where_she_walks_ with relief
Walking (and writing) as a means of catharsis
It’s been twelve months since I started writing on Substack. It seems a logical moment to reflect on why I started this page, what I’ve learnt and whether I want to continue. As nobody loves a cliff-hanger, I might as well say straight away that I’m going to take an indefinite break from writing here.
What started as a project to talk about walking - sharing what I’ve learned through experience and (hopefully) inspiring other people to walk more - has turned into a bit of a dumping ground for random thoughts as well as practical advice. I can only apologise if you’ve read this and thought “what utter BS”. That’s fair.
I’ll admit that it’s been harder than I expected to write consistently week after week. I love reading and have a dream of writing a book one day, but without any real training or process to follow, I haven’t found it easy. But, just as I know that walking has given me an outlet to think, writing has given me an outlet to express those thoughts. This Substack has always been for me first and foremost, to avoid bottling things up and achieve some form of catharsis in the process of writing, but I appreciate anyone and everyone who has taken the time to read even one post.
They say that ‘journalling’ is good for your mental health, and in a way that is what this Substack has been for me, but in a focused and public way. I might try my hand at really keeping a journal where I can be more honest and even more random with my thoughts and feelings.
Something I do want to keep exploring, whether privately or publicly I’m not sure yet, is the conflict I feel between my ‘professional persona’ as a marketer and my ‘hobby persona’ as a walker. How do I show up as someone who is passionate about both things when there are huge differences in how you’re expected to show up in each of these worlds? I even think about this when I get dressed in the morning. Am I a walker today - hair tied up, comfortable but highly branded clothes - or am I a marketer - hair down, simple but professional clothes? What if I don’t want to keep those two personas separate? How would a marketing client respond to me wearing a Patagonia fleece in a meeting? To be explored…
Thoughts on catharsis
I’ve definitely worked through a few ideas and issues over the last year, both through walking and writing. I don’t intend to give up either of them, but I do need to take a break from sharing everything so publicly. I realised I have three Instagram accounts and the one I use the least is my personal one, which makes me sad, as it’s the people that follow me there who matter the most to me. The ‘walking one’ and the ‘marketing one’ are just part of who I am, rather than the whole. Even writing that this is the end (for now) is a relief.
For those who have read this Substack, or might come to read it in the future, I hope the tips, advice, walking routes and ramblings have given you the confidence to get outdoors. I might stop writing but I won’t stop walking and I hope you don’t either.
Happy walking!
Kate x