Chaotic. I’ve gotten maybe 3 good writing days. Trying my best to say Alhamdulillah for whatever I accomplish and keep it moving. Safe and joyful travels for you and your family In sha Allah!
I am trying VERY hard to not worry so much about posting, growing, social mediaing right now as we are visiting the States for two weeks and then off to Asia. Alas, I am only doing okay at taking time off and not stressing about not reading every Substack I subscribe too, posting, responding...
Two weeks is not a long time! I hear you about struggling with it though, the pull of social media is REAL!!
I went to something called the Muslim Literary Festival in Toronto last weekend, and it was a good reminder for me that I love Substack but it cannot be the entirety of my writing life. And that writing can't be the entirety of my life either. There's something to be said for living and experiencing, and then taking that to feed our writing. The struggle is real though!
A friend of mine gave me the Artist's Way when I first began my public journey as a writer. I read it and then promptly put it away without listening to the advice. I didn't get it, nor do I want to, quite frankly. It was to New Age for me. I just finished Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones and guess what Julia Cameron wrote the forward to it! I think I finally get it, but I'm not beholden to doing it first thing in the morning everyday, but I can see its merit.
"But I am not in a season of creating. I am mired right now. " I like that. I don't like feeling like we need to write and produce high quality content all the time. Part of that pressure is internal, but no doubt media exposure only fuels that.
My June has been a million times better than my Jan-May, so I'll take that as a win!
Ok this is how I felt about it too for years!! I get this, completely. The New Age-ness of it bothered me for a long time and so I couldn't pick it up to begin with. That said, part of what helped me get over it is that the friend who gifted it to me is a well educated and practicing Muslim, so I could see that I could take what's good and leave what doesn't fit for me.
I'm in week 5 now and I haven't yet seen a huge change creatively, but I have seen a change in my ability to assess what matters to me and to be present. I also see a lot of surprising overlap with verses in the Quran and hadeeths I've learned. Islam itself can actually be extremely mystical and magical (that may not be the right word but I can't think of the right one in this moment) and I think for me, I connect better when I lean into that side of it instead of the very black and white, dry version that is pushed on us often, without sacrificing the basic tenets...
I'm really glad your June has been better. Take what you can for wins... And in August, Imma reach out and we will be accountability-ing (that's me making it a verb lol)...
Oh for sure, Islam does indeed have a mystical element. I think I was still coming out of my black and white phase when I received the book. I am more receptive to this way of approaching art. I still resist labeling myself as an artist, but I can see that maybe there is some truth to it. Hope you have a nice trip! I will look forward to our accountability-ing. We're writers - can make it into a word if we want! :)
Julia Cameron calls anyone wanting to live artistically an artist, even if they never do it as their "job" or make any money from it.
If you feel up to it, try calling yourself a writer and see how it feels. Push against the discomfort. "God does not change the state of a people until they change what is within themselves" ... You might find that once the discomfort fades, you're able to go further with your writing because you believe in yourself as a writer.
See you in August, Rafia! I'm so excited we get to do this together.
I thought May was crazy! But June! I just don't know where all the time went. And my kids are 20 and 23, but somehow it's still nutty. One is here for the duration, the other is coming and going until his college lease runs out at the end of next month. We've been going to concerts and baseball games and playing disc golf and gardening (so much gardening!) And it's all so very, very good. And yet I feel like life has eaten every bit of the time I used to use for writing. Which I guess is okay. I really didn't know how to respond to your quiz until I saw the "ask me again in 5 minutes" option because I am vacillating between a c'est la vie approach and feeling kind of sh*tty about writing NOTHING for like two months. Which is absolutely a very privileged first world problem, and yet, and yet, it's where I am... Wishing you safe travels and some ease with this season, plus some time to rest and recharge the batteries. 💕
Hahahaaa Tara I love that... I recently read a beautiful essay by Karl Ove Knausgaard in Harpers. It's about so many things and really quite indescribable, but one of the things I took away from it is the importance of LIVING in order to create any sort of art...
All to say, don't feel bad about not writing for two months. You are feeding your soul to fuel your next writing journey... and gardening. Yes! Gardening is soul feeding for sure.
Great article! It brought a lot of joy, I hope this June goes great for everyone. It seems there is a lot going on so I hope everyone has the time to take rest and enjoy the small and big activities during this time
I'm currently finishing up a novel I have been writing! I actually will need all the help I can get and support for getting things out there when I finish. It's a fiction novel with intentionality Insha Allah and Islamic morals present in an accessible and easy way for everyone. When I finish I would really appreciate everyone's help, especially Muslim writers and individuals here on substanck since I don't quite know the process of releasing a novel and will need all the help possible!
