Hey! I'm Issy, aka Stark Raving Dad 👋
Seven years ago, I started writing down my thoughts and feelings as we went through the process of removing our children from a public school system that was (and there's no other way to say it) failing them. Since that time, I've written over 150,000 words across Facebook and Instagram posts, email newsletters and podcast episodes. The Life Without School Podcast launched in late 2021, and the 23 episodes I've released so far have been downloaded over half a million times.
Over the years, more than five million people have read and resonated with my thoughts and feelings.
I've tried many ways to extend myself beyond those words to serve the home education community. But my passion has always been - and will always be - to write for you. I often find myself frustrated by the pushes, pulls and fickle changes of social media. Algorithms and trends stand between my words and the people who tell me they are 'like a calming balm to the soul', and 'literally life-changing', and so that brings us to where we are here. A dedicated place for me to put ALL my posts and podcast episodes. A place I can write and share directly with you, with no one standing between us.
The content I'll be sharing:
- The posts you'll already be well used to seeing in places like Facebook and Instagram (if the algorithm let you 🙈).
- Regular anecdotes, thoughts and notes from my day-to-day experiences as an unschooling dad 👨🏼
- Stories and photography from our family travels around New Zealand (we travelled full-time from Jan-May 2023, and regularly adventure) 🏕️
- Longer-form researched and referenced posts on big topics like technology and screens, developing drive in children, how we best learn, and entering higher education as a child who has lived a life without school* 🧐
- Monthly Life Without School podcast episodes 🎙️
- Q&A posts based on questions I'm sent* 🙋
- On-demand Masterclasses with thought leaders in home education and childhood.* 👩🏫
- On-demand Courses, by me, covering three important parts of developing the right kind of homeschool for you and your family.* 👨🏫
* Only available if you sign up to support my work
Most of the content I publish will be completely accessible and free for everyone. But if you want those extra layers - or you just want to show your appreciation for my work, for however long! - then please consider one of the support tiers :-)
Talk soon!
Issy / Stark Raving Dad 💛