The Fragile Real
Mehret Mandefro, MD, PhDSharing what I learn about the social science of stories to strengthen your creative spirit and clarify your vision.
| Platform |  | Pricing | Only free issues | Publishes | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 20 | Founded | 4 years ago | Last Issue | 4 months ago |
| Active | |||||
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thefragilereal.substack.comLatest Issues
When Work Costs More Than It Returns
Editor’s Note
This post introduces CHANNEL, a recurring column within The Fragile Real. CHANNEL explores creativity and sustainability as systems - how work moves, what it costs, and what allows it to continue. The column is written for cr...
What 2025 Taught Me: Beyond Beyond, Story Work and the Making of Kin
Toubab Dialaw, Dakar
“I believe there is something that fundamentally connects Black people across the globe. That thing cannot necessarily be named or even represented. It is certainly not something that I can personally name; I just know...
African Cinema and the Art of Structural Storytelling
AuthenticA African Series Lab Writers, South Africa, Sept 6. 2025
For centuries, the hero's journey has served as the bedrock of storytelling, offering a neat, tidy, and deeply satisfying narrative arc in the Western world. It presents us...
Releasing Your Creativity: How Self-Expression Enhances Professional Wellbeing
The Physical and Emotional Toll of Unexpressed Creativity
In the fast-paced world of high-achieving professionals, the connection between creativity and wellbeing is often overlooked. Yet, there's a profound link between creative expre...
The Story Is Not For Sale
Opening Ceremony of Fespaco
There's a particular kind of burnout that haunts today's storytellers, thought leaders, and cultural producers. It's not just the exhaustion of overwork or the fatigue of staying relevant. It's the quiet erosion...
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Authors
The writers behind this newsletter.
I am a systems healer, producer, and writer working with artists around the world to build new systems that change the stories we tell and how they get made. Co-founder of African Film and Media Arts Collective and the Realness Institute.
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