Briefly: Join my Patreon community | Stray Attention was a Substack Reads pick! | and Wintering was an Oprah Daily pick! | AND Wintering is a Comfort Book Club pick! | Sorry I sent out both newsletters on the wrong day last week *facepalm* Hello, There is a Welsh saying I like very much:
This felt so resonant. Couple points you made have got me thinking: the point your friend made about making space instead of time and your point about what being a full-time writer actually entails. As I'm aspiring to become a full-time artist, this thought was very timely. I shall ponder some more on that. Thank you!
This is just beautiful. Thank you. And while (as you say) not everyone can take a whole week off, we can all find little moments of space within our days & use them in a way which supports, rather than trashes, our nervous systems.
This post resonated a lot with me. After months of burnout, I was able to go on a “sabbatical” in August (in US tech speak, a paid month off), I’ve been reflecting a lot about space and how giving myself space to think, process, and make decisions brings me closer to myself. Part of my burnout stemmed from trying to please others, and there was something magical about having time and space to rediscover my own desires and fulfill them. As I move back into stressful situations, I’m trying to hold on to these learnings - especially around how I can create more space for myself, rejecting busyness/overproduction in favor of rest and contemplation.
I just read an article by another Substack author that seems to be tracing similar ideas to yours re: noticing/space and pushes it into a discussion of wonder (especially in contrast to productivity and mastery). Appreciating your reflections and how they speak to each other: https://comment.org/the-virtue-of-noticing/
It’s so hard to stay rested in systems that don’t particularly are about our rest - it sounds like you’re doing amazing work towards it! Thanks for the link - I’ll look forward to reading this :)
I think your point about noticing is important. Noticing our own patterns is a massive first step toward change (if we so choose). Also, gentleness in the noticing is mandatory, else the process could be destructive. Peace to you (leave that guilt behind.) You're doing good work.
I just found this post when I was searching for something beautiful about the phrase 'Dewch yn ol at eich coed', and I found it! I love that you wrote this, and that you love the phrase as well. This prompted me to share something I wrote last year about a tattoo I got the year before, to celebrate my Mum's life as it neared its end.... https://open.substack.com/pub/soberliferocks/p/returning-to-my-trees-to-let-the, I think you'll like the meanings behind it
Guilt is such a huge issue when it comes to rest - and the truth is, we rarely get external permission or validation when we take it. I think it’s just a pain barrier we have to confront over and over - stare it down until it recedes a little. And communities like this help - we can normalise this!
Thank you for this, Katherine. Like discovering WINTERING earlier this month, this post was very timely.
I like the idea of creating space rather than time.
Yes - it’s a more abstract idea, but that’s why it’s so useful. We have to grapple with it to find it.
This felt so resonant. Couple points you made have got me thinking: the point your friend made about making space instead of time and your point about what being a full-time writer actually entails. As I'm aspiring to become a full-time artist, this thought was very timely. I shall ponder some more on that. Thank you!
It’s very, very hard to escape the office-based idea of what a productive life looks like. But it’s worth it :)
This is just beautiful. Thank you. And while (as you say) not everyone can take a whole week off, we can all find little moments of space within our days & use them in a way which supports, rather than trashes, our nervous systems.
Definitely - it’s all about finding the corners in our weeks where we can rest.
This post resonated a lot with me. After months of burnout, I was able to go on a “sabbatical” in August (in US tech speak, a paid month off), I’ve been reflecting a lot about space and how giving myself space to think, process, and make decisions brings me closer to myself. Part of my burnout stemmed from trying to please others, and there was something magical about having time and space to rediscover my own desires and fulfill them. As I move back into stressful situations, I’m trying to hold on to these learnings - especially around how I can create more space for myself, rejecting busyness/overproduction in favor of rest and contemplation.
I just read an article by another Substack author that seems to be tracing similar ideas to yours re: noticing/space and pushes it into a discussion of wonder (especially in contrast to productivity and mastery). Appreciating your reflections and how they speak to each other: https://comment.org/the-virtue-of-noticing/
It’s so hard to stay rested in systems that don’t particularly are about our rest - it sounds like you’re doing amazing work towards it! Thanks for the link - I’ll look forward to reading this :)
I think your point about noticing is important. Noticing our own patterns is a massive first step toward change (if we so choose). Also, gentleness in the noticing is mandatory, else the process could be destructive. Peace to you (leave that guilt behind.) You're doing good work.
Thank you! Noticing is so important.
Love this reminder, thank you!
I just found this post when I was searching for something beautiful about the phrase 'Dewch yn ol at eich coed', and I found it! I love that you wrote this, and that you love the phrase as well. This prompted me to share something I wrote last year about a tattoo I got the year before, to celebrate my Mum's life as it neared its end.... https://open.substack.com/pub/soberliferocks/p/returning-to-my-trees-to-let-the, I think you'll like the meanings behind it
Guilt is such a huge issue when it comes to rest - and the truth is, we rarely get external permission or validation when we take it. I think it’s just a pain barrier we have to confront over and over - stare it down until it recedes a little. And communities like this help - we can normalise this!