Hello reader,
It’s been quite a while since my last confession newsletter, and things are looking a little different around here…
If you’ve been here since my first post back in January at the start of the year (2024), what started out as a goal of one Substack a week soon became simply too much for me to handle. It turns out that starting a new job and committing to writing a new newsletter was ambitious to say the least (who knew?). I got tired and something had to give. It couldn’t be work and I wouldn’t let it be my personal life, so newsletter it was.
I’m sorry, but I’m also not.
Sorry for not writing to you and for you and making the most of what I was creating. Not sorry because I stand by the power of giving yourself a break. It’s exactly what I needed to see this wonderful creative space for what it is. If you’re going through something similar, whether that’s general busy-ness, creative brain-freeze or just feeling a bit fed up and overwhelmed, it really is okay to give yourself some time and space.
Because, when I stopped writing, I knew that time away would do one of two things:
Kill this Substack dead, never to be resurrected or returned to the land of the living.
Rekindle my passion for creativity and writing for pleasure with a flame that will burn bright.
Dear reader, I found option 2.
A new (new) chapter…
To any of my longtime subscribers (thank you, thank you, thank you for being here!): if this newsletter seems a little similar, that’s because it is.
I restarted The Naive Edit last month with ‘restart, refresh and resurrection #1’. But it was another struggle. I even considered deleting it in what can only be called an ‘I can’t use this notebook, I must buy another one’ situation - read more about why that’s never a good idea below:
But after an exchange with the wonderful Mika, I realised that everything I need is right here.
So, I started to research, ask myself the right questions and think about where I actually want this newsletter to go, how I can grow it and make it the best it can be - starting with a revamp.
…and a new (new) look
Things are looking different around here. It’s fun, it’s fresh and I hope you like it as much as I do.
Things are going to be feeling different around here too. In a coincidental turn of events I’ve swapped scrolling for page turning and deleted all my social media for a while at least. I’m reading more, soaking up inspiration from authors I admire (here on Substack and out in the ‘real world’) and getting my shit a plan together.
Because that’s what The Naive Edit is all about and why you’re here. It’s finding the courage to take on the tricky bits (the overthinking, the career wobbles, the oh-shit-I’m-a-responsible-adult crises) because there are so many great things to figure out and explore and keep us going (love, creativity, buying a pair of Birkenstock Arizonas for 20% off, eating a whole Lindt chocolate bunny in one sitting because you can).
And we’ll cover it all together.
So thank you for being here, reading here and spending some time with my words. I love this space and can’t wait to grow it with you.
Until next time,
~ Cesca
I love this so much! It feels very much like my journey. I love that when we let go of some things (social media etc), our creativity bubbles up to the surface. I’m excited for the chapter ahead!!