The Fishbowl.

I’m Finlaey, a living experience advocate and lowercase ‘w’ writer.

I’ve felt like a fish in a bowl my whole life.

Observant, observed, through a fisheye lens. In unapparent, decorative isolation. Swimming in circles of thoughts and dreams and fears and feeling. Blubbering on, unsure how to say exactly what I mean. Forgetting, and remembering, in the same beat. A novelty to some, a pet, auspicious, bubbly, a slippery thing, colourful, a smell. Even a chore. Unable to breathe out of water for too long… my poor gills.

(I am resisting the urge to wax poetic on the beaches of my hometown. Let us save that for later. Winton’s wet dream.)

The Fishbowl is my way of tapping on the glass. My way of saying,

‘Hello, world. I am here, in my scales and my shine, you have not flushed me yet. I have many a bubble to blubber and many a fish tale to tell.’

This project is an ode to any other goldfish out there who feel trapped in their bowl - whether it be their brain, a place, a situation. If you yearn for freedom, or a school to swim with, this is the place for you.

If you wish to find your new favourite song/tv series/book, delight in some gonzo journalism, grit teeth through confessional prose poetry, or to doom-scroll Substack instead of TikTok… you can do that here too.

Take a swim through my essays, interviews, poetry, prose and recommendations.

Tour of the ‘Bowl

While you’re underwater, you’ll encounter…

• Swimsounds. Welcome to the soundtrack of the ‘bowl, where I share sweet music close to my heart and otoliths. I know, sound is usually muffled when you’re submerged, but the Fishbowl transcends aquatic acoustics. I’m blasting tunes loud and clear, and Swimsounds will tell you what’s on rotation.

• Free Dive. Does what it says on the tin. Deep dive essays and articles, so grab your snorkel. Expect musings on place and how it shapes us, how music and media move us, alongside thoughts on mental health and disability pride, living experience advocacy, and commentary on the cultural zeitgeist.

• Bubble & Blubber. I invite a fellow fishy to the ‘bowl for a chat, a bubble and a blubber about, frankly, anything we damn feel. Bring your goggles, you’ll see the world a little differently here.

There is no dedicated segment for poetry and prose yet, but fear not. It’ll be here.

So… ready to take the plunge?

Feed the fishies (me!) by subscribing. Be part of a community of gilled, finned, shimmery ‘n’ stinky creatures who share your interests. Participate in the comments section, or support the ‘bowl with a subscription.

You can also find me on IG at finsfishbowl.

To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.