Welcome to Ideas & Scribbles — Start Here!✨

A lil introduction to my newsletter and me!

Hi everyone! In honor of almost 250 of you here (crazy!!), I wanted to write an introductory post for my newsletter, talk about what I write about and explore here, and what you can hope to find and read more about in Ideas & Scribbles, and from me.

I really like reading introductory posts of my favorite Substack writers when I’m navigating their newsletter, and I thought to myself, Why the hell am I not doing something like this? So here it goes! At least here’s my attempt at it:

Who am I? I’m Sude. I’m Turkish, currently 26 as I’m writing this, and I was born and am based in Istanbul, Turkey. I’m a psychologist. I hold a Psychology B. A and Clinical Psychology MSc degrees.

My native language is Turkish, but I also speak & write in English fluently (though it’s not my native language). I’ve been writing online for over 5 years now, mainly on Medium, but it’s been a while since I’ve been on Substack as well, and I’m trying to balance writing on both platforms.

I lived in the U.K. for a year to complete my master’s and, upon completing it, returned to Istanbul, where I am based. But I still have one foot in London as my sister lives there, and a part of myself lives there still.

I’m a newly practicing psychotherapist who is still finding her footing in this ambiguous job environment and also writes on the side, as writing is the most reliable passion that stabilizes her in this chaotic world.

My biggest passions are writing, traveling, music, and psychology, and you can find me raving about all these things, some more than others.

My biggest goal in life has always been writing & publishing a novel, and though I’m not quite there and life has had different plans for me, I like to think I’m not that far from that goal, as I’m already publishing my words online. But I know I’ll get there someday and publish my novel and shamelessly promote it here and elsewhere!

I felt a lil self-conscious uploading my pics on here but hi!

What’s my niche? I find it hard to restrict myself when it comes to writing. It’s not that I have a very specific expertise or niche I can solely focus on. I love being interested in multiple things and dividing my attention to each.

I’m a psychologist, and although I usually write from that lens, I also have an artistic side that sometimes overrides that sound. I like to have them both around.

I simply like to write what I’m passionate about and don’t like to limit myself when it comes to writing.

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What you can expect to find here on Ideas & Scribbles:

I would sum up my niche in these four narrowed-down columns:

• Psychology & Self-Improvement: Reflective essays, thought pieces, and insights on psychological & self-improvement concepts, from a psychologist, but also a human perspective.

• On Writing: Essays and guides on the creative life, being a writer, and all about writing — what it all entails. Writing tips, tricks & advice.

• Existential Crises & the 20s: Essays and guides on navigating your 20s, identity and existential crises, finding your path in life, life-choices, the search for meaning & purpose, the concept of lifelong learning, the nature of being multipotential & juggling multiple things.

• Lifestyle content: notes on my travels, in-depth travel itineraries, recommendations, weekly/monthly/yearly favorites, round-ups, things I’ve been intellectually and aesthetically consuming, music, books, movies, TV shows, content, my hobbies, baking, new discoveries, etc.

This is the summed-up list of what you can expect to find here. With that being said, I’m still figuring things out on here, thus some things might be bound to change.

I’ll now give you a more detailed account of what I write:

What do I write about? I frequently write about psychological concepts such as perfectionism, uncertainty, overthinking, motivation, goal-setting, decision-making, social comparison, resilience, psychological biases, and nostalgia (this was even my thesis subject). I write about mental health topics and processes that lead to stress, anxiety, and depression.

I write about reaching your potential, productivity, life goals, lifelong learning, habits and routines, stress, and time management. I write all about self-improvement, bolstered by my background in psychology and my pure interest in these topics.

I also write and plan to write more about the “quarter life crisis” and the conundrum that is the 20s. I write about adulthood, aging, and what it all entails.

25 was especially a transitional age for me, perhaps like most of us, and I still like to reflect on it a lot, especially now, in the aftermath of it. I write all about this decade’s struggles, challenges, but also its good sides. I write about feeling lost & behind.

I write and explore the concept of being a multipotential, multifaceted human, a jack of all trades, master of none, a polymath, and its potential benefits and repercussions.

