🙋🏻♀️ So, you’re new to the community (or, maybe you’ve been around for a while and need a little tour) → start here!
Below, you’ll find 1) a brief orientation to the main features of our publication, 2) some starter resources, and 3) where to find the rest!
#1 For Inspiration
For inspiration, check out our Facet and Amid columns! ↓
A peek inside Facet:
How Two Friends Crafted a Community Living Room in Berkeley
Interview with Elena Fong & Naomi Phan-Quang, Co-owners of IMASALA Collective
Inside the Brilliant Mind of Anna Sale: The Fearless Voice Behind ‘Death, Sex & Money
Interview with Anna Sale - Host of Death, Sex, & Money and Author of “Let’s Talk About Hard Things"
Alchemizing Corporate Burn-Out Into Art, Comics, & Humorous Storytelling
Interview with artist Alice Yang , & a mini showcase of her works
Unscripted: This Filmmaker Lets People Tell Their Own Truth
Interview with Stebs Schinnerer, Documentary Filmmaker & Co-Founder of Crews for a Cause
When the World Came Crashing Down, She Sang: The Story of ONIKHO
Interview with Carina Ho, Electronic Artist, Music Producer, & Professional Dancer
He Built a Community-Centered Gym So Adored that Members Throw Birthday Workouts There
Interview with Ian Birnam, Owner and Coach at IBX Fitness
A peek inside Amid:
Hosting This Event Changed Everything (But I Almost Called It Quits)
3 Takeaways From Launching My 2nd Live Workshop Of 2025
Let's Get Shallow: 20 Questions with Vanessa Li
Letting Creativity Breathe, & Getting to Know Me...on a Surface-Level
#2 For Community
To immerse into our creative community, join the subscriber-only chat! ↓
How it works: Every week, I’ll post prompts and topics for the community to explore, and you’ll be invited to jump into the discussion! Think of it as a friendly group chat (or a private subreddit) to hang out and converse about all things worth dreaming about. Paid subscribers get to start new threads!
Every month-ish, join us for Community Coffee Chats! These are informal Substack Live conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, storytellers, and small-business owners in the Tomatokind community. They’re not interviews, but rather an open dialogue about what’s on our minds this season/ month/ day of our creative journeys. Think of it as a virtual water cooler: we’ll yap about topics that are relevant and resonant, and come out feeling a little more seen and supported.
#3 For Practical Tools
For tools, tips, and tiny experiments, check out our Spark column! A peek inside Spark:
How to Come Back to Your Creative Self
Pianist & creative coach Rebecca Hass on staying connected to your creative self in busy seasons
For Women Who Want to Tackle Hard Things in a Light, Feminine Way
Habit coach Morgan Jackson's simple method to prioritize your favorite things in life that ditches perfection for progress and works for the hard and joyful things
The Embodied Wisdom of My-Five-Year-Old-Hula-Hooping-Self by Nicole Rangel
Guest post by holistic educator & papermaker Nicole Rangel
While this is not everything (for example, we have a podcast scheduled to launch Fall 2026, as well as an occasional travel column filled with lots of juicy hot takes), it’s a great place to start!
I am so happy you’re here. 🌱
With zeal and gratitude for this creative life,
Vanessa
