8 Questions for... Rachel Leeke

Love + Travel

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

Rachel Leeke

is a Brooklyn-born poet + writer. Love + Travel reflects the landscapes she explores within herself + the world.

1. Why Substack?

I first came across Substack in the winter of 2022. At the time, I was freelancing as a copywriter for Fanm Djanm, a Black woman-owned headwrap company. When that contract ended in the spring of the following year, I decided to keep the time I’d carved out in my schedule for writing—but this time, for myself. Substack made sharing long-form writing easy. I started publishing my work publicly in late spring 2023.

Interestingly, during my first year, I didn’t engage with the social aspects of the platform at all. That was a blessing in disguise. It allowed me to stay focused on creating rather than comparing. As I’ve grown more intentional about why I write and what I hope to achieve, I’ve come to appreciate Substack’s social side for the fostering of community, feedback and engagement on work, and introducing me to topics and writers I might not have encountered otherwise.

2. How long did it take you to find your groove?

In many ways I am still finding my groove. I share what excites me which could mean poetry one week or an encouraging mindset post the next. I also challenge myself to dive into new formats like short story. To me writing is a meditation in patience as I allow the words to arrive and offer them release on the page. I love nature and really enjoy writing about it. Plants, weather, and polarity are some of my favorite topics. They help me better understand myself. Once I realized how diving deeper into the things I love and traveling beyond my comfort zone erases the bounds around my mind, body, and heart, I changed the name of my publication to Love + Travel, from its previous title, from the desk of Rachel Leeke. One might say my groove is much like nature itself –in constant evolution.

3. How has it changed you?

I’ve grown more patient, confident, and compelled to support others in finding their lane. It takes space and time for a piece to become exactly what it’s meant to be. I’ve released my expectation that I’ll be able to craft everything I write in a week or two - I’m more aware of the balance between effort in and effort out. Remaining in the process has shown me I’m relentless when it comes to what I pursue. My confidence lives in that truth and it keeps me hopeful and invested in the success of others. Everyone deserves to make inroads toward their dreams.

4. What mistakes have you made?

I’ve learned it’s important for me to have a backlog. Writing is my life’s work and enjoyment isn’t meant to be hurried - it’s to be savored. My best output comes from a space of ease and observation. Ideas hit me while staring out the window, hearing the wind’s whistle on a walk or while cuddled on the couch. Rushing distils potency. Building a backlog allows me to do the words, my community, and myself justice.

5. To pay or not to pay?

I’ve turned on the option to receive paid subs even though all of my writing is free to access. If someone feels moved to give, I’m happy to receive their support. Over time, there have been some very lovely people who’ve chosen to upgrade their subscription, buy me a coffee or add a book to my shelf as ways of expressing their encouragement. For that I am eternally grateful. It’s a privilege to know my words are celebrated and their thoughtfulness inspires me to keep creating.

I see sharing my work as a way to build trust within my community. Showing up consistently each week is a kind of vetting process, a way to demonstrate my commitment. Placing my work behind a paywall wouldn’t support the building of that relationship, so, the choice to pay or not is left up to the community.

6. What artist or technical choices have you made?

I usually begin each newsletter with a welcome that links to the previous week’s offering and then follow it with a sentiment on where I am or how I’m feeling. This feels really grounding to me because it loops new readers into what the publication is about and allows me to infuse my present self into work that might have been written at an earlier time.

The closing of the newsletter often includes sections titled Today’s Tidbit, Community Corner, and Let Me Know. I started Love + Travel with the aim of not only advancing my own artistry but that of works that I enjoy. Today’s Tidbit is where I share an additional piece of adventure, be it a compelling quote, a yummy restaurant or an art exhibition I recently encountered. I highlight the work of writers I enjoy in the Community Corner and solicit feedback to learn more about my readers in Let Me Know. If a piece doesn’t include these closing elements it means I want to keep the spotlight on my words.

7. What has been the effect on your writing?

It supports me in remembering I am talking to actual human beings and not simply firing off words into the ether. I’ve grown to see this publication as the deliverance of a weekly care package. I love discovering new things about myself and my surroundings and sharing them to inspire my community to explore too.

8. In it for the long haul?

Absolutely. Writing is how I process life with all of its joys and complexities. I’ve kept a written journal since 2014 and find it trippy to see a decade of my life neatly stacked on a bookshelf in my home. I aim for my creative work to have that same experience and live on the shelves, desks, and coffee tables of those who aren’t afraid to explore new landscapes within themselves and the world. It would mean a lot to know the words that flow through me have found home.

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