Creating a safe place for people to arrive with Kat River

This is another new feature I’m testing out for you. I fell in love with Kat River’s Substack earlier this year. I cross-posted one of her articles a couple of weeks ago and asked if she would be willing to pilot my new spotlight feature.

If you are a paid member, I recommend reading my book How to Become a Successful Author, where I talk about growing your author business. I also recommend my posts on getting noticed on substack and the different types of subscriptions to give this one more context.

If you’re not a paid member, you can become one with a 7-day free trial. 

I first met Kat over the summer when I came across a post asking for guest contributors to her amazing Substack while she was in the final trimester of her pregnancy. I recently cross-posted a great article she wrote about her first year on Substack and in doing so asked if she would be interested in piloting a new feature I’m working on for 2024 where I spotlight awesome creators.

She agreed, and I’m really excited to bring you this interview. Some of you might think it’s odd that I follow Kat’s Substack so closely since I’m not a woman, a mother, or even a parent of any type, but I think it’s important to input all sorts of different lived experiences to give perspective on the world, and Kat’s is an incredible perspective with a deeply affecting voice. Of all the posts I’ve read of hers, the most powerful was this one about rejecting the village we say we want. 

I hope you enjoy this interview. If you do like it, please leave a comment and let me know it’s something you’d like to see more of in 2024. I’ve seen a lot of excellent spotlights around Substack, and what I hope makes this one unique is the focus on sustained business growth.

I’ve tried to add a lot of articles from Kat’s Substack for you to check out, along with pull quotes and pictures. One thing that sets Kat’s Substack apart is the incredible imagery. It’s worth journeying to her publication just to see her wonderful imagery.

What is the most unusual or funny thing that’s happened during your writing journey?

I’m just going to assume that not everyone is sitting at the laptop writing, while their newborn’s poop is running down one leg, throw up down an arm, one boob out, and yet still committed to finishing the paragraph before sorting it all out. Yes. Enjoy those visuals. 

How do you stay motivated and inspired to create new content and stay relevant?

Staying relevant and staying inspired are two very different aspects. 

I don’t think I am in support of staying relevant. It’s very hard to “stay relevant” to what others are finding interesting while staying in integrity with the self. So I make a conscious effort NOT to aim for relevance and instead aim for feeling inspired by myself or my life. 

To feel inspired is not a consistent tap. Though it is a tap that I can turn on if needed.

How I do that is by getting back “Into my life”. I make choices I wouldn’t normally make. I go to a new cafe and sit in a different spot. I wear the outfit that’s reserved for “special occasions”. I go and be around inspiring people, I pay attention to the conversations we are having and the internal dialogue in my mind. 

I become present. I play with my children. I drink a bunch of water instead of coffee. I make love.

Then I come to write. If I arrive at the laptop from being in my life, it’s never hard to be inspired and motivated. If I arrive at the laptop after deep scrolling social media reels, and not showering… It’s easy to feel blocked. 

In the rapidly changing world of publishing and media, what strategies have you employed to adapt and remain successful? How do you prepare for potential changes or disruptions in the future?

I’m unsure if this would work for everyone, but I’ve always believed in building a personal brand. Instead of promoting my writing as something separate from me, and that people should read “it”... I find it a lot more beneficial to promote myself, as my multifaceted human self. I share my fears, my joys, my stories, my curiosities.

I share the vision of what I’m wanting to create openly, and I invite others along on that journey. There are many reasons for this but over the last 10+ years on social media and self-exploration, I have always appreciated that people choose to “follow” my work because it’s ME [editor’s note: This is a very Forest thing to say]. It’s not because of the specific topic I write or not because of a specific creative project, but because they see themselves in me and therefore are willing to be by my side no matter what I do. This allows for more creative freedom and self-exploration within my writing, as I know that as I pivot, many will come with me - no matter where I go. They are in for the journey, not just the product. 

I also believe strongly in refining community-building skills. I always encourage people to refine their communication, get good at connecting and networking, and then get really good at guiding those you’ve connected with - to connect to each other and form friendships outside of you. 

The reason - You, me, everyone - (generally) Wants to feel connected to something bigger than themselves. They want to feel like they belong somewhere. They don’t need to be “all in” but enough so that a part of themselves feels welcomed and at home. “Build it and they will come” is a quote that lives rent-free in my head.

Create a safe place for people to arrive, learn to communicate it clearly and they always, always will come. Build community, and they will support your work because it feels like a community collaboration in some way. 

What role has networking and building relationships played in your career as a writer? How do you continue to expand your network and collaborate with others?

My subconscious must have known this question was coming based on the last answer! 

I wholeheartedly believe that our ability to build genuine connections will be the foundation of any successful creative career. I also know that many people lack confidence in that area, and I’d love to remind you - anything can be learned. Learn the skills of networking, connecting, and community building. Learn the skills of leadership (Simon Sinek is great). 

People can smell any intention that isn’t genuine and true a mile away. So really connecting to the place of service in our hearts and reflecting on why it is we want to write what we write. Beyond ourselves. Sure it’s a creative outlet. Sure it feels good to get it out onto a keyboard and receive feedback etc. 

