Creative explosions

join me for a series of conversations with brilliant women

Photo by Lewis Zhao on Unsplash

It’s hard to find time to write. This is not news to anyone who is trying to write in the margins. I like to challenge my own frustration by reframing what a period of writing might look like beyond getting words onto the page.

When I am overwhelmed by everything I have to hold, and when a quiet few moments feels impossible to find, I try to be kind to my creative self. During the weeks when I know I will not meet my desired word count, I find other ways to build stories in my head.

I do a lot of thinking - on the school run, when I’m collecting meds from the chemist, while I stack the dishwasher. I type notes into my phone, or scribble them onto post-it notes. I take in everything around me, and if I think a story might be hidden in a detail, I record it and save it for later.

I also do a lot of talking. I leave voicenotes for friends mostly, because I spend my days caring for my daughters. Occasionally I will meet friends for a drink, a coffee snatched after the school run, or a rare glass of wine in the pub round the corner. When I see friends in real life I usually don’t come up for air. I am nourished by these conversations, by the version of myself I reveal when I am not surrounded by my children. We rarely talk about the mundane, the domestic. I prefer not to speak about my kids. I want to dive straight into the illicit, the radical, the terrifying. I want to get right to the heart of this wild life, and I surround myself with friends who want to do the same.

I’ve planned a series of conversations with women I know - in fact I have only met two of them, the rest of them exist only as voices inside my phone. These women all have one thing in common - they are hungry for life. These are women with massive care responsibilities, managing huge life challenges, and yet they continue to create and plan, to live boldly with curiosity. I am excited to talk to each one of them and to share our conversations with you all.

HERE’S THE SCHEDULE PEOPLE:

Thursday 19th February 2.30pm: Substack Live with Clover Stroud

Clover Stroud needs no introduction. She is a bestselling author, loved by readers everywhere for her urgent, passionate prose. I’m excited to talk to her about her creativity, about the state of the world right now, and to compare notes on mothering many children. Clover and I will be doing an event IN REAL LIFE later this year, so watch out for that.

Thursday 26th February: Recorded interview with Sarah Johnson

I met Sarah Johnson at an education conference in London last year. Immediately I knew she was someone I wanted to spend more time with. She is the president of PRUsAP, the voice of alternative provision and the author of five books. Sarah works with educators across the world. She also has many children and is, like so many of us, mistress in the art of juggling. I can’t wait to talk to Sarah about what it means to raise children who need something beyond the mainstream and share our thoughts what inclusive education shoud really look like.

Wednesday 4th March 8pm: Substack Live with Amy Liptrot

Amy Liptrot is a bestselling author, whose star rose stratospherically when her debut memoir, The Outrun, was made into a hugely successful film in 2024. Amy was very kind to me when my first book came out, and we’ve stayed in touch. We will talk about using real life for inspiration, our passion for the wilderness and what learning really means.

Wednesday 11th March 12.30pm: Substack Live with Salima Saxton

Salima Saxton is a powerhouse She’s an actor, a writer and co-host of the amazing Women Are Mad with Jen&Salima podcast. Her Substack manages to be both heartbreaking and hilarious, which is the best type of writing in my view. We are going to have a no holds barred conversation about life and love and I already feel like I’m going to spill my heart because Salima has that effect on me (last time we chatted on the phone I started crying in the street in the rain like I was in a bad film).

I hope you’ll join us in the weeks ahead. I’m confident these conversations will change the world, if you believe, like me, that connection is how we learn and how we grow.

Unschooled is still bubbling, starting conversations and helping to validate people everywhere whose families do not fit in. You can buy it in all good bookshops, and it would mean the world to me if you did. Let me know what you think…

C x