“I wanted to create a space that was there for people all year round. Substack gave me the platform for Soul Circle to land.” Beth Kempton

WELCOME back to the Sparkle on Substack podcast everyone. Thank you for being here.

This is the space for in depth conversation about how creatives are bringing themselves and their beautiful work to this platform. I am wrapping up the second season of this podcast which is sponsored by the first wave of my Diamond Members. Thank you to everyone who listens and comments. It means the world to me to know these stories are reaching you across the globe.

⭐️ If you are able to leave me a 5 star rating and review, I’d be OVER the moon. This simple act of a few clicks will help more people find my work and make space for me to commit time to make more podcasts. ✨

Today’s guest is the wonderful Beth Kempton who is a best selling author and fellow Substack writer. Beth’s work has been instrumental to my journey of self and creative expression as you’ll hear. I’m delighted to share these words with you.

"I'm going to write essays about things I want to write and to people who want to read them, and I'm not going to charge for them because as soon as I charge, I will feel I have a commitment to writing an essay however many times a month." Beth Kempton

✨

Beth Kempton is the bestselling author of six non-fiction books including Wabi Sabi, The Way of the Fearless Writer and Kokoro. Her books have been recommended by the likes of TIME Magazine, Psychologies and Vogue, and translated into nearly 30 languages. Beth is one of the most popular British authors on Substack, where she has more than 30,000 subscribers and hosts a beautiful community of writers from around the world, called SoulCircle.

https://bethkempton.com/

📖 Buy Beth’s books.

Connect on Instagram

Beth’s courses over at Do what you Love

🌀

Timestamped overview (ai)

00:00 Entrepreneurial mother inspired by her two daughters.

08:52 Grief and solace through a comforting book.

13:46 Sharing stories helps others feel less alone.

16:30 Proud of impactful art, mixed reception, self-acceptance.

23:31 Creating a supportive, judgment-free writing community.

26:15 Magical decision-making, writing, and community on Substack.

32:31 Soul Circle: Private writing community on Substack.

37:19 Clarifying resources and support for overwhelmed newcomers.

47:55 Struggling to promote Substack due to Instagram blocks.

51:22 Invest early in professional design for branding materials.

57:53 Christmas: Magic, overwhelm, exhaustion, financial frustration, opportunity.

01:01:48 Excited about managing multiple Substack energies properly.

01:04:07 Annual preparation, separate free substack, potential fundraising.

🎥 Watch our chat on YouTube…

Other mentions

* The essay I wrote about Lee’s passing, we reference;

* Laura Pashby’s book - Chasing Fog.

* Calm Christmas

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sparkleon.substack.com/subscribe