I write about the psychology of post-grad life, living abroad, gap years, going back to living with your parents, navigating your 20s, that kind of fun stuff. I write and will write about my travel adventures and share travel itineraries and guides more in the future.

From the creator side of things, I write about reaching your creative potential and creativity. I write about the nature of being a writer and the art and business of writing. I write about being a writer and give writing tips.

I sometimes write about books, share my current favorites and recent likes, so you can hope to find issues like that too, such as my TBR, my favorite reads of the month/yearly roundups of books, my favorite destinations to travel, my fav music lately, the concerts I went to, and my frolics around the city.

I try to be consistent with my notes and keep that interactive space alive too, rather than only my posts. I publish weekly posts and try to keep this schedule as long as everything is fine and dandy, and there isn’t any unexpected change in my life, but if something like that happens, I’ll for sure let you know.

I plan on doing 1 paid post and 3 free posts per month from now on. The paid post is either going to be a detailed guide, a how-to post, or an in-depth, more personal piece that I feel too vulnerable to share with the whole wide world, but only with my paid subscribers.

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Why I write here: One of my biggest aims here is sparking curiosity, giving you fresh ideas and perspectives, making you think differently, reflect, and resonate and question things, and find the motivation to change for the better, and bolster your growth. If I’m able to do that even for a few of you, I’m the luckiest girl.

But I would be lying if I told you I only write for you. I’m also writing for myself. Most — if not all — things I write about are inspired by my life and things that caught my attention because they touch somewhere in me. So when I’m trying to reach you through my words, I’m also trying to teach myself things.

My inner dialogue chimes in here. I have an overcrowded mind, I think a lot, and I like to make sense of things. My biggest motivation is to understand why things are the way they are, my own and others’ thought processes, and the world we live in. So I also write to make sense of things. I write to extract and distribute meaning.

I’m trying to create this safe corner of the internet to reach souls with similar thinking and mindset, so we can evolve together and inspire each other. As much as I write, I love to read other writers’ work here and connect with them. I find it so nourishing and crucial for my creative process as well.

I also find it hella cool — even if a bit bone-chilling at times — to broadcast to the world like this, from my cozy corner of the internet I curated, showcase my writing and bits of my personality with each piece I hit publish, and connect with like-minded humans. I find that process magical and healing in and of itself.

But writing also has this cathartic effect, I’m sure you’re also aware of, that even if I don’t reach anyone, it feels like I’m connecting with the deepest parts of myself, and even writing for myself feels therapeutic in itself.

My writing background: Before I started writing on here, I wrote and still write on Medium. You can check my Medium profile from this link!

I have close to 200 articles on there on similar topics, but my tone is slightly different on Substack. Though the difference in style is not drastic, it just reflects the nature of each platform.

Regardless, I love both platforms and plan on thriving on both. I’ve been publishing my words online for over 5 years now, thanks to Medium, and I’m planning to stick around even more.

Why “Ideas & Scribbles”: I don’t know how exactly I found this name for this newsletter, or if it’s anything really original, or I’ll stick with it in the long haul, but I found it a couple of years ago when I first opened my Substack mainly as a mailing list, and thought it sounded cool and reflected who I am and why I write.

I feel like my brain is constantly full of ideas, and I like to scribble them and share them with the world. So there are always a lot of ideas and scribbles, from my point of view, and I think this name reflects that quite well.

My past work: Here are some of my fav work on Ideas & Scribbles you can read to have an idea of what you’ll find here:

The problem with trying to be everything at once

The hidden cost of trying to do too much

Your creative process is supposed to be messy

Here are some of my Medium articles you might enjoy if you’ve been enjoying this newsletter:

• My Quarter Life Crisis: Navigating Life When You’re an Unconventional 25-Year-Old

• How Psychology Can Inspire You to Become a Better Writer

• Is it Possible to Close the Gap Between Your Ideal and Actual Self?

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I really do hope you feel at home when you read my words, and I hope this becomes a safe space for all of us to think, be inspired, and create.

It would mean the world to me if you support me by subscribing to my newsletter! I’m indebted to both my paid and free subscribers.

What about you? I’d like to get to know you as well! And what would you like to see from Ideas and Scribbles from now on, or have been enjoying so far? As always, thank you for reading and being here!