Shahir! You're finishing up a Novel that is INCREDIBLE masha Allah. I don't actually know the process but I would strongly recommend you read the book "Before and After the Book Deal" by Courtney Maum, which is an incredible explainer that takes you through the publishing process for what comes next...
The other thing I'd mention is there are a few Muslim run publishers now. The one that comes to mind is Ruqaya's bookshelf.
Thank you for this message! These sound like great resources, and I hope to figure out how everything works in the days to come, it's been a bit process but it's been getting there!
June has been a month of failing, falling and getting up again. Great writing material if you ask me.
I've learned a lot about discipline and understanding how it hasn't been a big part of my life. But Alhamdulillah it's been good. I'm smiling, aren't I?
Sis, I want to remind you that the first edition of The Artist Way was released 33 years ago. Our access to media was super light compared to now. We are living in different times. You can slowly detox, like no media until 4pm.
I teach a course inspired by her Write for Life book and I’ve made adjustments to lessen the pressure and guilt we experience when we don’t follow through. I am glad you gave yourself some grace and started up again.
My June is heavy but Alhamdulillah. I just learned Esmé Weijun Wang is teaching a masterclass on writing with brain fog and I feel hopeful now.
It's so funny to notice that my brain realized it was released 33 years ago but still thought, "I have to cut everything out and anything less is abject failure." I think that sometimes this all or nothing attitude is actually self sabotage.
I'm sorry your June is heavy. Alhamdulillah 3ala koll haal. I saw that about writing with brain fog and it sounds very interesting.
Question for you: I always want to address you when I'm writing you back but I don't know how you do the 2 names... Do people call you, Maceo? Maceo Nafisah? Let me know please.
I created a playlist for this week's post, because I didn't have the bandwidth for a full blown essay. Of course, I got so deep in the weeds of song selection and organizing that it might've been faster to write a short essay! June's been wild.
self-flagellating, now that's a cool word! makes me think of cells and flagella. except they use their flagellas (flagelli?) to move around.
Also!! I have a valid reason now for the whole aunty thing haha. Uzma called herself aunty. Can you blame me for calling anyone about 15 years my senior aunty then??? But dw I will call you just Noha or sister Noha. I guess I could go super desi and call you Noha api.
June was good aH. All the better for having seen you and some others at MLF!
I just landed on Sweden. I was supposed to get here 12 hours ago, but I missed my original flight because I took my kid to the grocery store and cleaned our fish tank. Self forgiveness is my only path, otherwise….a pit of pure self loathing awaits.
Yes yes yes... I think I forgot to respond to the comments from the last essay (mostly because... see aforementioned references to chaos lol)... Will message you now. Let's do this.
It’s been years since I had a child at home with summer activities to manage, but summer is when out-of-town family and friends head this way. With two groups this week plus another friend’s birthday bash, which involves travel time, I will not meet my writing goals. I was fretting about this until I realized how lucky I am. Seeing people you love and rarely get to see is a great gift and a respite from the day-to-day pressures of deadlines.
So what you're saying is that it won't matter once the kids are grown - there will always be more activities to take me away from writing? Just kidding just kidding! I accept your framing and appreciate it deeply.
Yesterday, my 11 year old graduated grade 6 and had his ceremony with all his little friends. They had a party afterwards that started at a park and ended at the small beach in our neighourhood off the river. Standing there with the other parents at golden hour, our feet in the water, alternately talking and yelling at our kids not to throw rocks and not to go too far, was really moving. I won't forget it for a long time. I'm glad I didn't just stay home and write...
Chaotic. I’ve gotten maybe 3 good writing days. Trying my best to say Alhamdulillah for whatever I accomplish and keep it moving. Safe and joyful travels for you and your family In sha Allah!
Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah. And Ameen to your kind duas. What is it about June?? The chaos is wild.
Safe travels to you and your family! And I love that you had a reckoning with this not being your creative season 🙌🏻
Thanks Amy!
It feels much better to take the pressure off and just write when I can...
I am trying VERY hard to not worry so much about posting, growing, social mediaing right now as we are visiting the States for two weeks and then off to Asia. Alas, I am only doing okay at taking time off and not stressing about not reading every Substack I subscribe too, posting, responding...
Sigh...
Two weeks is not a long time! I hear you about struggling with it though, the pull of social media is REAL!!
