Soul-craft…
life-craft…
making meaning…
We are the co-creators of our lives.
Let’s make something beautiful, shall we?
Welcome to Something True.
a newsletter from best selling & award winning author Maia Toll… and a community of thousands of readers deeply interested in staying grounded, connected, and inspired.
Something True…
…is the second name of this newsletter. Or maybe the fourth, depending on when you started counting.
Name changes are sign-posts. They point us toward a change, an evolution. I’ve been sending a newsletter regularly since 2008. I’ve changed. This newsletter has changed. But some things remains the same:
I remember my first “about” page. It said the newsletter was meant to be a cuppa tea and a kick in the ass.
It's still a bit of both.
My desire is for this Substack to be both a comfort and an inspiration when it hits your inbox.
Click the email open. Take a deep breath. Pause. Use this weekly check-in as a chance to ground, connect, and remember the multiple layers that make up a life.
Like a memoir, this newsletter uses stories from my life as a doorway through which to talk about universal topics: intentional and seasonal living, botanical self-care, the search for something sacred, cooking, travel, personal transformation, midlife magic…
It will feel personal and intimate, because it is personal and intimate.
Thanks for joining me on the search for Something True.
How does it work?
Substack uses a subscription model. In the past, I’ve offered various bells and whistles at different tiers. But, truthfully? Maintaining that infrastructure took me away from the writing.
I am here simply to write and share.
So we’re keeping it simple:
NOTE: All subscriptions are 50% off through July!
Free Subscribers
About every 6-8 weeks, a bit of writing will appear in your inbox. I’ll include announcements like upcoming books or retreats. My hope is that if you enjoy these pieces, you’ll share them with friends.
Additionally, you’ll get occasional previews of my newsletters which go out weekly to paid subscribers. Perhaps one will entice you to become a paid subscriber yourself. You’d be most welcome.
Paid Subscribers $6 month/$60 year
We’ve gotten used to consuming online content for free. The free content model is fast food for our brains: a hit of carbs, a hit of fat… and 3 minutes later we feel unsatisfied.
The subscription model is meant to be an antidote, it’s the slow-cooking of internet content.
We’re trying to create something different here.
What does writing look like when it is supported by you, the reader? What can we share together without the filter of an algorithm? Without the structure of an online class? What nuance and depth can be achieved when we aren’t trying to shock the reader to grab their attention?
This is the experiment you’ll be joining.
You’ll get a newsletter every week plus the ability to join our gorgeous online community. This means you can participate in conversation by commenting or replying to a comment on any post. You’ll also be able to start a conversation with others in the Something True CHAT space.
Patrons/$115 year
Patrons are the backbone of Something True. You create space for me to dream so I can share new possibilities with all the readers here. Thank you, thank you, thank you, not just from the bottom but from all of my heart.
Finally, if you read on mobile, the Substack app is the way to go. Try it out by hitting the button below.
About me
Hi, I’m Maia. It’s truly such a pleasure to be here, sharing with you. As we explore together, you’ll find I’m a passionate about books, botanicals, and the kind of beauty that makes you feel like you’re in the presence of something sacred.
I founded a botanical wellness brand (so I’m all about slow, seasonal, and holistic); I cook and bake; I have an inordinate fondness for ferry boats; and I am (currently!) looking into studying book conservation.
Mostly, I write… and help others to write. I’m a published author of seven award-winning and best-selling books. There are over half-a-million copies of my books out in the world…which feels kind of crazy to me.
Twenty years ago, I left my American life and traipsed off to Ireland to apprentice with a traditional healer. Now I am once again “traipsing off:” this time to Edinburgh.
And if you want to connect about my writing retreats and/or mentoring and editing services, drop a note to maia@maiatoll.com
What readers say
“Letting Magic In is about the nurturing and life-changing lessons we can learn when we have the courage to change our narrative from ‘What is possible?’ to ‘Everything is possible.'”
— Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author of Other Birds
“I found you through "Letting Magic In," which I loved. I love your Substack even more! Thanks for living your life and sharing it with us.” — Jules Taylor, Tell Me Something True community subscriber
"Maia Toll’s writings and wild wisdom teaches me about small moments of magic that help me stay grounded in the now, and find spiritual connection to the little things. I feel so connected to the seasons and the land when I read Maia’s work. It all helps to bring me to my body, and my body to the natural world." — Kalila Kingsford Smith, Tell Me Something True community subscriber
"While your books have been a delight, your essays here touch something deeper, and as altruistic as I might want to think I'm being by 'supporting an artist' whose work the world needs, it's actually terribly selfish of me, as I, myself, get such deeply personal value from your words….” — Christina Albrecht, Tell Me Something True community subscriber
”Toll focuses attention on her own winding path, one that will resonate with seekers.”
— People magazine
