This week's delights

A few essays and other writings which have caught my attention this week

So many great writers on Substack! It’s a delight and very humbling to be part of this community. The diversity of themes, the exquisite craft and care and often research that goes into each piece, the humour, the passion, the deep insights which people share here in their notes and essays is often inspiring, thought-provoking, and always brightens my day. The kindness and generosity to be found here too is also so lovely and, sadly, a rare thing these days.

Maybe it’s the burst of energy that comes from the warmer late Spring weather but I’ve found myself exploring and enjoying more and more the wonderful images, words, and ideas filling up my Substack feed and also feeling inspired to write more myself.

This past week I’ve encountered more than a few Substacks which delighted me and I thought I’d share some:

Italian Renaissance by G K Sihat - Interested in the Italian Renaissance? This is a wonderful space with a heavy focus and very refreshing take on women creatives from this period. So beautifully researched, crafted, and written. She also has a series on ‘Romanticising the Renaissance’ on her website.

Janet Asante Sullivan Studio by Janet Asante Sullivan - a lovely artist and a space full of inspiring art and thoughts. It’s full of warm, rich, vivid paintings of women’s circles celebrating sisterhood and beautiful words about her own and others’ art, about women creatives, about community and belonging and family and ordinary lives, about Ghana, London, NYC. A real gem.

Super Ordinary Life by Yasumi Toyoda - A note posted by Yasumi with a clip of shadows of tree branches dancing on a wall caught my attention the other day - pure poetry. Ah, a kindred spirit in the appreciation of light. Curious, I went for a little amble round Super Ordinary Life and discovered quietly thoughtful, deep and engrossing, reflections by someone who notices and appreciates little things and finds beauty in the ordinary, a return to slow living. The description of sitting with a piece of art, allowing it to draw you in, invite you to sit, and calm the mind, is how I felt on my visit to this space.

Encourage Meant by Feasts and Fables - And, then, there was this. A charming, generous, big-hearted space that celebrates others in ‘Field Notes for Curious Minds’. Full of positivity, inspiring words, gorgeous images, curious finds - just delightful!

And finally, in recent weeks, I met Lisa, a fellow expat in Italy, who writes about starting a new life at the foot of the Italian Alps in her Substack, Renovating Italy. It’s not Sardinia but life in the Italian countryside there is not dissimilar to here and much of what she shares resonates. I love the focus on a return to slow living and simpler things, and the notion that it’s never too late and you’re never too old for new adventures. Her tales of their journey, their new life in Italy, are full of fun and wit and always a treat to read. She also has a website, Renovating Italy, which offers advice to people thinking of moving to Italy and renovating older properties.

Well, that’s probably enough! So much to choose from really… The wonderful mix of words and pictures on Substack draws me in but it’s the generosity of spirit which keeps me here - the willingness to be humble, to be vulnerable in sharing, to celebrate others is so heart-warming.

Most of the above caught my eye because they revolve around subjects or themes that I’m currently writing or thinking about across my two Substacks. Two?! Greedy? Overly ambitious? haha perhaps but I just couldn’t quite marry them into a single Substack. Anyway, gives me a bit of variety which I like.

• I started my Notes from Sardinia Substack to share my journey of moving to the Sardinian countryside with my Italian husband after a stroke. It’s mostly about life and our farm project here but also about well-being and a return to slow living.

• The Bohemian, the other Substack where this is posted, is more about my other passions, women and creativity. I write about art, literature, film, women who inspire me, womanhood, relationships, aging… you know, more personal, internal stuff that rumbles around in my head. I’ve just shared a couple of pieces about experiments in letting go, Mollare and Lasciare andare, through art as therapy.

Thank you for reading, for indulging my little musings on a thoughtful Thursday - truly appreciated! I would love to hear from you so please do drop me a note in the comments below.

ciao per ora bellissime sorelle / bye for now beautiful sisters

F ox

The Bohemian

An eclectic mix of memories and memoir, and musings on art and life, and inspiring and creative women.

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NB All images, unless external credit given, are CCO or copyright Fiona Pape (aka F_ox).