79 Comments
User's avatar
amelie's avatar

my daily mantra: pretty girls have self-efficacy and want to be tasteful curators of the arts

Valerie's avatar

need this tattooed on me

eve morgan's avatar

meme page??? lore drop omg

allie wisniewski's avatar

last night i spent a cool (agonizing) 40 minutes updating my instagram bio, so this feels especially timely and thematic! love the concept of self-proclamation as manifestation

Valerie's avatar

i love your new bio so it was worth it! yeah i’m a stalker

allie wisniewski's avatar

even i had no idea how badly i needed to hear this. thank you

TTH's avatar

feels like I am my own PR team in life. are things (decisions, thoughts, etc) good for the brand, or are they good for the plot? mayhaps both? loved every sentence in this piece!

Valerie's avatar

may we find balance between the brand and the plot someday <3

AMANDA's avatar

please never stop writing and also can you adopt me

Carly Jacobs's avatar

I love everything about this. I'm niche-less - I just like stuff and I like writing about it. Thanks for that permission.

Valerie's avatar

thank you Carly 🥹 i’m stealing your motto

Cinnamon Girl's avatar

Quoting all of this on my morning journaling ☕️🌝

Valerie's avatar

Yesssss to journaling <3

tay's avatar

journaled about this exact thing before opening substack so thank you for this extremely timely and relatable read. hit the nail on the head with it!!!

Valerie's avatar

!!! thank you!

Emma's avatar

this is SUCH gorgeous writing, i'm always in awe of your posts

Valerie's avatar

thank you Emma, this means so much 💘

Elle's avatar

i feel like i really needed this i love u

Katy Gaines's avatar

Your rhythm is impeccable, I rushed to subscribe after like 2 lines. Also this popped up on my feed after I posted a blurry pic to my grid with something about being perceived so I think I needed this one 🌶️

Valerie's avatar

thank you so much 😭 I LOVE THAT PHOTO!! so good

Maryam's avatar

God thank you so much, this seemed to come at the right time I’m on the coach back to my flat and feeling uncertain about my artistry and my self. Until this essay, it’s strange but it feels like the comfort of an older sister I don’t have

Maria Polansky's avatar

Ughhh I never get imposter syndrome more than when I'm writing an Instagram bio. I have gotten more comfortable calling myself a writer since people do pay me to write for them. I also believe in the fake it til you make it approach, it seems to work for others. But that damn insta bio makes me feel like I have no talent.

Valerie's avatar

it’s impossible to compress all of you into just a couple lines 🫠 i get it!

Moved To @evangeliapappas's avatar

I loved this essay so much. I am such an instagram stalker, especially the bios, so I completely get it. The way you write, though, is addictive. Your sentences run so smoothly, you portray your points with such eloquence, ease and conciseness. It's honestly a pleasure to read your work.

Valerie's avatar

thank you evangelia! 🩷🩷

Ananya's avatar

literally spent the past two weeks overthinking the story i’m telling via ig bio. love this!

Malak Aboulenin's avatar

I love this!!