Would you like to know your future?

Most newsletter writers start with one question -- Can I write anything of value?

For the longest time, I didn't think I had anything interesting to say, so this newsletter remained abandoned. But then, two things happened. 

1. I came across author Amy McNee's Instagram account, @inspiredtowrite. She shares daily wisdom nuggets to motivate creatives of all flavours to make this journey their own. Her content has inspired me to rethink my relationship with my art and the stories I tell myself about it. 

2. AI like ChatGPT became more widely available to the public, and suddenly I was left wondering what the point of writing even is. Faced with the possibility of being swamped with machine-generated content, the only thing we, human writers, have left is our creativity and our personal stories. 

That's what I plan to share here, along with short stories or the occasional poem, photos, and sometimes cool stuff from the internet.

Let's dive in, shall we?

This week's short story

Would you like to know your future? In this story, impatience gets the best out of a young boy, who discovers the hard way some things are better left unknown.

"Antonius, the tallest of the group, had seen his brothers' ceremonies from a distance and dreamed of the day he'd be in their place -- shivering, barefoot over the cold soil covered with yellow leaves, his head shaved, saying the ancient words and looking inside the box. What kind of man would he grow up to be? Would he have the adventures he dreamt of? He longed for an ocean he had never seen, for the worlds, he had only read about in books, for the brotherhood of soldiers and explorers from the old stories."

From the blog

If planners are your thing, you've probably heard of the Hobonichi Techo paper planners. They have a devoted following and after six months of using my Hobonichi Techo Cousin, I can say I am obsessed.

I've used tons of planners before, but none have brought me so much joy. The design is pretty without being intrusive or daunting for those of us with zero artistic skills, the paper is soft and resistant, and the books are super light and portable. I've written a detailed review of my layouts on my blog #uglyplannersftw

This week's photo

Sunset at the Louvre Abu Dhabi's atrium. April 2023.

📸 Pentax ME Super🎞️ Ilford Delta 100 35 mm

Credit: Cecilia Lovos

Short thoughts

When you don't know what the next step is in your creative journey, stop for a moment and ask yourself a few questions. Are you feeding your creativity a nutritious diet of experience and inspiration? Are you hydrating it with silence and self-reflection?

The whole idea of seeking discomfort is odd when your mind is full of thorns. Why not make some areas of life easier for yourself to save your strength for the real battles? I'd rather get my feelings of accomplishments from challenges with an actual positive impact in my life --publishing this newsletter, submitting a short story to a publication, e-mailing a friend I've not talked to in a while -- rather than a cold shower at 5 am. 

This week's quote

Thanks

You have reached the end of this newsletter. Thanks for reading all the way! 

If you enjoyed this and have a couple of minutes to spare, reply to the email or leave a comment. I'd love to read your thoughts. And before you go, share this newsletter with a friend you think will enjoy it, too.

Social? Let’s follow each other on Instagram or Mastodon.

Next week: how do you know when to quit reading a book, a cat photo, and a story about a prince who discovers an unpleasant surprise when he meets his nemesis.

Staying alive,

Cecilia