Ahhhh Claire, thank you for these words, for your honesty and vulnerability. Not every week is gonna be as inspiring and delightful and that's not a problem. That's part of the ebb and flow of life. As I read about your week and your way of being here on Substack, a personal insight came through on my own journey here and how I want it to feel moving forward. Writing is a form of self-expression to share our fascinations. (A word that was highlighted to me recently.) So the question then becomes: how can I allow myself to be fascinated by my life, myself and the things that delight me? ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much, Silvia ❤️ I’m over the moon that this resonated, and for a brain that’s been resistant to writing all week, when I gave it permission to let the newsletter be whatever it wanted to be, the words poured out. I feel like I’m learning the same lesson over and over again—and I hope it’s starting to sink in! 😂🤦🏼♀️ My big revelation is that I hit a kind of boxed in boredom threshold on every medium I write on. I can’t churn and I really don’t want to. I’m hoping this particular lesson will sink in this time, and I’m going to have a big old journal on it this afternoon. If you see me looking stressed and stuck in the future, you have my full permission to come and shout ‘FREEDOM’ at me! 💫
I can definitely relate with the boredom here and there. I'm finding I need to keep things interesting for myself by giving myself a few different threads to follow. It seems to also be very cyclical.
Oh, it’s so interesting to hear about school life from a parent’s point of view, Claire! The summer term is such a busy term and, despite the weather, it was never my favourit ….. and there were too many things to fit in and complete, I much prefer beginnings to endings! Keep writing! Xxx
Thank you, Kathryn! Oh it's so intense getting her through these final exhausting weeks, and I suspect that's amplified by being just the two of us. I love what you say about 'beginnings and endings', that really resonates. Definitely glad I found a way back to writing this week after feeling so stuck. I hope I learn to lean into this, freedom not formula! xxx
I hear you Claire... 🌻 I gave myself permission to not send a Friday newsletter to my regular email list (not on Substack) today as I just wasn't inspired to write anything ....
Good for you, Sharon. Sorry for the lack of inspiration, but I think giving ourselves permission to step back rather than push through, hopefully means we find our way back to the words and the creative magic sooner xx
I adored Halston, and yes, EM is truly outstanding! I think I may just watch it again (I watched it when it first came out), now I've finished my beloved Endeavour...
This comment makes me all sorts of happy Anna, thank you. I'm overjoyed to find a fellow Halston fan because it really did feel a bit special. I'll definitely rewatch at some point. And thank you for your kind words about the newsletters, extra welcome after a week where I questioned if my feeling of stagnancy/boredom was also felt by the readers x
I remember that pushing the child/ren to the finishing line of half term, boy that's such a hard thing to do and I remember finding work so much easier in comparison, the mornings that Sylvia my lovely live out au pair did! I would have liked a line or two about the peonies - did you treat yourself to them, did you secretly snap them somewhere else? I've been considering buying myself peonies but it seems such an extravagance!
The peonies were a total extravagance––money I'd saved to fix a busted tap was repurposed! Worth it, even though they ended up all over the floor exceedingly quickly. Totally worth it.
Thank you so much, Claire! I knew you’d get it ❤️ When they’re struggling and tired and need so much, it’s just all-encompassing, isn’t it? No room for your own thoughts and words. So glad I found a way to let myself write this. It poured out. Need to channel this freedom, because I know this is cyclical and I’ll be back here before I know it! 🙈xx
Thanks so much, Rebecca 😘 That’s an excellent mantra and you appear to embody it beautifully 💫 I think I need to vary it slightly to #justkeepwritingwhatyoufeellikewriting. And please feel free to remind of this next time I’m floundering! 😂
I have a very loosely-knitted monthly plan for my Substack posts which gives me the freedom to explore whatever I want to write about. I have a main theme, if you like, but not every one of my posts is connected with it - I need the freedom to explore ALL of my thoughts with my writing, and heck, I don't want to be in the position of having nothing to write about on the occasions that I'm NOT out there getting lost! 🤣
I don't ever want to constrain myself to ONLY writing about getting lost in 'Dear Reader, I'm lost'. Because I'm a human being - and a writer - with other thoughts, wants and dreams too!