I went to something called the Muslim Literary Festival in Toronto last weekend, and it was a good reminder for me that I love Substack but it cannot be the entirety of my writing life. And that writing can't be the entirety of my life either. There's something to be said for living and experiencing, and then taking that to feed our writing. The struggle is real though!
A friend of mine gave me the Artist's Way when I first began my public journey as a writer. I read it and then promptly put it away without listening to the advice. I didn't get it, nor do I want to, quite frankly. It was to New Age for me. I just finished Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones and guess what Julia Cameron wrote the forward to it! I think I finally get it, but I'm not beholden to doing it first thing in the morning everyday, but I can see its merit.
"But I am not in a season of creating. I am mired right now. " I like that. I don't like feeling like we need to write and produce high quality content all the time. Part of that pressure is internal, but no doubt media exposure only fuels that.
My June has been a million times better than my Jan-May, so I'll take that as a win!
Ok this is how I felt about it too for years!! I get this, completely. The New Age-ness of it bothered me for a long time and so I couldn't pick it up to begin with. That said, part of what helped me get over it is that the friend who gifted it to me is a well educated and practicing Muslim, so I could see that I could take what's good and leave what doesn't fit for me.
I'm in week 5 now and I haven't yet seen a huge change creatively, but I have seen a change in my ability to assess what matters to me and to be present. I also see a lot of surprising overlap with verses in the Quran and hadeeths I've learned. Islam itself can actually be extremely mystical and magical (that may not be the right word but I can't think of the right one in this moment) and I think for me, I connect better when I lean into that side of it instead of the very black and white, dry version that is pushed on us often, without sacrificing the basic tenets...
I'm really glad your June has been better. Take what you can for wins... And in August, Imma reach out and we will be accountability-ing (that's me making it a verb lol)...
Oh for sure, Islam does indeed have a mystical element. I think I was still coming out of my black and white phase when I received the book. I am more receptive to this way of approaching art. I still resist labeling myself as an artist, but I can see that maybe there is some truth to it. Hope you have a nice trip! I will look forward to our accountability-ing. We're writers - can make it into a word if we want! :)
Julia Cameron calls anyone wanting to live artistically an artist, even if they never do it as their "job" or make any money from it.
If you feel up to it, try calling yourself a writer and see how it feels. Push against the discomfort. "God does not change the state of a people until they change what is within themselves" ... You might find that once the discomfort fades, you're able to go further with your writing because you believe in yourself as a writer.
See you in August, Rafia! I'm so excited we get to do this together.
Sooooo chaotic!
Way to go you.
May you make it through the chaos as peacefully and joyfully as possible.
Thank you my dear! I love your little prayer for me. I think I'll keep saying it for myself...
💕
I thought May was crazy! But June! I just don't know where all the time went. And my kids are 20 and 23, but somehow it's still nutty. One is here for the duration, the other is coming and going until his college lease runs out at the end of next month. We've been going to concerts and baseball games and playing disc golf and gardening (so much gardening!) And it's all so very, very good. And yet I feel like life has eaten every bit of the time I used to use for writing. Which I guess is okay. I really didn't know how to respond to your quiz until I saw the "ask me again in 5 minutes" option because I am vacillating between a c'est la vie approach and feeling kind of sh*tty about writing NOTHING for like two months. Which is absolutely a very privileged first world problem, and yet, and yet, it's where I am... Wishing you safe travels and some ease with this season, plus some time to rest and recharge the batteries. 💕
Hahahaaa Tara I love that... I recently read a beautiful essay by Karl Ove Knausgaard in Harpers. It's about so many things and really quite indescribable, but one of the things I took away from it is the importance of LIVING in order to create any sort of art...
All to say, don't feel bad about not writing for two months. You are feeding your soul to fuel your next writing journey... and gardening. Yes! Gardening is soul feeding for sure.
Great article! It brought a lot of joy, I hope this June goes great for everyone. It seems there is a lot going on so I hope everyone has the time to take rest and enjoy the small and big activities during this time
I'm currently finishing up a novel I have been writing! I actually will need all the help I can get and support for getting things out there when I finish. It's a fiction novel with intentionality Insha Allah and Islamic morals present in an accessible and easy way for everyone. When I finish I would really appreciate everyone's help, especially Muslim writers and individuals here on substanck since I don't quite know the process of releasing a novel and will need all the help possible!
Shahir! You're finishing up a Novel that is INCREDIBLE masha Allah. I don't actually know the process but I would strongly recommend you read the book "Before and After the Book Deal" by Courtney Maum, which is an incredible explainer that takes you through the publishing process for what comes next...
