🌱 Now, A Gentle Rebrand

And what comes next

Hey folks,

I know things look pretty different around here—no, you're not imagining it.

😬 It's a rebrand.

Please forgive me!

After months—well, years—of wrestling with burnout and these brief little bits of clarity, I’ve finally taken a big, likely long overdue step: I’m shifting truthurts into something new. Something still true—but softer. Wilder and warmer.

Welcome to The Fern & The Flame.

A space for stories that grow. Stories that heal.

Stories that know the woods can be a scary and tangled place… but also full of life, light, and unexpected beauty.

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Why the change?

For years, I wrote with a fire in my chest—exposing abuse, calling out harm, and trying to shine a light into some of the darkest corners of American church culture and society. That work mattered. It still matters.

But telling those stories from a trauma lens day after day took its toll. Especially after so many setbacks and challenges with my health. I couldn't keep up—we all know it. Honestly, I haven't kept up with writing what matters.

Through all of that frustration, I’ve come to understand that healing needs a soft space to write, too.

That’s what this shift is about. Not a departure from truth—but a return to my own.

Back when I first started writing on Medium, I talked a lot about motherhood and mental health. In fact, I originally envisioned myself as a writer more like Fred Rogers. If Fred had been a modern woman, that is.

I wrote about the big, awkward feelings among adults. Feelings like burnout. Fear. Shame. Small joys. Ridiculously big but childlike joys. Anger. Betrayal. Grief. Broken dreams. Delicate new dreams. Not to mention the exceptionally messy, sacred work of becoming who we are… once life doesn’t go as planned.

In particular, I talked a lot about how we adults must learn how to handle our own big feelings in a positive way before expecting our children to manage their big feelings.

And now? I really want to come back to those roots. To write those softer, true stories again—not instead of the hard truths, but alongside them.

Because healing doesn’t mean pretending nothing hurt or that we weren't altered forever by the bad things.

It does mean letting new good things grow.

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So, what stays the same?

If you’ve supported my work for any length of time, I want to say thank you.

You helped me do work that mattered, and I’m not abandoning that call. I still care deeply about justice, advocacy, and the power of honest storytelling.

As my health improves, you’ll still see updates, deep dives, and pieces that hold power to account—but you’ll also see more of me, my daughter, our creative endeavors, meaningful parenting moments, a foray into slow living, and (fingers crossed) joyful recovery.

More softness.

More play.

More growth.

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What’s coming next?

🌲 A series of posts about creative burnout and rebuilding a writing life

🦊 Behind-the-scenes glimpses of my upcoming kids’ activity book, The Forest is Calling

🍄 Reflections on parenting, storytelling, identity, and learning to rest (or heal)

🔥 Occasional dispatches on justice, systems, and spiritual abuse

🌿 Daily(ish) writing as I regain my rhythm and remember how to enjoy this again

And soon, a pinned post explaining the meaning behind The Fern & The Flame, which I hope will really resonate.

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If you believe in honest storytelling, in justice, in softness, in showing up despite our challenges—this space is still for you.

In fact, it’s my intention to make this space a much more meaningful and joyful resource for whatever you're facing in your own life that scares you.

Truth hurts, but it also heals.

Right now my truth is that I'm utterly burnt out by viewing my work through a trauma lens.

It’s time for me to slowly rebuild, by writing what feels true, and growing toward what’s next—

the forest, the fire, and what grew anyway...

Truths that grow joyfully wild and free.

With much love,

Shannon

P.S. A quick note about links 🔗

I’ve officially changed my Substack sub-domain from truthurts to fernandflame.substack.com

All previous links should redirect automatically, but if you notice any broken ones, please pardon the digital clutter🌪 Thank you for bearing with me through this big (and exciting!) shift.