✍️ “Slow growth is still growth.”

Claire Venus on early mornings, creative rituals, and how sound, stillness, and storytelling shape her writing life.

📚 Editor’s Note: Claire Venus on Soulful Writing and Sustainable Growth

Claire Venus doesn’t just write — she invites. Whether she’s crafting personal essays before sunrise, mentoring creatives on Substack, or dancing to Sia in her kitchen, her writing life is rooted in ritual, rhythm, and radical self-trust.

In this week’s GuestStack interview, Claire shares her journey from writing for “everyone” to building a sustainable creative business that centers authenticity, intention, and real connection. She shares the magic of 100 paid subscribers, the power of mentorship, and why the quiet seasons of a creative life deserve just as much reverence as the loud ones.

If you’re craving a slower, softer model of success — this is your permission slip.

-Amy

Editor & Curator of GuestStack

✍️ From the Desk of Claire Venus

1. Where’s your desk these days — and what does it look like?

Right now, my desk is tucked into the corner of my sunlit studio at home on the Northumberland Coast. It’s upstairs and I have soft grey soundproof boards up for podcasting which makes it super cosy.

It’s a simple white Ikea desk. To the right I have a purple quartz crystal, a big ceramic mug of peppermint tea, and usually a notebook open, mid-thought.

I have a3 paper and my sharpies ready to go for big picture planning and thinking underneath.

I’m in front of a skylight with a blind and surrounded by cut flowers, oracle cards and a couple of tall plants (my quiet co-workers). I sometimes have music playing softly in the background… usually something instrumental to stay in flow.

2. What does “making writing your job” look like in your world right now?

Ah love this question…

It’s guiding and mentoring other writers/ creatives on Substack and showing them how to share their creative voice through audio and the written word.

I write personal essays, newsletters, courses, and workshops, and my work is deeply connected to real conversations with my audience. I’m fortunate to make a living through paid subscriptions, digital products, mentoring, and collaborations.

I’m working on my new book too; Invisible Trust. It will be out on 1^st December.

3. What’s one lesson you wish someone had told you earlier about the business of writing?

That you don’t have to wait for permission or a publisher to call yourself a writer. I’m a Projector in Human Design (*) so it’s in my DNA to do this work. It’s also a huge permission slip for me to be a beacon for the people who want to find me and know all of that is working if I show up as my authentic self.

Writing is a practice, not a title someone gives you. When I started treating it like a daily ritual and a long-term relationship, everything shifted.

Slow growth (both personally and professionally) is still growth. The quiet seasons matter because that’s where the discomfort is… it’s a real rollercoaster at times but my worth is not determined by my ‘success’ in anything, it’s determined by how I feel.

4. What’s your writing routine like — or do you even have one?

I’m a morning writer, always have been. I usually write before the rest of the house wakes up, while the world still feels a bit dreamlike.

I light a candle, sip coffee, and start with freewriting before moving into anything more structured like an essay or a Substack post.

I have all notifications off always so hyper focus is always possible. Sometimes if I’m tired in the afternoon I write then too as I find flow state much easier than working on other parts of my business where decisions are required.

5. Was there a moment you realized, “Wait… I can actually do this”?

Yes! When I hit my first 100 paid subscribers on Substack, it felt like magic not because of the number, but because each one represented a real human who believed in my work enough to pay for it. That was the moment I realised; this isn’t a fluke, this is a golden long-term path. I used to work solely for commissioners, so it was a big shift for me.

6. What’s something you tried that didn’t work — and what did you learn from it?

I tried writing for “everyone” early on, which meant I ended up writing for no one in particular. The more I’ve narrowed in on who I’m writing for soulful creatives and business owners who want to share their voice without burning out. I got to know my readers and they are with me as I evolve and change too.

My joyful and sustainable message is woven through everything and the more ‘me’ I am, the more ease and flow I’ve found both in writing and in business.

7. How do you find or create opportunities for yourself as a writer?

A mix of intentional outreach and trusting the timing. I write weekly on Substack, and that often leads to collaborations, podcast invitations, and workshop opportunities.

I also believe in reaching out to people whose work I admire.

A kind message can spark a beautiful collaboration.

8. What’s the best investment you’ve made in your writing life (time, money, or energy)?

Without question: working with mentors and joining writing communities. Being around other people who are walking similar creative paths and who understand both the joys and doubts of writing has made all the difference. Therapy and spa days too. You can’t pour from an empty cup, especially when you’re writing from the heart.

9. What’s a piece of writing advice you’ve heard a million times… but you actually believe in?

“Write what you know” but more importantly, write what you *feel.*

The writing that resonates most with others almost always comes from the parts of yourself you’ve dared to sit with, even when it’s uncomfortable. I often re-watch Brené Brown’s TED Talk and search for quotes to write out from her or Glennon Doyle.

I love this one from Brené from her book Daring Greatly. “Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.”

10. What’s something you’re currently obsessed with — and how is it influencing your writing?

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with the invitation…

I adore the quiet power of audio storytelling especially the ways podcasts create intimacy and connection.

It’s reshaping how I think about rhythm and voice in my written work too. I’ve also been loving newsletters that blend the personal and the practical, where the writer’s real life shows up between the lines. I dance everyday (just in the house) to Sia – usually in or outside of the shower and in the kitchen when the kettle boils… it’s a solo practise, a coming home and a remembering who I am outside of my perceived self.

👋 About Claire Venus, This Week’s Featured GuestStack Writer

Claire Venus runs Creatively Conscious Ltd. She’s an Engagement Consultant and Mentor and writes a weekly newsletter and runs a membership for Substack education over at Sparkle on Substack. Claire lives on the Northumberland Coast with her husband, two children and puppy Stella. She’s passionate about environmental influence and lived experience on our art.

Claire is the co-author of ‘How to Build a World Class Substack’ which was the first Substack book to hit the shelves. It’s available wherever you get your books.

Follow Claire on Instagram - @creatively.conscious

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-Amy