๐ Best Pens + This Cozy Sunday
Little Witch Hazel by Phoebe Wahl
Dearest camerados,
I know I put this picture in the last newsletter, but let's just sit and look at it together. What sweetness. What warmth. I look at it and I allow myself to take a much-needed nap. Or to snuggle up with Circe and enjoy her kitty purrs and soft fur and that burrowing warm-bread animal scent that immediately calms my whole system.ย
This is such a dark time in the world. For us sensitive souls, it's that much harder because we feel all of it, don't we? As a reminder, I have some good meditations up on the portal for all of you that I put together when the war in Ukraine broke out...and now we need it more than ever with what we're seeing happen in Gaza and Israel.ย
Is it wrong to seek comfort, coziness, softness when so many people are suffering? I don't think so. We need to keep our tender parts tender because that's how we keep ourselves from turning away from the darkness. We need to know what we're fighting for. We need to keep hurting over it.ย
The poet Maggie Smith (of "Good Bones" fame) shared this list of poems that make you glad to be alive.ย I hope they bring your comfort and connect you to your creativity.
Below, a picture of Circe because the world needs more of those, obviously.ย
With that, a few cozy things:
I came across this list by Wirecutter yesterday morning and wanted to share: best pens of 2023! I can vouch for their top pick, which was given to me by the guy that sold me my first fountain pen.ย This is such a good time for tarot pulls and journaling and snuggling up for some good reads. You need decent pens for that!ย
Speaking of books: How I scored a copy of The Fourth Wing right when I walked into the library on Monday, I will never know, but that was straight-up magic because the waitlist was about ten miles long!
And the biggie: A quick reminder that this Sunday is our Cozy Mini Writing Retreat! ย We have such a good group. It's going to be sooooo nourishing. I even bought some extra soft pants for the event! (Like a writer needs an excuse for more cozy pants!).
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This is the return to creative source I need. A hot mug, paper and pen, a thick blanket, all in a personal sanctuary for me and my words.
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When I first conceived of this mini retreat, I basically wanted to step into a story like Little Witch Hazel, a genre of picture book I love where anthropomorphic creatures live in cozy dens. As a child - okay, even now - I wanted to live at the base of a tree, with a rounded hobbit door. I'd wear felt slippers and sleep under quilts and live by candlelight, eating berries from my neighbors, the deer. Braided rugs under my feet, cups of hot cocoa, a roaring fireplace despite the fact that I live in a tree.ย
How to do that in retreat form? Basically, this is the COZIEST writing afternoon. Before the retreat, I'll be sending out a few suggestions on how to prep. It includes some pre-retreat support, like taking more smallish naps, finding the perfect pair of thick socks, deciding on your hot beverages, and why sweats are your friend.ย
You will have opportunities to grow as a writer with the work we do, but it's all held in tender restfulness, channeling Little Witch Hazel herself. (Shoutout to my dear one, Camille, who introduced me to this gem of a book!)
Today is All Soul's Day and I'm thinking about my beloved grandpa, who visited me in a dream the other night to argue about which route is best in traffic (we're Angelinos, so....). Whether or not your departed beloveds pay a visit to you, I wish you a beautiful day of feeling connected to your deepest self and to the ancestors who are dear to you, the ones who helped you be who you are today or, like my grandpa, took you to the ice rink at five in the morning so you could have your skating lesson.
Don't forget your writing ancestors! Shoutout to L.M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, Anne Frank, and Maya Angelou, who inspired me to write stories and to tell the truth with my words.ย
With love and cozy-pant vibes,
P.S.
I might have gotten a bit inspired by Little Witch Hazel and made a tiny story of what I hope this mini retreat will feel like for all of you. This is some of the coziest writing I've ever done!ย