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Low-Key Incredible: The Joys of Being a Nano Influencer

If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way. — Napoleon Hill In my final post of 2025 I commented that while I was happy to assert my identity as a writer and blogger I wasn’t ready to accept the label of “influencer” despite it having been suggested on several occasions. That all changed when I learned (via this guest post by my friend and fellow blogger Aimee Wilson) that there are different categories of influencer. The article Aimee cited was Types of Influencers: Mega, Macro, Micro, and Nano Explained by The Viral Union (TVU). The types are distinguished by their respective number of followers and thus their perceived influence. Mega Influencers (1M+ followers) Macro Influencers (100k to 1M) Micro Influencers (10k to 100k) Nano Influencers: (under 10k) That last category caught my attention. I’m pretty sure I have fewer than ten thousand followers. Does that make me a nano influencer? It sounded kind of cool, especially when I read that TVU — w...
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A Companion Not a Rulebook: Thoughts Inspired by Cheryl Stott's "Living with Bipolar and Other Mood Disorders"

You don’t need to do this perfectly. You just need to keep choosing yourself often enough that life remains liveable. That’s the work. And you’re already doing it. — Cheryl Stott I recently shared my thoughts inspired by William Styron’s “Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness.” Since then I’ve been reading a very different yet no less engaging book on mental health. Living with Bipolar and other mood disorders by Cheryl Stott was published in paperback on January 26 this year. This review is based on the Kindle edition which came out a few days later. I was immediately drawn to the clean presentation of the text. There’s little to get in the way of the content itself. This is in keeping with the author’s aim to help people newly diagnosed with bipolar disorder understand what their diagnosis means — and what it doesn’t mean. Living with Bipolar is not a clinical manual and it’s not a Memoir. It’s the conversation many people never get when they are diagnosed. This Extended E...
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Breakdancing or Just Getting Old? Taking a Tumble on a Night Out in Blyth

It all happened so quickly. One moment I was walking to the car after a meal out with friends. The next I was lying face down in the dirt. It took a few seconds for me to realise what had happened. My life didn’t pass before my eyes — no Chicken Run “it was really boring” revelation — but as I lay there my priorities were surprisingly clear. I was most concerned for my (rather expensive) glasses. Then my beloved tweed jacket. Then whether I’d dropped anything out of my pockets. Then that I must be covered in mud. It was a while before I realised my left hand was hurting quite badly where I’d extended it to break my fall. As I got slowly to my feet I figured I probably hadn’t broken anything but I had no clear idea how I’d ended up on the floor. My friends were no less bemused. Jack and Aimee had been on the opposite side of the car and saw nothing. Walking behind me, Spencer had seen everything. Except there’d been nothing to see. A stumble, then me flat on my face. They were all ...
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Don't Forget What Time to Talk Day Is All About

TW: Mention of suicidality and self-harm
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Our Top Posts of the Month (January 2026)

Check out our top blog posts for the past month. Posts are listed by the number of page views they attracted during the month, most popular first.
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This Is How Change Happens: Ten Creators I'd Love You to Follow

This is how change happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time. — Libba Bray I love to share content I find interesting and relevant. In a recent post about coffee shop conversations I mentioned two friends whose craft and creativity deserve a wider audience. I’ve previously shared ten content creators who make me happy . This time I’m sharing ten artists and creators who inspire, motivate, and challenge me in different ways. Their areas of interest and engagement vary widely. Topics include physical and mental health, suicide awareness, women’s autonomy, gender identity, trans rights, animal welfare, and body positivism. More than anything they explore and express what it means to be human. What it means to be unique. What it means to be alive. In no particular order they are: Marisa Ramirez Fraser Morgan Riona O Connor Mali and Joe Emily Kimelman Mark Hogben Man Who Has It All Rocky Kanaka Closer To Truth Andrea Gibson Marisa Ramirez (Kimmel) ...
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A Fresh Look for Gum on My Shoe

If you’re a regular visitor to Gum on My Shoe you might notice things look rather different today. We’ve given our website a new look which we believe is fresh, clean, and easier to find your way around. We hope you agree. Rest assured, our mission, values, and goals haven’t changed. We’re still focused on sharing honest conversations about mental health and the power of supportive friendships. Those moments of showing up, listening, and reminding each other we’re not alone. What’s Changed? All our main pages have been reviewed and updated. The contact page has information for guest bloggers. Get in touch if you’d like to write for us. We’d love to hear from you. The old News and Appearances page has been renamed Portfolio to better reflect its contents. The old keyword cloud has been moved to a dedicated Topics section in the side menu. There’s a new disclaimer page. Where Is Everything? Top of the Page You’ll find links to the main pages (Home, About, Res...
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