Love this so much––freedom coming from your framework. (I will admit that looking up your planning post and creating something similar has been an unticked item on my to-do list for WEEKS!)
I'd worked out that out of my four (or five, depending on the month) Saturday posts per month, ideally I'd like two to be about getting lost. Then once a month I write and illustrate my regular 'Art & Treasures' post, and because I'm so busy with work at the moment I'm republishing some words from my archive, so sometimes, but only up to once a month - generally in a particularly busy week - I'm posting some 'Old gold'. That, of course, leaves one or two gaps to explore whatever I'd like to in between, which is exactly the freedom I need.
By having a firm plan for two or three weeks per month, it's much less daunting to find things to write about in the spaces I still have available to play with. And I MEAN 'play'! 🤣 'Freedom coming from your framework', as you so brilliantly describe it, is exactly what I'm after!
And more than that, there's a wonderful phrase in the lovely German language: 'locker und lustig' - literally meaning 'loose and fun'. That's my target. 😊
Locker und lustig—absolutely love it! And also if our writing plans don’t work out, we could always start a private detective agency with that name! 🙌🏻 Bagsy Lustig! 😂
I am slowly catching up on your posts and adding so many books to my list. I also caught up on your substack podcasts with Helen while gardening today. I really enjoy your conversations and the roads it takes you down. I always learn something, perspective is a wonderful teacher.
Ahhhh Claire, thank you for these words, for your honesty and vulnerability. Not every week is gonna be as inspiring and delightful and that's not a problem. That's part of the ebb and flow of life. As I read about your week and your way of being here on Substack, a personal insight came through on my own journey here and how I want it to feel moving forward. Writing is a form of self-expression to share our fascinations. (A word that was highlighted to me recently.) So the question then becomes: how can I allow myself to be fascinated by my life, myself and the things that delight me? ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much, Silvia ❤️ I’m over the moon that this resonated, and for a brain that’s been resistant to writing all week, when I gave it permission to let the newsletter be whatever it wanted to be, the words poured out. I feel like I’m learning the same lesson over and over again—and I hope it’s starting to sink in! 😂🤦🏼♀️ My big revelation is that I hit a kind of boxed in boredom threshold on every medium I write on. I can’t churn and I really don’t want to. I’m hoping this particular lesson will sink in this time, and I’m going to have a big old journal on it this afternoon. If you see me looking stressed and stuck in the future, you have my full permission to come and shout ‘FREEDOM’ at me! 💫
I can definitely relate with the boredom here and there. I'm finding I need to keep things interesting for myself by giving myself a few different threads to follow. It seems to also be very cyclical.
Oh definitely yes to cyclical! Another new piece of information I'm hoping will sink in.
Oh, it’s so interesting to hear about school life from a parent’s point of view, Claire! The summer term is such a busy term and, despite the weather, it was never my favourit ….. and there were too many things to fit in and complete, I much prefer beginnings to endings! Keep writing! Xxx
Thank you, Kathryn! Oh it's so intense getting her through these final exhausting weeks, and I suspect that's amplified by being just the two of us. I love what you say about 'beginnings and endings', that really resonates. Definitely glad I found a way back to writing this week after feeling so stuck. I hope I learn to lean into this, freedom not formula! xxx
Glad you're mixing it up if you need to! Really enjoyed all of this, Claire!
Thanks Jess! Definitely discovered/rediscovered how I need to keep mixing it up––please feel free to remind me of this next time I'm floundering!!
I hear you Claire... 🌻 I gave myself permission to not send a Friday newsletter to my regular email list (not on Substack) today as I just wasn't inspired to write anything ....
