Pleased to Meet You! Stories of Scent One Year On

A look back at my first year on Substack

Above Photo: Author and Perfumer Sharon Falsetto Chapman © Sharon Falsetto Chapman

Just over a year ago, I started writing Stories of Scent. I had no idea what to expect. I wanted to write more about fragrance in a perfumery sense, vs. just in an aromatherapy sense (which is my traditional outlet), and find a place to talk about and promote my new botanical fragrance line.

The first few months I had difficulty finding my feet on what to write, how to write it, and how often to publish. Yet, I was still surprised to get a couple of paid subscribers during that time. So, I began to think that I had better get serious about regular content with a goal in mind!

In the new year, I hit upon releasing a scent word of the week, a simple introduction to a particular scent word, available to all subscribers. I wanted to combine my writing practice with my growing perfumery practice. In late summer, I expanded on this concept by introducing scent word families(TM) - such as

and

But I still had to come up with something extra for my paid subscribers. I decided to start a series called Describe xxx as a Scent. This particular article series introduces readers to a word such as coffee or fun. It provides scent prompts to brainstorm words associated with the word in question and then gives you a mini tutorial in how to translate that into different scents and a fragrance formulation.

I also introduced a podcast to paid subscribers to talk about my own fragrance creations (something that I had originally written about in early posts) and to teach you how I choose various scents for my fragrances, and how you can learn to do that. In it, I share exclusive tips that I have learned over the years.

My goal within the next year to 18 months, is to take all of this information and expand it into an online class/course on How to Create Your Own Scent Story. This will be a unique way to formulate fragrance through the use of words and scents - without thinking too much about the scientific process!

Stories of Scent has grown - both figuratively and literally - this past year and I couldn’t be happier. It has given me a creative outlet for my scent writing. And it has introduced you to my fragrance creations. I value each new subscriber who has taken an affirmative choice to spend several minutes of their week with me. It encourages me to keep writing and keep creating fragrance!

By the end of 2025, I should have my first fragrance collection complete, in a story arc that spans 1920s Hollywood through the 1960s. So far I’ve introduced you to Brown-eyed Brooks and Audrey on Air, with Regretta set to be introduced this winter. Spring and Fall 2025 will bring forward two more leading ladies to culminate in my Fierce Five collection and an overall view of what this collection is about.

If you’ve just discovered Stories of Scent, I hope that you will join me either as a free or paid subscriber. If you’ve been with me this past year, THANK YOU for being here! I hope that you will continue with me on this fragrant journey. I have so much more to share!

About Sharon Falsetto Chapman

I am a botanical perfumer and writer with two decades of experience in the aromatic world. I am also an aromatherapist, herbalist, published author of Authentic Aromatherapy, published editor, writing coach, and aromatherapy teacher. I love all things scent and plant related.

On a personal note, I am a proud doggie mamma to a cavalier king Charles spaniel, domestic violence survivor, fibromyalgia warrior, autoimmune warrior, dual UK-US citizen, and perpetual optimistic, despite life’s traumas. My favorite flower is sunflower - surprisingly a flower with little to no aroma - but with the resilience, sunshine, and stamina I aspire to be. And my favorite scent to use in my fragrance creations is Moroccan rose (Rosa damascena), although any rose can probably win me over. I invite you to learn more about me at SedonaAromatics.com