We are all storytellers...
the enduring power of telling our stories for Women Weaving this International Women's Day 2026.
Hello I’m Lyndsay, I am so glad you have found your way here…
Welcome to Story & Thread., a cosy, welcoming place to be inspired by the quiet power of noticing beauty & wonder. Here we explore our creative lives through the lens of the seasons, and what it means to tell our stories with meaningful PR.
All subscribers will receive regular thoughtful posts about creativity, mothering, home and garden through a soft seasonal lens. You are invited to become a member of The Beauty Thread., to join a creative community for online seasonal gatherings, home guides, co-working spaces and soon, guidance for crafting a considered PR kit for your creative business.
“what will become of this story
inside my chest?”
—Emory Hall.
Dearest reader…
How are you finding your way in March? We are edging closer towards spring and I have felt the most welcome shimmers this week, but it has certainly felt very winterspring-like in these parts!
I hope you have managed to find some time to sit with The Softening (gathering and guide). I promise an edit for all subscribers is coming soon that you can dip into as we move through this seasonal shift.
I am delighted to drop in today with words woven for International Women’s Day 2026, a post that nearly didn’t materialise as my daughter has been off sick and I haven’t had the time and space I envisaged. It has been very much written in the edges, on my phone as she slept on me during the day, and in the margins of everything else. It has felt poignant in many ways to realise that throughout history women’s stories have not told for many different reasons and circumstances, and it made me more determined to finish this post with her by my side.
It is time to eschew perfection in order to find our voices, shape the narrative and tell our stories…
Women Weaving for International Women’s Day 2026
This year’s IWD theme conjured with Claire Venus ✨ Lauren Barber Laurita Gorman Laura Durban Georgia, Women Weaving, was originally inspired by an oracle card I pulled from the Folklore Oracle by Giada Rose and Hadas Knox — the waulking card takes us back centuries to the Scottish Highlands where groups of women worked the community’s woollen cloth to make it softer and thicker. The process, dating back to medieval times that continued until the mid-twentieth century, is called ‘waulking’, rhythmically beating tweed against a hard surface whilst singing (it sounds very therapeutic to me!).
The women sing of love and loss, the raw beauty of home, and the hardships and humours of their days, often in call-and-response style.
Through the melody and the lyrics, women weaved their personal stories with the collective — to process their emotional lives, at the same time alchemising it into meaningful work for their community, and ultimately revealing the power of communal storytelling…
Telling stories and weaving threads.
The ‘waulking’ card and its description immediately resonated when I pulled it from the deck. Its message about stories woven in the process of softening and singing, and the power of our voices in tune with the collective, allowed much to fall into place, possibly ushering me towards a new creative chapter…
The name Story & Thread. is an expression of my long-held fascination with interiors and storytelling that infuses my everyday life, writing, and work.
Storytelling and weaving are deeply entwined, both in physical form (as per the waulking process and many other weaving traditions), and metaphorically too. Weaving is one of the oldest and most important crafts in human history, and in itself a form of storytelling, each thread woven with intention, like a word in a sentence, expressing a narrative. Words hold an essential place in cultural consciousness, and the language of weaving and storytelling is inextricably linked — from threads of thought and conversation, to weaving a plot, and spinning a yarn.
Over the millennia and across just about every culture, woven cloth has been a tactile and tangible form of voice that is passed down through generations. Even more than their beauty, softness and warmth, textiles tell of belonging, identity, safety and a sense of place. Over the years, material has conveyed stories, from ancient myths, and major historical events, to the minutiae of everyday life, one thread at a time.
A textile, especially in the form of a blanket, signifies security, comfort and protection — it is a piece of home we can wrap around us, it accompanies us through life. A habitual gift for newborn babies, woven fabric in blanket form provides cushioning and cradling, it softens our transition from womb to world — touch, our earliest sense, becomes our first language.
Why should we tell our stories?
Long before the written word or indeed the woven one, we communicated through oral storytelling. Stories were told by voice, laced in firelight — the hearth was where much of life was passed on and handed down, in the form of story, rituals and rites. Imagination and memory were awakened through the timelessness of collective storytelling, a deeply communal activity, there was an intimacy in shared knowing — “the hearth was the theatre of word”.1
Storytelling has always been how we express ourselves; how we communicate with others; make sense of the world and the human condition; shape identities and communities; how we record, preserve and pass on knowledge, culture, values, beliefs and societal norms. From myths and legends, to epic poetry, folklore and fables, novels and plays — to tell our story is to play a part in the vibrant and many-layered tapestry of life.
Advancements through the ages have changed the nature of storytelling —from the formation and development of early writing systems, all the way to communication via the social media that lies in the palm of our hand in today’s digital age — the way we tell and consume narratives has transformed beyond recognition.
Although ways of telling stories continues to evolve, our innate longing for them, and their purpose remains the same. Stories continue to shape our understanding of the world and ourselves, making it imperative that we take the time, care and attention to uncover our voices and share our precious words.
The words of women.
Throughout history, women’s experiences and stories have been lost, minimised and diminished. Take the phrase ‘mother’s meeting’, a term used to describe according to the Urban Dictionary, “pointless natter about nothing in particular” or another definition referred to “a noisy, gossipy gathering of women”, which brings me to the word ‘gossip’ itself…
The word’s origins hail from the birthing room, arguably the most powerful place on earth. Originally from Old English godsibb meaning ‘sponsor, godparent’, the meaning was later extended in Middle English to ‘a familiar acquaintance, a friend, neighbour’, especially used to describe an intimate group of trusted female friends invited to support a woman through birth. These women were known as the ‘gossips’, providing much-needed encouragement, comfort and strength.
