Joe Armstrong
joethehuman.bsky.social
Joe Armstrong
@joethehuman.bsky.social
16 followers 18 following 48 posts
Writer, songwriter, memoirist, author of Joe the Human Substack https://joearmstrong.substack.com/ https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C71Q2XK7?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tpbk
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Ever frozen mid-speech—even when you knew every word?
My new Substack: When the Mind Goes Blank — how I went from childhood stage fright to speaking with calm and courage.
open.substack.com/pub/joearmst...
#PublicSpeaking #Anxiety #Resilience
When the Mind Goes Blank: From Stage Fright to Standing Tall
What stage fright taught me about fear, memory, and finding my voice again.
open.substack.com
Meet the digger and the dog! A humorous tale of trust, toil, and unexpected inspiration. Read or listen to my latest Substack: open.substack.com/pub/joearmst...
#writing #trust #gardening #homeprojects #humour #reflection #toastmasters #lifeinireland #storytelling
Another round with my old frenemy: my back!

From Paris to Wicklow to the gym, it’s a story of pain, humour, and gratitude.

Me and Me Back! — new free Substack post: open.substack.com/pub/joearmst...
#IrishHumour #HealingJourney #Gratitude #BackPain
Some dates never leave us. Some lessons fade too quickly.
This Substack is about memory, faith and doubt, and the choices that shape our future — inspired by fathers, history, and the fleeting nature of life.
open.substack.com/pub/joearmst...
Fathers, faith, and fleeting lives
Chance, choice, and the futures we create
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Why do anything? From air and water to love, belonging, and self-actualisation, our lives are a constant balancing act of needs. In my latest Substack, I explore Maslow’s hierarchy and how it plays out in daily life, relationships, and choices.
open.substack.com/pub/joearmst...
#Motivation #Purpose
Why Do Anything?
From Maslow’s pyramid to Johnny Cash’s ‘empire of dirt’
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Bob Rees was many things: sailor, engineer, critic of religion, jazz lover — and above all, a humanist who lived his values. I’ve written a reflection on his life and humanism. Free to read. #Humanism #BobRees #SecularHumanism #HAI
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Closer to God in a Storm at Sea
Reflections on the life and humanism of Bob Rees (12 June 1936 — 5 August 2025)
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Two days after my cousin’s funeral, another relative was in ICU. By week’s end, we’d faced grief, relief, and even a £1,500 car hire bill. Life is fragile. Here’s what it taught me…
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Hope and Despair in One Week: What a Family Emergency Taught Me
How grief, an unexpected hospital dash, and even a car rental dispute reminded me that hope and darkness walk side by side.
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Death will come. Sometimes it gives warning; sometimes it doesn’t.

7 lessons I’ve learned about living before dying:
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Seven Things Life Has Taught Me (So Far)
How to Live a Happy Life
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Woke at 4am, brain in catastrophe mode.
Skulls, death dates, fear, injustice…and hope!
New Substack: Now Is a Good Now
Thoughts on mortality, messiness, and the daily rituals that help us hold it all.
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#writing #mortality #journalpractice #reflection #hope #substack
At 4am, the Mind Roars
Catastrophic Thinking Tamed
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Midnight mattress visitors, Mourne views, and a farewell to a dear friend — all in a day. Our maiden campervan voyage took a few unexpected turns…
Have a read, and let me know if you’ve had your own midnight visitors!
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Maiden Voyage, Midnight Visitors, and Mourning a Friend
A weekend of firsts, nerves, and a special farewell
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Chainsaws, Campers, and Comrades — my latest Substack is live.
Up at 4am sawing trees, saying goodbye to our beloved caravan, and raising a glass to a dear friend and songwriting partner, Robin Lawley. A week of shredded branches and shredded emotions.
open.substack.com/pub/joearmst...
Chainsaws, Campers, and Comrades
A dawn chorus of sweat, sawdust, and songs for lost friends
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🚴‍♂️✂️🌀 From cycling and gardening to pottery and exams—progress matters more than perfection.
Small steps, not flawless leaps, move us forward. Process — Not Perfection. Imperfection rocks!
#ProgressNotPerfection #Substack #PersonalGrowth #ImperfectlyForward
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Process — Not Perfection
Why stepping forward—imperfectly—is better than standing still
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Just back from Tuscany—with COVID in my lungs and rooks in my trees.
Now isolated, feverish, and going slightly mad from the noise.
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Caws and COVID
How I returned from Tuscany to viral fog, sticky eyes—and a rook invasion
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This week I hit the red zone—literally and emotionally.
A spiking heart rate, a missing music score, and a crash course in MuseScore4... not quite the life I imagined!
#BeginAgain #HeartHealth #NeverTooLate #Cycling #SongwritingLife
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Feeling Blue, Learning Anew
Begin Again
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📣 New on Substack: "My Seventh Pope"
From the hope of 'Good Pope John' to the election of Pope Leo XIV, I've witnessed the Catholic Church's evolution firsthand. In my latest piece, I reflect on the transformations, challenges, and hopes of seven popes.
#PopeLeoXIV
open.substack.com/pub/joearmst...
My Seventh Pope
A personal journey through papacies and hope: from 'Good Pope John' to Pope Leo
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What do you need to create? Go do it! I left three careers because I needed to write.
This week’s Substack is about creativity, courage, and choosing a life that’s truly your own.
If you’ve ever felt the pull to live more honestly, this one's for you.
#WritingLife open.substack.com/pub/joearmst...
The Need to Create
Artists, Musicians & Writers Answer an Inner Call
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As Pope Francis lies in state, I found myself reflecting on kindness in a world of cruelty, beauty amid the noise, and the small graces that still sustain us—friendship, music, and the courage to hope.
#PopeFrancis #Gratitude #HopeInHardTimes #Ukraine #Trump #Putin
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Kindness in a World of Strife
On gratitude, beauty, and keeping faith with humanity—even as darkness gathers
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The Gospel According to JD Vance – the inversion of the Gospel of Luke. Check out my new Substack.
#JDVance
#PoliticsAndReligion
#GoodSamaritan
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Would you like to join a new online dreamwork group? In this week's Substack, I share how dream sharing worked in a group I was part of in the UK, and why I'd love to start something similar online. Check out my new post!
#Dreamwork #Substack #ExploreYourDreams
open.substack.com/pub/joearmst...
Would you like to join a new online dreamwork group?
Nighttime dreams can offer solutions to daytime problems.
open.substack.com
What #Trump and #Putin could learn from heart patients and from their own nighttime dreams rather than dreaming of world domination. Plus a great new song by Robin Lawley: Dark!
#Trump #Putin #dreamwork #hearthealth #toastmasters #songwriting
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A Week in the Life
Reflections on Dreams, Health, and a World in Turmoil
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