Hi! ✨

I’m Ria, a fun-sized Filipina writer based in Manila, Philippines.

First, some core stuff about me: For my day job, I’m a strategist in an advertising agency. I write because I love writing, have a lot (an overwhelming lot) to share, and because few things in life send me more than a beautiful sentence or a well-told story. I’m a foodie who regrettably suffers from early satiety. I have a golden retriever called Shelby and, as he is my first dog, I’m obsessed with him. I like books (I love memoirs), traveling, dancing. I love super dark chocolate. I collect earrings. My favorite music genre is RnB. I thrive on variety. I like new experiences and will probably try anything.

Top: An office selfie, me & Shelby | Bottom: Reading at the Dallas Arboretum, enjoying my first NY Russ & Daughters bagel

Skinny Deep is generally the place where I figure out what gives our lives meaning. It’s my attempt to remember and highlight what matters most, especially in this cluttered day and age. Staying true to yourself, expanding yourself, creating bravely, paying deep attention to the world around you, and making some kind of impact in your corner of the world are some recurring themes in my writing.

I like to play with form, but my favorite is the personal essay. I like it not only because I enjoy the process of it, but because I think it’s so potent to speak from first-person. I believe a writer’s—or any person, really—honesty creates a safe space for people to own up to their truths, to see their selves and their lives in a new light, and ultimately, to grow.

A friend once referred to my kind of writing as “slice of life”, and I really loved that! I write about the events of my life—even when they might not be particularly grand or life-changing—because I think it pays to find the special in the normal. “The best writers turn the ordinary into extraordinary,” an English professor once told me. I’d say it’s a skill that any person would benefit from.

FAQs:

Do you do this full-time?
No. But I write on most days of the week. And writing is on my mind all the time.

Do you earn from your writing?
My newsletter is free, so I don’t earn anything from this. I do, however, cross-post some of my work on Medium, and I earn a bit from that since I’m part of their paid partner program. You can support me financially with any amount here.

Can I reply to your e-mails?
Yes! I love connecting with readers and reading their thoughts!

Why is it called Skinny Deep?
I explained this in my first edition:

To learn more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.

Subscribe to Skinny Deep

Essays diving into the maddening clutter of our modern lives, trying to recover what matters

People

Fun-sized Filipina writer