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Kathy Smith's avatar

I, for one, miss the seasonal living and learning aspects that you shared and brought us into the same orbit in the first place. There is so much richness there and as times change each of us could probably use a little support figuring out where we are on the path. For me it’s always been a bit more spaghetti than staircase.

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Maia Toll's avatar

Your wish is my command! Be sure to check your email on August 8.

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Jessica Leigh Allen's avatar

So happy to have discovered this post this morning!

I am struggling a bit on Substack. I still feel a bit scatter-brained in this space and so perhaps guide rails may be necessary. Now I'm off to saunter through your newsletters a bit more. Looking forward to it. ♡

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Maia Toll's avatar

The sauntering will be better in the future!🤣 I’ve struggled to find my pacing here, but I am now a woman with a plan!

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Louise Hallam's avatar

That’s such a cool tip about putting a time to finish. I find it very difficult to write within any constraints. I do have a rule that I’ll only write when something comes in intuitively. If I try and push and pull anything else out I fall flat on my face. Weirdly this means I publish more consistently not less.

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Maia Toll's avatar

If I have learned nothing else, it’s that we all have very different writing styles! For me, I need something (like what am I writing about??) even when I’m journaling or doing intuitive writing. So I can sit down by an oak and channel what I feel from it, but I need the oak!

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Louise Hallam's avatar

Yes, I do at least need a title or the start of a sentence. The rest sort of follows. I love the idea of letting the tree help in the process. I might try that!

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Victoria Harrison's avatar

Absolutely agree... Seasonal living is always the answer! It naturally provides a framework within which to write about all kinds of interesting different topics 💫🌿

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Maia Toll's avatar

Its been my framework for a dozen years...but I fell into the trap of feeling like I had to create something new so I didn’t bore readers.🤷🏻‍♀️ Hopefully that won’t be the case!

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Sofie Siegers Johansson's avatar

I do hope you will pop in and share your thoughts with us even outside of the newsletters. I loved seeing your writing nook or read a recipe. To me that's life's little gems and great inspiration.

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Maia Toll's avatar

So great to know that’s useful and meaningful to you. I never want to abuse inbox privileges with my readers. When there’s not much response, I figure there’s not much interest.

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Rachel's avatar

I love the rhythms that following nature provides. In a sense, it’s also freeing because we aren’t in control- nature is! And the rhythms of daily life, the small magics that permeate the everyday (for instance, your special “beer-tea”) are the insights I love the best, primarily because they’re real, and achievable even with only a little effort! I look forward to seeing what you come up with. Now I’m off to look up this beer-tea trend 😉

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Maia Toll's avatar

Yes, yes, yes! The small magics are both achievable and replicable. The fireworks of big magic--that’s rare and wonderful but not an everyday occurrence.

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Nneka Kelly's avatar

Even the ocean has boundaries. I love having rails. I have to watch myself on that extreme. Too many deadlines, parameters, edges. In this season, my creativity is craving space, maybe because I have so many other constraints.

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Maia Toll's avatar

“even the ocean has boundaries”--beautiful, and so very true!

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Aug 4, 2023
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Maia Toll's avatar

Just dropped you an email and I thought I'd let you know here in case it goes to spam!

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Maia Toll's avatar

Luisa! First off, went over to your stack and its lovely. The name is brilliant (and as soon as I have some breakfast I’m going to email you because reading it has given me a thought!).

In terms of a books... the struggle to commit is so real. When I received an email introducing me to the woman who would become my first editor, I buried it for 4 months. It took me that long to accept that my life long dream might come true....and what would that mean??

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