I’m making big changes
My life is starting to look a little different and, in turn, so will this newsletter
I need to be honest with you about something — I’ve never really had a grand plan for this newsletter.
When I first joined Substack in 2023, I coined the name nouveau début because that’s exactly what relocating to France felt like. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing or whether it was a good idea at all, but I was keen to document the journey using the medium I love most: writing.
I briefly wrote about how much calmer things had become, and how much of an achievement it was to overcome each hurdle of bureaucracy, and I gave you some very infrequent updates about the beginning of a new life. Two years on, however, things have evolved in ways I never expected.
Earlier this year, I was let go after my role was replaced by AI. As is typical of me, I wanted to talk about it — so I turned to TikTok, and the resulting video got upwards of 400,000 views.
I’ve been posting on TikTok for around a year now, and it’s taken off in ways I didn’t know I was capable of. Part of it feels like luck, but I’m finally learning to give myself the recognition and take pride in the fact I’ve grown my account to over 14,000 followers. It’s earning me some pocket money, my thoughts and opinions are resonating, and I’ve even picked up a couple of dedicated haters along the way. All of it feels like genuine progress.
Unfortunately, the worst thing about TikTok is that it’s brilliant for a hot take, but ineffective when sharing actual thoughts. Five seconds isn’t enough time to make a cohesive, nuanced argument without people quickly reacting and misunderstanding your point, because it’s an app built to ruin your attention span.
So, that’s what this newsletter will be for. nouveau début is evolving, blossoming into something slightly more fully-fledged. I’m not abandoning what it was — I’d still like to eagerly share more about life in France and how things are going — but I also want to turn it into something bigger, because I know I’m capable of it.
I’m interested in diving deeper into the same topics I discuss on TikTok — everything from pop culture to politics, but with a more nuanced and in-depth lens than I’m able to utilise there. As a freelance writer whose work is dwindling, I’m keen to flex my talents and this feels like a natural way to do so.
If you’ve been here since the beginning — thank you, from the bottom of my heart. You came for one thing and I’m asking you to stick around for the next chapter. The voice is the same, but I just have a few more things to say.
If you’re here from TikTok — welcome! This is where you can get my actual cohesive thoughts on things I’ve briefly touched upon in a video, alongside much more. There are no algorithm issues to worry about and nobody missing the point here… at least I hope!
Either way — welcome to nouveau début 2.0.
I’m still not entirely sure what it’s going to look like, but I’m certain it’s going to be worth the read.