Who am I?

My name is Minnamari Helmisaari, and I am a storyteller. My stories flow out in different forms, such as visuals, writings, music and digital media. In this Substack, I am sharing stories about life and love, seen through the lens of my own experience.

I am both Finnish and Swedish, I am a mother, and I live this human life through a woman’s body, though my soul cannot be so easily categorized. I guess you could say that I identify as queer, though it has taken me long to get to a point where I can openly say it, both due to my cultural conditioning and due to my aversion to label myself. But if I have to choose between the label queer or not queer, I would choose to label myself as queer. Maybe simply because my life seems more interesting to me that way.

I have always loved learning, both inside of institutions and outside of them. I have a MSc in Informatics and a BA in Media Arts, Aesthetics and Narration, and I have also worked in higher education as a lecturer and program director. Outside of these formal educations, I am enbarking in a process of learning through books, through listening, through relating to nature, and through life itself.

Apart from writing, my creative practice consists of many other forms, such as paintings, digital collages, music, and interactive prototypes. If you want to view my other creative works or purchase prints of artwork you can check out the sites below.

My website: minnamari.com
Instagram: minamarihelmisaari
Creative studio & Online store: mysterious.studio
Podcast website: rss.com/podcasts/darkvoiddisco

Why I started this Substack

Storytelling, in varied forms, is what I am currently most drawn to, and that is why I decided to start this Substack. Stories are a powerful means of communication. Stories make their way into our hearts and can both connect and divide people, depending on the way they are told. And the personal narratives we tell ourselves construct the foundation for our lives. Which in turn affects others, through the way we choose to live out our stories. I hope that the sharing of my stories can inspire you to reflect your own life and the stories you tell yourself (or others) in a similar manner. After all, though the details of our stories may vary, there are shared strands as well.

So, this substack was started as a platform where I can add my own voice to the great flow of stories that fills the world. Feel free to comment on my posts in order to share your own perspectives with me and other readers, and in so doing, add your own voice to the flow.

What you can expect from this Substack

With this Substack, I am aiming for a gentle flow. I am first and foremost aiming for depth. And depth takes time. That is why I am writing this substack on a monthly basis. That way there is time for processing and contemplating, in conjunction with the writing and sharing.

Having said that, depending on the flow of life, there may be even more, or less posts than that. I accept that I cannot completely control how the energies flow in my life. I hope that you can accept that too. Let’s allow for life to flow the way it needs to.

The contents of my posts may take different forms: essays, poems, excerpts from my diary, or sharing my dreams. I may also include more of my visual and audio works over time, or maybe this Substack will develop into a hybrid consisting of different media, of words, videos and sounds. I do not know yet, and I do not need to know. That is the beauty of it. With this Substack, I am trying to let the expressions flow out, in whichever shape they choose.

Why subscribe?

Substack functions as both a newsletter and a website. By subscribing you get full access to both the newsletter and the website, right into your inbox. When you subscribe, you can join the community, and comment on posts to share your own unique perspective with others.

For this Substack, you have the option to to read all of my writings as a free subscriber, or to support my work by choosing a paid subscription.

But there is always a third option! If you do not wish to subscribe, you can always check out this web page occasionally to read the newest post, without subscribing to anything. ;)

Free subscription

I want my writings to be available to all who wish to read them. That is why free subscribers can take part in my full archive of writings, as well as listen to audio voice overs of me reading my posts out loud.

As a free subscriber, you also have access to community features. This is because I am curious to hear about other people’s experiences and enjoy reading comments on my posts.

Even if you can’t afford a paid subscription, or simply decide that this isn’t something you want to use your money on, you can always show your support through commenting on a piece of writing that resonated with you, or by sharing a post forward to your community. That is very much appreciated, and I am grateful that you are here.

Paid subscription

With a paid subscription you have access to all the same things as in the free subscription, but in addition to this, you gain access to video logs and bonus episodes connected to my Dark Void Disco Podcast. The bonus episodes are published in a separate podcast feed called Deep View Disco here on Substack. You can find more info about my podcast in the Podcast-tab. On the Vlogs tab you can check out my video logs and see free previews of the videos.

Regardless of whether you choose a free or paid subscription or are choosing not to subscribe at all, I thank you for visiting this space, and wish you the best on your journey.

With Love,
Minnamari

Subscribe to Mysterious Musings

An ongoing process of unfolding consisting of visual and written contemplations. Musings about love and transformation, seen through the lens of my experience.

People

Artist, writer and wonderer experimenting with how to create from the gut instead of only using the mind and to dance with the stories I tell myself.