Though, what would we love others to feel when they are in our spaces as writers? Then work on communicating that more clearly. 

I also hold the belief that everyone is always waiting for someone else to go first. So say hi, offer a collaboration, invite people to give their feedback, and to be a part of your space. 

I love collaborations that feel somewhat equal in the giving and receiving. I get collaboration offers a fair bit now, and I can acknowledge that even as a somewhat new to substack writer, I have worked really intentionally to cultivate a network and community here that is, yes, on substack, but also beyond substack. I know that holds weight. I know that my audience here trusts me and have mostly journeyed with me for a while. Therefore I can’t take on every opportunity that comes up, and instead I need to pick the ones that feel like an equal exchange and that also feels in integrity for my work. 

In the digital age, how do you approach the use of technology and social media to connect with your audience and market your work? 

Social media is powerful. It’s also widely misunderstood. 

It’s incredibly common to hear how “fake” it is, or how “hard” it is to reach people etc. 

I hear all the time from people that they just “Don’t have time”, or “Don’t understand it”. 

Anything can be learned. Instagram can be powerful - If you learn the rules and play the game. Static posts just don’t reach people these days. So we have to learn how to make visually appealing video content. Instagram is a marketing app, as much as we would all like to believe it’s a social app and for connection, the core of it just isn’t. If we are willing to pivot, learn new skills, and then use it well, it can be wildly helpful for growth. If we don’t want to play the game there, then it’s better we focus on other avenues. 

I write, yes, and I’m multi-creative. I love to take photos, video, and capture moments. I enjoy making reels and finding creative ways to market my work. I enjoy being able to offer an audience more “Behind the scenes” and “Everyday thoughts” as opportunities for not only them to get to know me, but also for me to get to know my community there.  In saying that, I would like to leave the mainstream social media scene at some point soon. I do have a not-so-secret fantasy of thriving without it. 

What's the most unexpected place or situation where you've come up with a brilliant story idea?

As a mother, Ideas arrive at random times. I used to get my best ideas at 3 a.m. while breastfeeding in bed. It became really unappreciated on my part because my precious sleep was being overtaken by the blue light of my phone typing away in the notes section so that I didn’t forget. 

I told my ideas, best they come in the daylight. So now, it’s more often than not, while I’m driving, showering (I know, cliche), or watching my son play. If I’m not distracted by my phone and just present with life, great ideas come often. Then I just need to weigh up if I truly have space and capacity or not. 

I always, always, put them in my phone notes to revisit another day. 

What have been some of your most effective strategies for audience engagement and building a loyal fan base?

I always appreciate when someone is genuine, and makes an effort to share the behind-the-scenes and their process. I don’t love pedestaling others (Even if I think they are really, really cool.) Whenever I want to connect with my audience, I reflect on how I would like to be connected to if I were following someone and I just do that. No strategy, just intuitively assuming that if I am my own “Target market”, then it would make the most sense to be the sort of person I would like to engage with and follow online. 

I’m not interested in going viral and getting big numbers, if those people don’t value what I do and share. If they can’t see themselves in me, then there is a disconnect.  That’s why I’m specific with my communication and who I’m for. I know others outside of that will find my work interesting or they’ll be curious. But the “Loyal fan base” so to speak, are a bunch of human beings who can resonate with my values and message and feel like they add value to the community by being a part of it. 

How do you balance the business side of your career, such as marketing and promotion, with the creative side of your work?

I believe that marketing and sales is creative. When we separate the two, that’s when it gets hard to manage and it can feel like whiplash bouncing between them. When we realize how much of a creative process marketing can be, it all of a sudden becomes a fun creative challenge. 

I personally also take a more soulful approach to marketing and sales and though I know there are some amazing strategies out there, again - how would I like to be sold to? Then I do that. 

What is your favorite failure, either the one that taught you the most or the one that meant the most to you in retrospect?  

I had waited so long to be a mother, and then I became one. In the most early days of my mothering experience, I felt like I was thriving. I shared some writing on thriving in motherhood and that I believed it to be simple. Not easy, but simple. Along the lines of - If you get present, then the natural next step will always reveal itself. Repeat. It was much more elaborate than that and I took the long way around. 

It received quite a bit of backlash and just didn’t land the way I had hoped. It missed the mark. I reflected a lot and realized my communication was really off for that piece. It tasted naive and I didn’t translate what I was trying to say, clearly, and instead felt like I had to fight for my true message to be heard. It was a refining process for me. Not only did it force me to truly connect with more diversity in the motherhood space, which now I feel I have a much more rounded perspective on, but also had me slow down and not try to rush my thoughts out immediately and instead really sit with each piece and reflect on if it’s truly translating what I want to say. 

What's your favorite spot for inspiration or relaxation when you're not working?

Honestly, I’m bouncing between mum life and writing. A coffee date (with kids in tow) or an afternoon down at the beach is probably all I’m able to do right now. Luckily there’s great cafe culture and stunning beaches here. 