Yet from around the 1500s, there was a shift when the strength and solidarity of female friendship became seen as a threat to the establishment2. It was at this point that ‘gossip’ began to mean “a woman engaging in idle talk”, an interpretation that serves to silence women, as well as deem their speech meaningless.
Although I can’t say I invited any of my good friends to either of my births (!), female support and stories in the weeks, months and years since becoming a mother have been vital to my day-to-day experience of mothering, my innermost thoughts, my outlook and wellbeing. This communication has taken on many forms — from verbal reflections on two challenging births, daily online women’s meditation circles during lockdowns, beautiful courses in mothering and creativity that have both reassured and inspired me, poetry and podcasts, online and in-person mothers’ circles, to countless voicenotes, phone calls and chats, not to mention the many posts and conversations I have engaged in within the Substack community.
Far from meaningless, listening to the stories of others has been a lifeline, constant source of comfort and reassurance, whilst voicing my own has allowed me to be seen, held and validated as I process my unfolding experience.
Coming together to share our stories as women is a special kind of alchemy —it is how we, rightfully, take up space, how we heal ourselves, each other, and the wounds of competition, scarcity and division3. Women talking together has the power to make seismic, lasting change, one word at a time.
In the business of storytelling.
Working in PR (Public Relations4) for nearly two decades means that communication and storytelling is at the heart of the work I do each day.
Essentially a process of finding your voice, shaping the narrative and telling a story; PR is a culmination of defining your utmost values, expressing what you do and why you do it, in order to foster connection and trust.
Ironically the PR industry seems to retain a certain mystique, as well as often being misunderstood, and sometimes maligned. In my experience, PR is very rarely ‘spin’ or a one-off attention-grabbing ‘splash’, but instead a very gradual, long-term commitment — a consistent drip-feed of intentional information, ideas and thoughts that build awareness, trust and connection, shaping the story of ourselves, and our work in the world.
PR should not be an expensive, mysterious tool reserved for large corporate organisations, but instead within the reach of individuals, creatives, writers and makers. PR is woven into every interaction we make, how we tell our story, and how others feel when they hear it.
PR is not a direct sales tool but an integral, essential part of building an enduring, meaningful brand with integrity. It is a way to evoke a feeling, an experience, a memory, a certain tone and quality, and eventually a sense of familiarity that can’t be replicated by anyone else in quite the same way.
My interest lies in discovering those who exist under-the-radar, quietly doing something remarkable, making something beautiful in the edges of life from a small corner at home or an unexpected place, people that bring positivity and meaning to the world through their creativity, individuality and expertise.
The craft of considered storytelling in community.
*Considered | strategic and planned | thoughtful and conscious | crafted with care | closely aligned | tailored and targeted | mindful, meaningful and intentional | creative and imaginative | visionary and values-led | purposeful | fostering connection, collaboration and relationships
*Sustainable | cohesive and consistent | a long-term commitment | integrated into everyday life | gradual and layered | slow and sustained effort | evolving and enduring | a gentle drip-feed | a quiet buzz | trust in the process | soft and strong
*Storytelling | soulful and authentic | conversational | evocative | an experience | memory | expertise and wisdom | heart-led | inspired and empowering | vulnerable and visible | rhythmic and resonant | personal and collective | change-making | influential | healing and hopeful
Raising our voices together in story.
I am working on an offering that aims to raise the voices of others, as we craft considered, sustainable storytelling strategy together. It is for all creatives, including creators, mother-makers, earth-keepers, wordsmiths, magic weavers, thought-leaders, dreamers and seekers. Together, we will find our voices, shape our narratives, and spill the stories of ourselves and our work that are longing to be told. Please do like or drop a comment if you want to find out more…
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed my exploration of storytelling and feel encouraged to share your voice — I would love to hear the words you are going to weave.
Sending much love,
P.S. you can read my previous IWD contributions below…
P.P.S. Find out more about The Beauty Thread., my membership space filled with creative seasonal gatherings and co-working sessions, seasonal home guides and considered storytelling and PR, within Story & Thread. — you can read or listen to more by clicking the link below…
Introducing The Beauty Thread. by Lyndsay.
Tending and telling our stories inspired by the quiet power of noticing beauty & wonder.
*creative gatherings | co-working | considered space | crafted PR*.
I hope you will join us, you would be so welcome…
Fire, from The Four Elements, by John O’ Donohue.
In 1547, “a proclamation was issued forbidding women to meet together to babble and talk” and ordering husbands to “keep their wives in their houses”, from Witches, Witch-Hunting, and Women by Silvia Federici.
Female friendships were one of the targets of the witch hunts, as in the course of the trials accused women were forced under torture to denounce each other, friends turning in friends, daughters turning in their mothers, from Witches, Witch-Hunting, and Women by Silvia Federici.
PR is the strategic process of managing the spread of information between an organisation or individual, and the public to influence reputation, perception, and relationships — with the aim of earning understanding, support and goodwill between a brand/person and their existing audience, and potentially new audiences.
I resonated with so many things you shared in this piece Lyndsay, both on the personal and professional side. And yes to the alchemy of women sharing stories and raising their voices together! I look forward to seeing your new offering unfold.
Really thoughtful piece for today, Lyndsay. Full of new learnings for me, especially the words around 'women's talk' - 'gossip' and 'mothers meeting'.
And I'm very excited by your offering to raise collective voices 🧡