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Anna Dunleavy's avatar

You wrote a whole Substack post just for me? Gee, thanks 🤗😅

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Christina Golian's avatar

I did! And also, for me. 😅

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Jo Sundberg's avatar

Yes, yes, yes - on all your thoughts here.

Gosh that cringing shameful feeling when you realise you have missed a comma or tangled your words and your writing has already been unleashed upon the world. AHHHHHH. But you just have to brush yourself off, take a few deep breaths, and then sit back down at your desk the next day and get back into it. Fresh slate. Open heart. Soul on fire.

Thanks Christina for your post, which was perfectly executed, I noted. 😉 xx

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Christina Golian's avatar

Thank you Jo. And absolutely, that will be relatable to so many folks here I’m sure. I’ve been thinking lately about those of us who were lucky to have great editors guiding us - and proofreaders catching our mistakes along the way - in our early days of writing, and how this compares to the self-publishing experience and trying to do all the things solo. It’s a very different learning curve. Makes me admire people who share their writing here even more.

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The Grooveblaster's avatar

Thanks for the piece. Well done and inspirational! I'm working on some editing and artwork today.

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Christina Golian's avatar

Thanks - hope you found your flow!

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The Grooveblaster's avatar

Oh yes I did. Accomplished quite a bit thanks!

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Paolo Peralta's avatar

Starting the day on a clean slate 👏 begin again 😎

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Christina Golian's avatar

Yes! A nap always wipes my slate clean. 🦥

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Ruth Allen, PhD (MNCPS Accred)'s avatar

"And also, there is only one you." Loved that - the meaning of course, but also the structural positioning of the line and the weight it imparted as a result. A great reminded to just bloody well get on with it! I am all about that today. Let's stop wasting time and just crack on, eh!

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Christina Golian's avatar

Ooh, what are you cracking on with today? Consider me intrigued.

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Ruth Allen, PhD (MNCPS Accred)'s avatar

Today, I have been cracking on with a commission from The Soil Association. It's very short, but brevity isn't always the easiest is it especially after a long project? Going from 80k words to 600 is a shock to my system. Haha. But beyond that I have two substacks bullet-pointed (this is my method before shaping something up so that I don't forget the ideas) so I am in a flow of sorts, I suppose. You?

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Christina Golian's avatar

I’ll bet it is! But also, it seems like shorter pieces are calling you lately. I’m just about to read your most recent post - been looking forward to savouring it, and here in this bubbletastic bath feels like a good time. ☺️

I’m mostly in the ‘ing stage. Pondering, reflecting, prepping. Working up the courage to get cracking on a systematic literature review. 🫣 Trying to keep this big project shiny feeling. Which means I couldn’t resist buying orange scented ink to try. As you do.

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Ruth Allen, PhD (MNCPS Accred)'s avatar

Yes, shorter pieces have their appeal at the moment, but then so do long. I want to say there is a pattern, but I don't think there is. Consistency is not my bag. ha.

Oh, a lit review. Yikes. That's a lot of work. I mean, why wouldn't you need orange ink for that? haha. You might appreciate this then: I am trying to work up an essay called Vulture as a first piece in a new collection (a long term project!) and I wanted to write it with the vulture feather I found in Spain. I really want to turn it into a quill, but I am scared of breaking it!

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Christina Golian's avatar

I appreciate everything about that - it brought a full body glow. And I’m thinking, vulture feathers sound strong.

It took my thoughts to the process Jackie Morris talks about for her book Feather, Leaf, Bark Stone. What a delight!

https://www.jackiemorris.co.uk/feather-leaf-bark-stone/

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Ruth Allen, PhD (MNCPS Accred)'s avatar

☺️ I thought you might get it!

Oooh I will have a read, thank you!!

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