Time to disconnect and reflect

As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in a tent in the middle of Scotland (it’s raining and there are armies of insects outside that can’t wait to make a feast of me, don’t even ask) as part of a long hike through its stunning countryside. I deliberately chose to be away for an extended period of time, away from the suffocating comfort of routine and the endless distractions of the internet. There is just something about daily life in our modern world that mentally drains me, that over time estranges me from some kind of essential part of myself.

In fact, ever since I got here my creative energy has been so high, that the first time I wrote this post, I instead ended up writing an entire text about disconnection, parts of which I’m now thinking of using in the novel I’m writing. It even raised some internal questions about whether such passages belong on my Substack or in my story. Over the coming months, I intend to make my writer’s side a more consistent part of this newsletter, in addition to the journalism I do on here. Because I’m still figuring out what that could look like, I will be trying out some new things and experimenting with what I feel works best. If you only recently subscribed, or missed some of these posts, here are some of the works I already posted here:

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In any case, there is plenty of reason for you to be excited about what is ahead. If you want to support my work, please consider taking a paid subscription. It really helps me to keep improving and growing this newsletter. I’ll soon share some more details about how I want to involve you in my writing process going forward.

To sum it all up, what all this creative energy reminds me of, is that in many ways our society is not providing us with many of the things we as humans need for a fulfilling life, like a sense of community, healthy food, and peace of mind, severing our connections to ourselves and to the world around us. Unless we try really hard, we never truly get to ‘turn off’. Ironically, it is getting away from our electronic connection to the world that can make us feel truly connected to it.

With that in mind, I’m going back into the vast forests of Scotland, I will share a few pictures with you as (a freely accessible) part of my next Monthly Musing, my monthly personal update to paid subscribers. Before I left, I had been working on some fascinating and thought-provoking projects and collaborations, which I’m very excited to share with you over the coming months. Take care and talk to you soon.

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