Interlude

On autumnal makings and cravings

Consider this a seasonal palate cleanser. Autumn officially ushered in, so breathlessly that I forgot my October dispatch. New home, new job, new creative projects, big life milestones for dear friends. Re-adjustments, yes. Less time to write but also less time to chase down new business, more house work but also no more questions about where we’ll be for the next little while. It all feels right, and as things tend to in the fall, the changes are more welcomed than overwhelming.

October and November are some of my favourite months of the year, in great part because they are when I get to truly dig into projects. The newness of September has waned, the busyness of December still a distant vision. The temperature drops and the desire to nest and chip away at projects rises. What was once an idea has started to take shape and therein lies the richness, the play, the reason we try to make things out of nothing.

For what feels like the first time, I’m straddling two writing projects at once, which, so far, has only fueled my stamina. At this, Marcus was less surprised than I was—creativity begetting creativity and all. Sometimes I feel like I have to be all in tap into the heart of a story, but stepping into a new voice can help grease the gears, too, perhaps especially when they are so distinct.

There’s also the fact that these days, with a proper 9 to 5, I have to make the most of my time, refuel in a way that comes most naturally in this period. If that’s with a second voice, so be it. While my mental load is relieved by a regular paycheck and generally feeling more inspired about the direction of my career, there’s no denying I have less time in the day for creative output.

My new (old) writing companion—and the fact that it isn’t connected to the internet—hasn’t hurt either.

I’ve come back to something an old professor warned us about shortly before finishing grad school—we’d likely never again have as much time as we did then to dedicate to our practice. This didn’t have to be a bad thing. For him, managing to remain creative despite the busyness of his life (four children, a professorship, a handful of novels under his belt, a marriage, not to mention an administrative position on top of it all) came down to two key things: one was having a dumb phone, and two was never waiting for the perfect conditions. Perfectly usable conditions, rather, would have to do. Waiting on the subway platform, in those odd five minutes between meetings, at the doctor’s, on the bus, in line at the grocery store, on a coffee break. A handful of words at a time, compiled all take you somewhere eventually. While I can’t subscribe to that first rule right now (although there are days I do want to), I have taken the second as gospel.

In part facilitated by the fact that I’ve lost my AirPods and have ghosted my podcasts, my new commute has become continued writing time after whatever I can manage with my morning coffee. Over the past month, my Notes app has expanded and contracted with strings of sentences that get cut and pasted to a document at the end of the day’s reconciliation. I am finding joy in the writing again, in the piecemealing of stories I think are important. It’s a place I didn’t think I’d find myself back in at the end of the summer, depleted by another unsuccessful draft, so I share this as a slice of hope. The work can be fun and satisfying again, even if it’s not how you imagined. Maybe especially so.

These days, I am finding myself craving things that feed that joy, bits of softness and warmth. So in this letter, I thought I’d share a small roundup that might inspire you, too, whether you’re elbows deep in a project or in a moment of refueling.

Something soft from Noble Cashmere

The one pop up I never miss. For the fourth year in a row, they’re back at their Queen and Claremont location with affordable second hand cashmere, and new stock coming in every day. I tend to buy a good knit or two every fall and I am not looking anywhere else this year. Soft, sustainable, and the best colour curation. Fun fact: this is where we met our realtor before we started working with him. When we found out it was his wife and niece’s project (and that he sometimes manned the cash as he did that day), we were sold twice over.

A day off my phone, making stuff.

Not to sound like I’m contradicting my love of piecemealing here, but with a weekend at the cottage coming up (sans phone service) I want to take advantage and treat myself to a romantic writing date. Think coffee, homemade scones, analog-ass pen. We’re back at a draft stage where I find it helpful to print out and and annotate by hand before editing in Word.

Maguire loafers

I realize I’ve talked about their Nola loafers before, but that’s always a good sign pre-purchase. Now that I’m going into an office, loafers are what I’ve been gravitating towards most and I think a brown pair would be a lovely addition to the rotation. Bonus points for making me feel extra writerly.

A good mug

For some reason, I have been eyeing mugs since my Neophyte days (when I tried to get in stock but the margins were too slim) and have not bought a single one. Our cabinets are a mix of mugs gifted and found on the side of the road (some good finds there, I will say) but I have been sitting on the idea of finding my perfect mug for years now—something I tend to do for very specific items. I’m still on the hunt for this one but haven’t lost hope yet.

More novellas

I always find it a bit tricky to read a lot when I’m in writing mode, but give me something I can escape into for an afternoon. I’ve heard great things about The Summer Book by Tove Jansson and A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr so I’m adding those to the weekend syllabus.

That’s all for now! Back to you soon with another letter for November, likely with a part 2 of my favourite jewellery brands.