Inspired to begin, Under the Trees...
A new beginning, writing on Substack.
Hello! So today I’m coming to you after a fairly sleepless night due to finally having Covid, but if you know me, there is always a positive to find. And that is, when I couldn’t get to sleep last night, I caught up on the lovely Suzy Walker’s Substack, Heart Leap, and watched the interview with Claire Venus, from Creatively Conscious, all about starting on Substack!
I’ve been wanting to start for a while and so listening to Claire and how she began, I felt the time was right for me too.
Now I know more about it, and having read several articles of people I follow, my gut is telling me that this is a great place for writers, who just want to….write!
I spend so much of my time writing for my business, and through social media, and occasionally on my Blog, that I am missing the long form writing, for just writing’s sake, with no particular goal or agenda, just what I am feeling and noticing at the time.
I want this to be a place of delving into and synching with my values of courage, curiosity, connection, storytelling, creativity, and justice.
There is always a story to hear each week, don’t you find? Something unusual or surprising that happens in your life or you circle that serves as some kind of lesson or an area of interest that you would like to dig into more.
Curiosity is at the heart of everything I do, since being a young child, I spent my days in my local woods, exploring, creating stories and games, building, climbing, or getting soaked in the river, much to my Mum’s annoyance!
Which is why I also wanted this writing space to connect with my first love ‘nature’, hence the name ‘Under the Trees’, as this is where I find most peace and clarity in my day, usually on the dog walk, with my crazy cockapoo, Barley shouting at me for sticks!
Under the current green glowing canopy is where deep thoughts or ideas strike, or maybe it’s the process of osmosis, rising from the roots to the earth and reaching my pounding feet?
Either way it works as a re-set to my often-busy working and parenting life.
Today it is raining in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire where I live and I’m grateful for the gardens after a long sunny spell. For once I won’t mind the rain on my walk either, to dampen the itchy pollen a little and soothe my tight chest. And there’s something refreshing about the summer rain scent isn’t there?
I am writing this intro post, alongside fellow writers, in a writing hour set up by Suzy, to encourage us to just take an hour out and write, it feels fitting that this should be the beginning, writing in connection with others to then connect with hopefully a new audience.
And so I hope you will join me to share in what I notice; as a human, passionate creative, artist, writer, photographer, and nature lover, I am a keen observer.
My children find it bizarre that on a drive I’ll spot a buzzard in the sky, a rabbit in a field, the magnolia tree’s first flower, and yet probably not notice that I’ve taken a wrong turn!
But I am also deeply interested in people, what makes them tick, why they think / believe / behave in certain ways, what is their story, their character and what lessons can I take from their life experience?
I’ll do my best to paint these stories with words and images that transport you, make you think a little and feel something good.
If you’re as curious as me, then I hope to connect with you here…
Juliet x