"Most important is that I survived, and that I’m healthy and sheltered. That’s enough for me." I'm right there with you in this. ❤️
And I also love the sentiment in the last paragraph. I'm all for just showing up raw and real versus trying to be good or do your best. I'm here for all of it!
1. Your Substack is the only one I’ve paid for this year. That might not seem like much, but it says a lot to me.
2. Your Substack is the reason I started my own. Even though I mostly write in my native language (still pushing myself to write more in English), and the Russian-speaking audience is quite small, I feel SO MUCH support—and more importantly, power—in this little act. Thank you for that, Anna.
3. While surviving an unexpected Christmas breakup for the last 3 weeks (it gets better!! it really does), I kept thinking of your posts from earlier this year. They helped me a lot.
Daria, it actually DOES seem like a lot. Thank you so much for supporting my writing. It is no small thing. I am truly heart-warmed to know that my letters have been resonating with you. Thank you.
As another person said above, you’re the only person I pay to read and a massive inspiration to me starting my own. It’d be wild if you felt like checking it out… hehe
BUT honestly and ultimately thank you so much for sharing with us Anna. I’m quite sure we’re all here to get to feel in communion with your creativity and witness your journey. Not to hold you to any standard.
Part of my reflection this year would be starting this Substack and sharing myself with so many, so I’m extremely grateful for your inspiration.
Thank you, Toni. Ever since I read your comment a few days ago, I've been coming back to what a complete honor it is to have someone not only support my writing, but declare it for everyone to see. Thank you for seeing me and picking up whatever I put down. <3
First time caller, first time reader. I stumbled onto your prints through Pinterest (vision board 25 yeh boi!) and I was deliberating whether to sign up as a paid subscriber but my gut said yes! your work feels like a glimmer and I think if we follow our glimmers enough we can find our way back to ourselves. I feel you on all of a sudden instead of just letting out what you need to let out, you become self conscious about it and it becomes optics and clicks. Maybe that’s the work - to just keep showing, keep being vulnerable and authentic. Don’t forget why you started. We’re really here for it. And to bear witness to what you’re expressing. Thankyou for what you’re doing. ❤️🔥
" I remembered that what’s clean, polished, cultured, or academic has never been what stirs my soul. I come alive with self-taught grit, with spit on the pavement, with calloused heels, and dried blood on the seam of a pair of jeans." <3 <3 <3 <3
Always love your posts. You are an inspiration, and one day would love to visit the Rock shop, and like the other people mentioned in the comments, you’re also one big reason why I decided to keep writing, and properly work on my Substack. For that I THANK YOU.
Thank you for letting me know. It's comments like this that stay with me for keeps - I remember them on hard days, or when I wonder why I am doing anything at all. Let's both keep going.
The occasional adventure, the risk, is often an antidote for what ails you. In Montana in the spring and summer of 1979, a hundred locals were extras in Michael Cimino's "Heaven's Gate."
"The extras. We are the low-paid atmosphere, on equal footing with dust and smoke and mud. We are the sheep shearer, the drama major, the disco barmaid. We are the naive artist, the short-order cook, the plucky juggler. We live off hourly wages, trust funds, pensions. We squeeze by on two-bit pick-up labor, we live like kings on unemployment checks from three different states. We are the basket case, the utterly unsinkable and everything in between. On the long bus ride home, the former drug addict sits next to the grade school child. They play Hearts. Outside the light is fading and the river is roiling. We pass fifty elk taking supper in a far off lush pasture. The juggler is asleep, her head nestled against my shoulder. The mountain peaks turn through orange into gold."
"Most important is that I survived, and that I’m healthy and sheltered. That’s enough for me." I'm right there with you in this. ❤️
And I also love the sentiment in the last paragraph. I'm all for just showing up raw and real versus trying to be good or do your best. I'm here for all of it!
Thanks, Van <3 Appreciate it.
1. Your Substack is the only one I’ve paid for this year. That might not seem like much, but it says a lot to me.
2. Your Substack is the reason I started my own. Even though I mostly write in my native language (still pushing myself to write more in English), and the Russian-speaking audience is quite small, I feel SO MUCH support—and more importantly, power—in this little act. Thank you for that, Anna.
