The Joy of Being Unknown

Everyone talks about wanting to be seen.

To grow fast. Go viral. Be known. Famous. Big.

But I think there’s something deeply magical about being small.

Being unknown.

Being new.

When you’re new, you get to play.

You can experiment in public. Test things, mess them up, try again, switch things up altogether.

You can try on different styles and genres, write under different pen names, whisper weird thoughts into the void.

You can be unapologetically new in your craft, without tripping over your own fame or trying to protect a brand before it’s even born.

There’s freedom in that.

In writing messy little posts like this.

In figuring out your voice before the spotlight finds you.

In building slowly and learning who you are while you create, not after.

These are the things no one mentions when people give you marketing tips or tell you to blow up on TikTok or other social media platforms. As if we all want the pressure of going viral.

Nah.

Honestly?

I love being new.

I love that I can write anything I want in my own little corner of the internet.

That I can share my chaotic thoughts, jump between themes, test new formats, and just… be real while I figure myself out.

Because how many of us actually have ourselves figured out?

Even more so for a writer. Where you start is so very often not where you end up.

And every time I post, I get a little closer.

I’m getting clearer on my voice.

Clearer on what I want to say.

And one day, when I am ready for a larger stage, I’ll have a whole body of work behind me—not polished and perfect, but lived-in. Earned. Wild. Me.

So to everyone who’s been here from the start: thank you.

Thanks for reading my strange little blogs and essays.

Thanks for reading my earlier books and short stories and supporting my work.

Thanks for sticking with me while I shift, stumble, and shape.

And if you’re still in the early phase—if you’re writing into the void or creating just for the joy of it—this is your reminder:

• It’s good to be unknown.

• It’s a gift to have the freedom to grow without pressure.

• Your obscurity is not a weakness. It’s a greenhouse. One that can be very fun and peaceful.

Take your time.

You'll step out when you're ready.

If you want to.

---

I’ve written as Sarah Kate Ishii for a long time. She was my explorer. But Sarah Caelan is my anchor, my fire, and the name I’ll be writing under from here on. Welcome to the new era.

Where old Celtic stone and roots meet the wild sea. In book form.

February

It's been a long time since I wrote a poem. This one's inspired by a challenge a dear friend's husband set her because she was feeling blue in the dragging on winter, and when she told me, lines just swam in my head as if it needed to come out. Though I live in Australian summer right now, my house is always freezing in winter (old Australian builds), so I empathise with those of you living in winter time!

February: the days are short but the winter drags on,

Our minds wander, drifting, longing for the cold to be done,

And we shuffle like ghosts as time blends day with day,

Motivation fades, creativity too—gone, just drifted away.

It's times like this that I wish for long summer days,

Instead my city's so dull, muted, nothing but greys,

Then I see my love’s red cheeks, our children’s bright noses,

And we laugh at the colour - so red, like Ma's summer roses.

I try to stay present, embrace these walks through the park,

Rugged up in coats, gloves, long boots, against the chill of the dark,

With our bellies full of comforting hot winter food,

Blowing our breath like dragons to brighten our mood.

Some days we kick boots through leaves sodden with rain,

Yet others we crunch over them as they freeze over again,

Some days we hide under blankets, snug in warm, cosy hugs,

Hands wrapped around hot cacao in huge steaming mugs.

We pass time as best we can—music, art, trying new food,

Anything to keep at bay that long, dark winter's mood,

But need we spend winter hiding in small, heated rooms,

Or should we enjoy kicking through leaves, dancing to our own winter tunes?

Writing by Voice

Okay. Fitting in quality writing time is the challenge. Here's a solution.

Voice memos. Dictating into the program and (ideally) watching incredible word count fly. (SOME weird mistranslations, but that's okay. Easy to fix in editing rounds.)

But, anyone else like me and find it embarrassing or awkward to speak it aloud? And whenever I say it, my ideas don't flow so well as when typing?

Here's the truth

Voice memos are a different skill to typing, and it’s totally normal to feel awkward at first. But it’s a learnable skill, and if it helps increase your word count, it might be worth experimenting with!

Maybe start super casually, like:

Narrating ideas, not prose → Instead of trying to “write” out loud, just brain-dump ideas: “Okay, in this scene, the character is feeling X because of Y, and maybe she does Z…”

Speaking in fragments → You don’t need full sentences. Even half-formed thoughts can help you get unstuck later.

Doing it in private first → If embarrassment is a barrier, try it when no one’s around just to get used to your voice.

No pressure to make it perfect—it’s just another tool to test out. You might end up hating it, or it might surprise you.

I'm going to try it out. Try to overcome the awkwardness and see if I can make my ideas flow smoother spoken too. (Might help with my awkwardness talking in reels or things too!)

Would love to hear if anyone else tries it out too and how they go.

#AmWriting #VoiceMemos #AuthorLife