Thank you Salena for sharing the completion process and the challenges it holds. I love the way this piece demonstrates the cyclical nature of being, the way your previous self and your current self collided in the moment through the reflection that startled you, as though you were haunting yourself in the nicest possible way. Congratulations on finishing your draft and on what sounds like a delightfully creative spring x
What a beautiful response. Yes, it was exactly like that, like I was haunting myself and only then realising I was in the exact same spot in the spring of 2017 across that emerald sea... there is a ritual and dance we do when we push ourselves to make art, music, books, faces ourselves and our stories. I still have a lot of work to do on the new book from now until it will be published until 2026. However we all begin with that first fear, the fear of the first page and the empty pages, and this is then followed by the fear of the 350 pages and the last page and last full stop, all in all it is quite an epic journey, heroic journey, I salute every writer who faces these fears and knows this feeling! Thank you for all of your support! BIGlove Xx
You are so welcome Salena, I love reading your work and hearing about some of the process behind it. It's very helpful and inspiring to those of us who have not yet completed even a section of the journey!
I feel like chronic illness is my island, forcing/allowing me to retreat from the world enough to work on my writing, expression of self, and whatever method(s) of sharing that work emanate from the process.
Substack and its wonderful writers provide a beautiful ecosystem of inspiration, sharing and encouragement that is very nurturing and fulfilling xx
I once said something like 'you cannot go digging around in the skeletons without making the dead dance' and it's a bit like that, the deeper we dig into big subjects with our writing, the louder the echoes or something and that can contain so much of our fears. Thank you for responding and for sharing my work! Xx
Oh wow, what an image! Again, brilliant - thanks, this writing has really helped me understand parts of my own process. A pleasure to share, thanks to you!
I just found the quote it's from the memoir. I misquoted myself, but now I think I like 'making the dead dance' more than 'making maggots wriggle' the original line was “You cannot go poking skeletons in the closet without making maggots wriggle." - Springfield Road - thanks again Carys xx
Read this in the early hours of this morning (though not quite 4am!).
Now yearning for the magic of Scotland and a long long long long swim.
Then went and found my poetry book from 3 years ago. The same motions, the same fears. Thanks for helping me push through them 🙏
Thank you! Keep going!! ✍🏾✍🏾✍🏾
Congratulations on facing the fear and doing it anyway. I thought I’d share with you a snippet of my song which I think echos some of the themes you describe. https://open.substack.com/pub/naomi194395/p/unsung-song?r=5cgwkz&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Thank you so much! Hello Naomi! Xx
Thank you Salena for sharing the completion process and the challenges it holds. I love the way this piece demonstrates the cyclical nature of being, the way your previous self and your current self collided in the moment through the reflection that startled you, as though you were haunting yourself in the nicest possible way. Congratulations on finishing your draft and on what sounds like a delightfully creative spring x
What a beautiful response. Yes, it was exactly like that, like I was haunting myself and only then realising I was in the exact same spot in the spring of 2017 across that emerald sea... there is a ritual and dance we do when we push ourselves to make art, music, books, faces ourselves and our stories. I still have a lot of work to do on the new book from now until it will be published until 2026. However we all begin with that first fear, the fear of the first page and the empty pages, and this is then followed by the fear of the 350 pages and the last page and last full stop, all in all it is quite an epic journey, heroic journey, I salute every writer who faces these fears and knows this feeling! Thank you for all of your support! BIGlove Xx
You are so welcome Salena, I love reading your work and hearing about some of the process behind it. It's very helpful and inspiring to those of us who have not yet completed even a section of the journey!
I feel like chronic illness is my island, forcing/allowing me to retreat from the world enough to work on my writing, expression of self, and whatever method(s) of sharing that work emanate from the process.
Substack and its wonderful writers provide a beautiful ecosystem of inspiration, sharing and encouragement that is very nurturing and fulfilling xx
Thank you for describing that fear of the dark - what is it we're so afraid of, inner or outer demons? Brilliantly expressed.
I once said something like 'you cannot go digging around in the skeletons without making the dead dance' and it's a bit like that, the deeper we dig into big subjects with our writing, the louder the echoes or something and that can contain so much of our fears. Thank you for responding and for sharing my work! Xx
Oh wow, what an image! Again, brilliant - thanks, this writing has really helped me understand parts of my own process. A pleasure to share, thanks to you!
I just found the quote it's from the memoir. I misquoted myself, but now I think I like 'making the dead dance' more than 'making maggots wriggle' the original line was “You cannot go poking skeletons in the closet without making maggots wriggle." - Springfield Road - thanks again Carys xx
Both are brilliant ✨️ and now I've ordered your memoir for more 😊
😘🥰😍 That’s so lovely, thank you!
Congrats, Salena! The magic is real ✨ ⛰️ 😊
Hello Matt! Oh yes ... I forgot I wrote this piece and thought I'd share it, what a dream time that was! Xx
Ahh, we visited Eilean Shona when we were in Kilchoan a few years ago - magical place!
Yes, it’s so beautiful!