Good for you, Sharon. Sorry for the lack of inspiration, but I think giving ourselves permission to step back rather than push through, hopefully means we find our way back to the words and the creative magic sooner xx
Absolutely.. don’t give it a second thought 🌺
I adored Halston, and yes, EM is truly outstanding! I think I may just watch it again (I watched it when it first came out), now I've finished my beloved Endeavour...
I so enjoy your newsletters :)
This comment makes me all sorts of happy Anna, thank you. I'm overjoyed to find a fellow Halston fan because it really did feel a bit special. I'll definitely rewatch at some point. And thank you for your kind words about the newsletters, extra welcome after a week where I questioned if my feeling of stagnancy/boredom was also felt by the readers x
I remember that pushing the child/ren to the finishing line of half term, boy that's such a hard thing to do and I remember finding work so much easier in comparison, the mornings that Sylvia my lovely live out au pair did! I would have liked a line or two about the peonies - did you treat yourself to them, did you secretly snap them somewhere else? I've been considering buying myself peonies but it seems such an extravagance!
The peonies were a total extravagance––money I'd saved to fix a busted tap was repurposed! Worth it, even though they ended up all over the floor exceedingly quickly. Totally worth it.
Love the peony photo 😍 love this post and I so know how you feel about the school exhaustion xxx
Thank you so much, Claire! I knew you’d get it ❤️ When they’re struggling and tired and need so much, it’s just all-encompassing, isn’t it? No room for your own thoughts and words. So glad I found a way to let myself write this. It poured out. Need to channel this freedom, because I know this is cyclical and I’ll be back here before I know it! 🙈xx
"no room for your own thoughts and words" - EXACTLY ❤️❤️.
Loved this post, Claire! My motto is always #justkeepwriting. 😊
Thanks so much, Rebecca 😘 That’s an excellent mantra and you appear to embody it beautifully 💫 I think I need to vary it slightly to #justkeepwritingwhatyoufeellikewriting. And please feel free to remind of this next time I’m floundering! 😂
LOL - thank you so much, Claire! 😘
I have a very loosely-knitted monthly plan for my Substack posts which gives me the freedom to explore whatever I want to write about. I have a main theme, if you like, but not every one of my posts is connected with it - I need the freedom to explore ALL of my thoughts with my writing, and heck, I don't want to be in the position of having nothing to write about on the occasions that I'm NOT out there getting lost! 🤣
I don't ever want to constrain myself to ONLY writing about getting lost in 'Dear Reader, I'm lost'. Because I'm a human being - and a writer - with other thoughts, wants and dreams too!
Love this so much––freedom coming from your framework. (I will admit that looking up your planning post and creating something similar has been an unticked item on my to-do list for WEEKS!)
LOL - oh, that's lovely, Claire!
I'd worked out that out of my four (or five, depending on the month) Saturday posts per month, ideally I'd like two to be about getting lost. Then once a month I write and illustrate my regular 'Art & Treasures' post, and because I'm so busy with work at the moment I'm republishing some words from my archive, so sometimes, but only up to once a month - generally in a particularly busy week - I'm posting some 'Old gold'. That, of course, leaves one or two gaps to explore whatever I'd like to in between, which is exactly the freedom I need.
By having a firm plan for two or three weeks per month, it's much less daunting to find things to write about in the spaces I still have available to play with. And I MEAN 'play'! 🤣 'Freedom coming from your framework', as you so brilliantly describe it, is exactly what I'm after!
And more than that, there's a wonderful phrase in the lovely German language: 'locker und lustig' - literally meaning 'loose and fun'. That's my target. 😊
Locker und lustig—absolutely love it! And also if our writing plans don’t work out, we could always start a private detective agency with that name! 🙌🏻 Bagsy Lustig! 😂
🤣 YESSSSS! Beats Daunt & Dervish! 🤣 https://www.comedy.co.uk/radio/daunt_and_dervish/
Rock Lobster socks, fabulous.
I am slowly catching up on your posts and adding so many books to my list. I also caught up on your substack podcasts with Helen while gardening today. I really enjoy your conversations and the roads it takes you down. I always learn something, perspective is a wonderful teacher.