3. While surviving an unexpected Christmas breakup for the last 3 weeks (it gets better!! it really does), I kept thinking of your posts from earlier this year. They helped me a lot.
Love,
a stranger 🤍
Daria, it actually DOES seem like a lot. Thank you so much for supporting my writing. It is no small thing. I am truly heart-warmed to know that my letters have been resonating with you. Thank you.
As another person said above, you’re the only person I pay to read and a massive inspiration to me starting my own. It’d be wild if you felt like checking it out… hehe
BUT honestly and ultimately thank you so much for sharing with us Anna. I’m quite sure we’re all here to get to feel in communion with your creativity and witness your journey. Not to hold you to any standard.
Part of my reflection this year would be starting this Substack and sharing myself with so many, so I’m extremely grateful for your inspiration.
Oh and the hair cut is sick!!!
Thank you, Toni. Ever since I read your comment a few days ago, I've been coming back to what a complete honor it is to have someone not only support my writing, but declare it for everyone to see. Thank you for seeing me and picking up whatever I put down. <3
See you for tune in drop out!!! I’ll be joining from Aus and I’m really stoked to commit so thank you again!
It’s about what I stopped doing - like that
"I come alive with self-taught grit, with spit on the pavement, with calloused heels, and dried blood on the seam of a pair of jeans." yessssssssss
I love these lines:
"I remembered that what’s clean, polished, cultured, or academic has never been what stirs my soul," and "I did name it Unsupervised…"
Wild, free and unsupervised… like a mustang on the central coast… that’s what I think of with you! 😉 we are all along for the journey
First time caller, first time reader. I stumbled onto your prints through Pinterest (vision board 25 yeh boi!) and I was deliberating whether to sign up as a paid subscriber but my gut said yes! your work feels like a glimmer and I think if we follow our glimmers enough we can find our way back to ourselves. I feel you on all of a sudden instead of just letting out what you need to let out, you become self conscious about it and it becomes optics and clicks. Maybe that’s the work - to just keep showing, keep being vulnerable and authentic. Don’t forget why you started. We’re really here for it. And to bear witness to what you’re expressing. Thankyou for what you’re doing. ❤️🔥
Thank you Harriet! Every subscription means a lot to me and also means I can keep going.
There are some years for writing and some years for living, gathering material. Happy New Year, Anna, thank you for your words!
Yes! Consumer vs. conserver mindset!!! Thank you.
Happy New Year, Anna! I'm happy you and your soul have awoken from slumber, and look forward as always to whatever comes next ✌🏼❤️
Thanks for reading Henrik :)
Your writing on your terms sounds good to me.
Likewise, Kelton. <3
" I remembered that what’s clean, polished, cultured, or academic has never been what stirs my soul. I come alive with self-taught grit, with spit on the pavement, with calloused heels, and dried blood on the seam of a pair of jeans." <3 <3 <3 <3
Always love your posts. You are an inspiration, and one day would love to visit the Rock shop, and like the other people mentioned in the comments, you’re also one big reason why I decided to keep writing, and properly work on my Substack. For that I THANK YOU.
Thank you for letting me know. It's comments like this that stay with me for keeps - I remember them on hard days, or when I wonder why I am doing anything at all. Let's both keep going.
The occasional adventure, the risk, is often an antidote for what ails you. In Montana in the spring and summer of 1979, a hundred locals were extras in Michael Cimino's "Heaven's Gate."
"The extras. We are the low-paid atmosphere, on equal footing with dust and smoke and mud. We are the sheep shearer, the drama major, the disco barmaid. We are the naive artist, the short-order cook, the plucky juggler. We live off hourly wages, trust funds, pensions. We squeeze by on two-bit pick-up labor, we live like kings on unemployment checks from three different states. We are the basket case, the utterly unsinkable and everything in between. On the long bus ride home, the former drug addict sits next to the grade school child. They play Hearts. Outside the light is fading and the river is roiling. We pass fifty elk taking supper in a far off lush pasture. The juggler is asleep, her head nestled against my shoulder. The mountain peaks turn through orange into gold."
This is beautiful, Anna. Thank you for sharing your writing your art and so much of your self. It resonates it moves me in quiet and mysterious ways.
Yes Anna, yes. Thank you.