda way.

I’m just going to be real about why Chapter 39 hasn’t been very active recently.

Let’s rewind back to when I started this blog. I wasn’t necessarily freaking out about turning 40…it was more a gentle stirring of ‘oh, wow, I’m going to be 4-0 soon. That’s big.’

And my brain makes sense of things by writing about them, connecting with others who are in a similar position and offering them a platform.

When I became a mum I did the same. I started a blog, wrote poetry and co-hosted a podcast - all on the topic of making sense of motherhood.

Yep, big life changes = a creative awakening, apparently.

But turning ideas into something meaningful is harder than it looks — especially when you start questioning every post, every sentence, every angle.

Along the way, my intentions have quite often been derailed - mainly by self-doubt.

It’s not that I haven’t got anything to say. It’s more about how I say it and why.

Because it seems that in 2025, a nice piece of long-form content doesn’t stand a chance unless it’s chopped into bite-size chunks, turned into a carousel, and paired with trending audio and perfect lighting.

And that stuff just feels like a real chore most of the time. I’m not going to lie.

The fact is, I’m tired of consuming so much content online and I’m sure you are too.

People are ChatGPT-ing topics and using the drivel that comes back to create social media posts which we treat as gospel.

Heal your gut. Sleep like a pro. Hack your hormones. Live longer.

BRB, just off to unsubscribe from all of it.

Anyway, in the time I’ve been away from my Substack, I hit the big birthday milestone and it’s true what my podcast guests said - I really am starting to give less of a f**k 🤣

So, I am sure I will be back. But only when it feels right and only when it’s something worth sharing. I sure as hell don’t want to overwhelm anyone or add to a pool of average content.

I’d love to hear from you — what kind of content do you actually crave these days? What cuts through the noise for you?

Chat soon,

Sarah