The other thing I'd mention is there are a few Muslim run publishers now. The one that comes to mind is Ruqaya's bookshelf.
Thank you for this message! These sound like great resources, and I hope to figure out how everything works in the days to come, it's been a bit process but it's been getting there!
June has been a month of failing, falling and getting up again. Great writing material if you ask me.
I've learned a lot about discipline and understanding how it hasn't been a big part of my life. But Alhamdulillah it's been good. I'm smiling, aren't I?
Afra that's the best attitude. I always say, "well, at least this will make a good story" 😂😂
Sis, I want to remind you that the first edition of The Artist Way was released 33 years ago. Our access to media was super light compared to now. We are living in different times. You can slowly detox, like no media until 4pm.
I teach a course inspired by her Write for Life book and I’ve made adjustments to lessen the pressure and guilt we experience when we don’t follow through. I am glad you gave yourself some grace and started up again.
My June is heavy but Alhamdulillah. I just learned Esmé Weijun Wang is teaching a masterclass on writing with brain fog and I feel hopeful now.
So this is an excellent reminder. Thank you!
It's so funny to notice that my brain realized it was released 33 years ago but still thought, "I have to cut everything out and anything less is abject failure." I think that sometimes this all or nothing attitude is actually self sabotage.
I'm sorry your June is heavy. Alhamdulillah 3ala koll haal. I saw that about writing with brain fog and it sounds very interesting.
Question for you: I always want to address you when I'm writing you back but I don't know how you do the 2 names... Do people call you, Maceo? Maceo Nafisah? Let me know please.
Either Maceo pronounced Mah-say-oh or Nafisah. Either one. I introduce myself with either name depending on my mood. 🤣 thanks for asking.
Oh I'm so glad to know! Thanks for answering.
I created a playlist for this week's post, because I didn't have the bandwidth for a full blown essay. Of course, I got so deep in the weeds of song selection and organizing that it might've been faster to write a short essay! June's been wild.
Hope the trip is going well!
self-flagellating, now that's a cool word! makes me think of cells and flagella. except they use their flagellas (flagelli?) to move around.
Also!! I have a valid reason now for the whole aunty thing haha. Uzma called herself aunty. Can you blame me for calling anyone about 15 years my senior aunty then??? But dw I will call you just Noha or sister Noha. I guess I could go super desi and call you Noha api.
June was good aH. All the better for having seen you and some others at MLF!
so with you Noha! I tried to do The Artist’s Way last summer; it was lovely in many respects, but HARD!
Debbie!! So hard!
I just landed on Sweden. I was supposed to get here 12 hours ago, but I missed my original flight because I took my kid to the grocery store and cleaned our fish tank. Self forgiveness is my only path, otherwise….a pit of pure self loathing awaits.
But who would have cleaned out the fish tank if you hadn't, Isabel? WHO? WHOOOOOO????
Self forgiveness is critical. Also, please go to Ikea while you're in Sweden and take a picture for me. I don't know why but it feels essential.
A find continuation of the last essay ... Still working on a late date for Inner Life for you and me ... xx
Yes yes yes... I think I forgot to respond to the comments from the last essay (mostly because... see aforementioned references to chaos lol)... Will message you now. Let's do this.
Yep, we will: working on the date, not set yet, but asap will set it with help from one of my partners on the site, as we have to coordinate.
Take your time, hon 🥰🥰
It’s been years since I had a child at home with summer activities to manage, but summer is when out-of-town family and friends head this way. With two groups this week plus another friend’s birthday bash, which involves travel time, I will not meet my writing goals. I was fretting about this until I realized how lucky I am. Seeing people you love and rarely get to see is a great gift and a respite from the day-to-day pressures of deadlines.
So what you're saying is that it won't matter once the kids are grown - there will always be more activities to take me away from writing? Just kidding just kidding! I accept your framing and appreciate it deeply.
Yesterday, my 11 year old graduated grade 6 and had his ceremony with all his little friends. They had a party afterwards that started at a park and ended at the small beach in our neighourhood off the river. Standing there with the other parents at golden hour, our feet in the water, alternately talking and yelling at our kids not to throw rocks and not to go too far, was really moving. I won't forget it for a long time. I'm glad I didn't just stay home and write...
I’m glad too. Someday we might share a bench on a park in Ottawa. You never know…
I would love that…. You let me know if you’re ever in town and I will make time.
Ditto, Noha.