Welcome to Ryan’s Substack

The Van of Clarity.

I started this Substack to help readers—by connecting with myself and clarifying what doesn’t make sense to me—connect with themselves and find their way in what is often so chaotic, confusing, and misleading a world.

It is, in a way, my personal journal . . . A public record of me writing my way through life.

Posting schedule

Though I tend to post at least once per week, I prefer not to bind my creative output to a particular cadence. On some weeks, I’ll post multiple times, and on others, I may very well post none.

What you get with a subscription

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  • Everything above

  • 90 minute phone call with me

Much love, thank you for your support, and happy reading!


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About me

The fam and I at my college graduation.

I moved from my home, Naperville, Illinois, to Charleston, South Carolina, on a whim in 2019 after dropping out of my first college and being rejected for medical reasons by every branch of the military.

About a month into my Lowcountry journey, I started writing at a café called Caviar and Bananas, by which, after having spent so much time in, I was eventually hired as a caterer.

The following spring, I began attending the College of Charleston.

For the first several years of my writing journey, I wrote without an inkling of success on a blog called rypaba.com, which has since been taken down.

In April of 2023, I self-published my first book, Figure It Out, a guide to help young people organize and figure out what to do with their lives.

I started my Substack shortly thereafter, though I don’t remember when, since I am insecure and unpublished all letters posted before March of 2024.

In May of 2024, I graduated from the College of Charleston with a B.A. in English.

Now, I’m basically a bum. All I do is write. And steal people’s soap.

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Writing my way through life.

People

Professional bum and soap thief.