How do you decide which projects to pursue, and which ones to pass on? What criteria do you use to make these decisions? Has it changed over the years? 

My relationship to my creativity has evolved over time. It once felt like a lover tapping me on the shoulder at 3 a.m. whispering “Hey, I choose you”. I’d roll out of bed and give it all of me at any time. 

Now, I relate to creativity from the lens of a mother. With boundaries, and as if we are in co-creation. 

I have an agreement with creativity. In this season of my life, I only act on ideas that feel nourishing to my family, that don’t involve major self sacrifice (Though I do understand the romance of that to creatives.) It also has to be financially rewarding in this time of my life. I have created for free for over a decade. When I take time to create now, It’s a family affair. It means my husband has the kids and is away from his work. It means the kids don’t have mama available 24/7. We all spin around each other to make it work. 

In the future I may be more interested in ideas that come for free. I mean, I currently still do offer a lot for free but those things are a part of a bigger picture that is more of a resource ecosystem. 

This stage I understand the effort it takes to make and create. Even though it’s incredibly fulfilling and I couldn’t “Not” create anyway. It needs to feel like an equal exchange for me to show up. 

Can you share a memorable fan encounter or interaction that made a lasting impression on you?

It’s not uncommon to be stopped in public and asked “Hey are you Kat River”. Or have someone apologize profusely but they just HAD to say hello. 

This question is funny to me because I don’t see people as fans, just human beings who appreciate my work. I always, always appreciate being stopped. It reminds me that my work is actually going out to real people not just internet avatars, and is impacting people, families, children, etc. I am always moved by it, though I couldn’t share just one. They all leave an impact on my heart and give me more motivation to keep showing up as I do. (You know who you are, thank you).

What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to reading or writing? Any guilty-pleasure genres or topics?

Erotic poetry is always amazing, though guilt and pleasure don’t exist in the same sentence for me. 

I also love reading fantasy though I never write it. 

People may be surprised at how into nuanced conversations I am. I can often come across as quite sure of my own opinions, though I really love reading about the middle ground of perspectives and less the extremist views on either end. 

What upcoming projects or initiatives are you currently working on, and how do they align with your long-term career goals?

Mmm beautiful question. For this next year, Substack is my main focus. 

I love the feeling of going all in with something. Though also, realistically, I always have other projects on the go. I’d love to start an online spoken word poetry night… Via substack? I’d love to host more creative experiences in person, as performance art for mothers, or even a writers retreat here in the hinterland of Australia. 

I make for the mother makers. For the mother creatives. For those raising businesses and babies side by side. My work extends far beyond substack and I have big visions of motherhood festivals and creative talk nights etc, though right now, with a newborn and a toddler and being only two months postpartum, It feels delicious to just channel my energy into Substack, my family and my community at this time. 

Coffee, tea, or something else entirely? What's your preferred writing beverage?

Coffee makes me write the best. But it also has me clicking publish before I’ve edited a couple of times, which isn’t ideal with a mushy hormone mum brain right now. Tea has me slow and steady, but again - not ideal if I only have an hour to write. 

It’s hot here. Hot and humid for summer. So I’m a fan of cold smoothies and iced coconut water during summer, and writing in my bikini before heading to the beach. 

Can you guess what I drank today?

Kat River is a mother and multi-passionate creative residing in the hinterland of the Queensland Australian coastline. 

Formerly a relationship coach, event, retreat facilitator, and community creator, when she’s not mothering her two little boys, she writes. 

Substack is her main home and has been crafted into a thriving symposium for the mothers, the mystics, and the makers. A community hub for the creative mother, who is dancing with raising businesses and babies side by side. 

Kat River on substack is both a community of thousands of creatives and also a space to explore the human experience, philosophy, relationships, art, mothering and creative business. 

Outside of Substack, Kat is a podcast host for the podcast “Mother Maker” and has big visions of events, retreats, and skill development mixed with personal exploration for the creatives that mother. 

I hope you enjoyed that spotlight. This is a new feature I’m excited to build on in 2024. If you’d like to fill out our Awesome Creator Spotlight, you can do so at this link.

I absolutely loved everything Kat had to say about community and how to think about creativity and collaboration. The whole time I was putting this article together, I kept saying “That’s such a Forest thing to say”.

Forests are all about shared language and connectivity. Community generally flows from that, but Forests are really great at getting other people to connect with each other, their work, and building the root structure to build something powerful together.

I don’t know if Kat is a Forest, but she is a wonderful example on how to energetically embody that spirit in your writing business.

We have discovered so much about what makes authors succeed this year. If you’d like to learn more about The Author Ecosystems, then we have a whole Substack about it where you can take our quiz and dive deep on all the research we’ve compiled.

So, what did you think? Should I keep doing these? I know I learned a ton from it and I loved learning about Kat’s business in her own words.

If you enjoyed this article, I hope you’ll consider becoming a paid member. If you are a paid member, I recommend reading my book How to Become a Successful Author, where I talk about growing your author business. I also recommend my posts on getting noticed on substack and the different types of subscriptions to give this one more context.

If you’re not a paid member, you can become one with a 7-day free trial.