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a summer sabbatical // sweet relief in a world of noise
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This week/month/season (in a characteristic act of gentle rebellion I don’t yet know how short or long) I’m gifting you a little…quiet.
After almost two years of showing up with some regularity here on Substack, plus over a decade of sharing my words online, I may experiment with a longer break. Not from writing and creating…no, absolutely no…but from the peacocking, the showboating, the tiresome grind of “ta dah!” and “so, whaddya think?!” *waggles cigar and flashes million dollar smile*
I know I will be back.
The stage has darkened. The audience sit patiently (some may leave their seats but that’s okay). The curtain has fallen and the floor is strewn with flowers. The theatre still thrums with the energetic remnants of applause. Now is the time for the cast of the show to reflect, to bask in the physical sweat, the emotion of accomplishment. It’s all in the noticing. Measuring success by their own internal compass, by wisdom gained through experiencing life via the eyes and ears and hearts of others. Allowing the magic to settle like dust.
Something in the darkness whispers, “Always leave them wanting more…”
I have the pull that something is just out of my reach, if only I pause long enough to capture it before delicate gossamer wings dash it away. We’ll see.
Here I would usually list *all the things* I am doing to replace this time with something of at least equal worth. However, in the spirit of doing things differently this summer, I’ll leave that to your own wild imaginations. Think of me, perhaps, toes in the ocean picking at the craggy shoreline, or penning my novel in a field rich with buttercups, or drifting like a dandelion clock over the gorse-peppered moors in conversation with magpies and snails, moss and sparrows.
Q. Tell me, are you afraid to take a break from showing up online? How could your writing life change for the better, if you gave it a go?
Sending gentle hopes for a deeply nourishing creative season for us all,
x Luisa
P.S a gentle book club nudge > current read is book two (memoir) ‘Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come’ by
> book three (poetry) ‘Wound Is The Origin Of Wonder’ by begins 20th June > book four (short story fiction) ‘Things We Do Not Tell The People We Love’ by begins 1st August. Do keep tagging me on Substack Notes with photos of your reading nooks and thoughts on each book as we move through the season. I’ll very much still be checking in and it’s never too late to join, here.
I struggle with am I writing for me or motivated by looking for the response from others. Am I clap-happy? A clap-addict? If so, I stop and rephrase my intent and motives.
I am in a season of my life that I am rejecting 'creativity for $$', so I write for free. My online course is a free launch. The art sketches I am doing - I refuse to create as 'gallery-worthy'. I am seeing what I can do - completely free of price tag mindset. So far, I love it.
I took a long break last year from June until September. And, then again from October to January. And, then, I only returned here to Substack. This year, I’ve slowly creeped back onto Instagram, but on sneaky, quiet, secret, new account. And it feels so slow and small and right. The time off and away was an incredible sabbatical for me. ❤️
Wishing you a lovely, deep, meaningful, and inspiring summer, Luisa. Hear from you soon. I’ll be waiting with anticipation. 🫶🏻