The World is Always Burning
I hope you enjoy this post from The Archives, accessible for listening above.
Read by me. For you.
Curl up next to my wood pile, slow down, and block out the noise for a few minutes.
I continue to be amazed at how much fun I have every week, organizing my thoughts, crafting these messages for you.
Can you feel my joy, shining through the cracks between the words?
Sometimes, I worry that twice weekly may be too much for your email traffic jam. But then I embrace the fact that YOU ARE HERE ON PURPOSE. And I hit publish.
Thank you for being here. As a way to make my thanks more concrete, I am laying out a platter of charcuterie pieces for you to graze through. A bit of thinly sliced serrano ham arranged carefully next to some Maytag Blue. Figs, cashews, expensive rosemary crackers, sundried tomato spread, warm brie drizzled with apricot jam. And of course, the best prosciutto and a late august cantaloupe.
Now I’m hungry.
Finding The Fallow Field. About family and farming and letting rest play a part in creativity.
The Ruins Project: A Beginning. A great piece if you are new to The Ruins story.
The Left Behind Egg. Explores the idea of eggs as ideas that lie patiently in wait.
Digging Holes. One of my favorite pieces that explores the returning theme of unearthing optimism.
Exclusive Versus Inclusive. Why The Ruins is not meant for everyone.
And below, some links to particular episodes of The Ruins Podcast.
The Jo Braun Episode: Jo is one of my favorite free thinkers. Philosophy and heartbreak and what it means to be a human who makes art.
The Erika Johnson Episode: A perfect listen for learning about behind the scenes at The Ruins
The Helen Miles Episode Alchemy, graffiti, and the magic of being in the middle of a project.
The Diane Bigelow Episode Birds, coal miners’ daughters, and poetry
The Anabella Wewer Episode Andamento, language, and globetrotting
You can find all the episodes of The Ruins Podcast on Spotify.
And one more gift.
My first try at creating a discount for the paid subscriptions. I am calling it The Optimism Offer.
20% off a whole year of The Ruins Substack Stories. Being a paid subscriber means a few important things.
You are directly impacting my ability to keep writing and podcasting. No middleman. Just you and me, and an agreement to build together.
You get access to ALL my writing, especially the more delicate, personal kind.
You open up The Archives. All the gems from the past that you may have missed. Reading the old, evergreen pieces can be like going to creative process therapy. For your soul.
You are communicating that you believe in The Ruins vision and its future.
Thank you for being here, as I keep digging for optimism.
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