In a world where women are often told to be strong, Loveable (2024) paints a powerful portrait of emotional vulnerability, childhood trauma, and the desperate need for connection. Maria’s inner journey resonates with anyone who’s ever felt silenced by the expectations of others.
A personal reflection on the wounds we carry and the voices we mistake for our own.

https://open.substack.com/pub/denizece/p/is-it-a-desire-to-be-loved-or-just?r=5fi2hc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
#FilmEssay #ChildhoodTrauma #Feminism #Loveable #Cinema #Healing #Relationships #Substack

The Loneliness That Follows Fulfillment
https://open.substack.com/pub/denizece/p/the-loneliness-that-follows-fulfillment?r=5fi2hc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
#solitude #invisibility #creativejourney #Substack #WritingCommunity

Posts about medicinal herbs hardly ever include the side effects or any negative reactions. It's always, "drink chamomile tea to relax and sleep" and not, "15-20% of people are allergic to ragweeds, which includes chamomile, so it might give you a scratchy throat."

-Drinking mint tea regularly can cause acid reflux and exacerbate other GI issues.

-St. John's Wort calms you, and is good for depression, but it can also dangerously lower your heart rate if you take beta blockers.

-Sure, fennel is great for "digestive issues," but don't schedule a date that night, you will be very gassy.

-All members of the Poplar family, which includes Willow, contain the same chemical as modern aspirin within their bark. Don't give it to your kid if they have the flu or chicken pox, it can cause a deadly reaction.

-Rosehip helps with painful menstruation, and is a great source of vitamin C. So great, in fact, that you can overdose and give yourself kidney stones if you take too much.

-Dear white people, taking turmeric every day will literally turn you orange.

#Herbology #HedgeWitch

In countries on fire, art can still help us breathe.
My latest Substack essay explores shame, guilt, and the need for inner space—through writing, film, and memory.

🔥 Survival Through Writing and Art in a Country on Fire
In countries on fire, art can still help us breathe.

https://open.substack.com/pub/denizece/p/survival-through-writing-and-art?r=5fi2hc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

#writing #art #resistance #feminism #innerjourney #mastowriting

During the pandemic, I rediscovered writing—not as a cure, but as a mirror.
This is the English version of my original Turkish essay on trauma, writing, and self-awareness.

Writing Journey: Discovering the Self

🖋️ Translated with the support of ChatGPT 4o.
https://denizece.substack.com/p/writing-journey-discovering-the-self
#writing #healing #trauma #pandemic #selfdiscovery

Just watched Kurosawa's High and Low — a gripping moral drama more than a crime thriller. Gondo’s dilemma and quiet strength contrast powerfully with the kidnapper’s inner collapse. Gondo’s decision feels almost too noble, yet deeply moving. Some moral values felt distant to me—perhaps tied to 1960s Japanese culture—but the emotional weight is universal. That final confrontation: Unforgettable.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057565/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_high%2520and%2520low
#Kurosawa #HighAndLow #JapaneseCinema #MoralDrama #ClassicFilm

How much of a difference can one person make alone? Kurosawa doesn’t give us the answer, but he makes us ask this question through Watanabe. His dedication is quietly powerful. Everybody knows what truly matters and who makes a difference. Even after admitting it and promising to become better people, his colleagues can’t truly change. Kurosawa’s realism cuts deep; the swing scene brought me to tears.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044741/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1
#Ikiru #Kurosawa #JapaneseCinema #ClassicFilm #Cinema #FavouriteScenes

There are days when music isn’t enough. There are nights when even dreams are not silent.

The Blue Owl — a story of an invisible musician, a city boiling with protest, and a strange little gift.

Translated from Turkish.
Read here (in English): https://nerinaluna.substack.com/p/the-blue-owl?r=5fi2hc

#shortstory #protestfiction #solitude #urbanfiction #writing