I got an alert for this essay and was enjoying reading it to only find this lovely shout out! Thank you and well wishes on defining your creative process and practice. 🤎
i loved the webinar and thank you for your offering. it really blessed me. and am inspired by how you organize your wisdom to benefit others. cheering u on with the launch this fall. some of my favorite people from netflix are working on it!
First, thank you. It is a humbling thing to discover that words you released into the world found a home in someone else’s thinking. I don’t take that lightly. 🥹 🤎
Reading #8 stopped me because it names a question I’ve been quietly wrestling with. I think one of the greatest ethical responsibilities of personal writing is remembering that we are not writing to put people on trial. We are writing to make meaning of what shaped us.
I’m sitting with an essay about my mother right now, and what keeps slowing me down is realizing that memory isn’t ownership. Just because I experienced something doesn’t mean I automatically know the whole story. The page asks us to hold two truths at once: our experience is real, and the people in it are more than our experience of them.
I’ve been wondering if the deepest question isn’t, “Can I defend what I wrote if they read it?” but, “Have I written with enough humility to leave room for what I cannot know?”
That feels like a harder practice than simply telling the truth.
Thank you again for mentioning my work alongside so many thoughtful writers. I’m grateful to be practicing in this corner of the internet with you all. 🫂
This is almost unprecedented for Black folk because at some point most of us had to present extremely thin (like deli meat thin) slices of ourselves in order to get opportunities.
So when you finally start to be you, tell your stories, talk your talk out in the open...and it's actually received! It's beautiful.
Thank you for the shoutout, I saw the names on that list and was humbled like this must be a typo, it means some thing to know my work is resonating somewhere.
love this so much! i want to practice with you! i love your method of writing to a specific person—what a beautiful way to get to the core of intimacy, honesty, and truth.
Is it me, Maya? Am I the name you wrote the essay to? ‘Cause it feels like it.
There is the strangest calling to continue to create, despite the fear of telling the truth online. A weird sort of peaceful, blissful happiness takes over me when I share the truth here on Substack. God is doing something. I feel what you feel, and I’ve felt it for weeks.
I’m literally doing an experiment (I’m prolly gonna keep saying this in your comments til it’s over) on how to show up as an artist after five years of running full speed up the corporate ladder. I’m doing it because I can’t *not* do it.
Writing is helping me work through some things I’ve known for a long time but was too afraid to let myself believe. I’m tired. We’re all tired. And I believe this Substack movement is a part of the solution to how we’re feeling and the negative impact that’s had on society. God is healing us and we’re sharing it with the world.
I shared your essay from “maya’s body” with an intern at the day job. She’s 23 so I thought it would be the perfect to share with her now: “pretend this is a friend from the future” I said. It really resonated with her and she said that essay felt like the Issa Rae mirror scene from Insecure! lol you nailed it! Take care and keep going (and breathing and resting)!
1. Thanks for the unexpected shout out, Maya! 👀I was already a fan of your writing, but now I’m becoming a fan of the person behind such brilliant work. Thanks again. ❤️
2. Re: number 8: In the words of author Anne Lamott, “You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.” With that being said, you can still keep it classy and ambiguous without lowering into petty territory. The truth no matter how ugly or inconvenient it is, is still the truth. So, share the stories and if a hit dog hollers, that’s none of your business.
3. This is another excellent piece! I’m so grateful for this platform.
I got an alert for this essay and was enjoying reading it to only find this lovely shout out! Thank you and well wishes on defining your creative process and practice. 🤎
i loved the webinar and thank you for your offering. it really blessed me. and am inspired by how you organize your wisdom to benefit others. cheering u on with the launch this fall. some of my favorite people from netflix are working on it!
First, thank you. It is a humbling thing to discover that words you released into the world found a home in someone else’s thinking. I don’t take that lightly. 🥹 🤎
Reading #8 stopped me because it names a question I’ve been quietly wrestling with. I think one of the greatest ethical responsibilities of personal writing is remembering that we are not writing to put people on trial. We are writing to make meaning of what shaped us.
I’m sitting with an essay about my mother right now, and what keeps slowing me down is realizing that memory isn’t ownership. Just because I experienced something doesn’t mean I automatically know the whole story. The page asks us to hold two truths at once: our experience is real, and the people in it are more than our experience of them.
I’ve been wondering if the deepest question isn’t, “Can I defend what I wrote if they read it?” but, “Have I written with enough humility to leave room for what I cannot know?”
That feels like a harder practice than simply telling the truth.
Thank you again for mentioning my work alongside so many thoughtful writers. I’m grateful to be practicing in this corner of the internet with you all. 🫂
sage! this question.
My God!
"Have I written with enough humility to leave room for what I cannot know?"
idk, this question makes me emotional. what a beautiful, gorgeous thought.
a banger of a question!
🤎
This is almost unprecedented for Black folk because at some point most of us had to present extremely thin (like deli meat thin) slices of ourselves in order to get opportunities.
So when you finally start to be you, tell your stories, talk your talk out in the open...and it's actually received! It's beautiful.
Thank you for the shoutout, I saw the names on that list and was humbled like this must be a typo, it means some thing to know my work is resonating somewhere.
how amazing. keep writing. keep sharing your truth!
love this so much! i want to practice with you! i love your method of writing to a specific person—what a beautiful way to get to the core of intimacy, honesty, and truth.
ok, what would it mean for us to practice together. i love this idea!
Is it me, Maya? Am I the name you wrote the essay to? ‘Cause it feels like it.
There is the strangest calling to continue to create, despite the fear of telling the truth online. A weird sort of peaceful, blissful happiness takes over me when I share the truth here on Substack. God is doing something. I feel what you feel, and I’ve felt it for weeks.
I’m literally doing an experiment (I’m prolly gonna keep saying this in your comments til it’s over) on how to show up as an artist after five years of running full speed up the corporate ladder. I’m doing it because I can’t *not* do it.
Writing is helping me work through some things I’ve known for a long time but was too afraid to let myself believe. I’m tired. We’re all tired. And I believe this Substack movement is a part of the solution to how we’re feeling and the negative impact that’s had on society. God is healing us and we’re sharing it with the world.
I shared your essay from “maya’s body” with an intern at the day job. She’s 23 so I thought it would be the perfect to share with her now: “pretend this is a friend from the future” I said. It really resonated with her and she said that essay felt like the Issa Rae mirror scene from Insecure! lol you nailed it! Take care and keep going (and breathing and resting)!
that is the biggest compliment i’ve ever received. tell her she made my life with that one.
lauren, when are you going to start writing?! i feel like u got some things to say 👀
1. Thanks for the unexpected shout out, Maya! 👀I was already a fan of your writing, but now I’m becoming a fan of the person behind such brilliant work. Thanks again. ❤️
2. Re: number 8: In the words of author Anne Lamott, “You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.” With that being said, you can still keep it classy and ambiguous without lowering into petty territory. The truth no matter how ugly or inconvenient it is, is still the truth. So, share the stories and if a hit dog hollers, that’s none of your business.
3. This is another excellent piece! I’m so grateful for this platform.
ugh, how could i forget that anne lamott quote! what a queen! thank u for words and ur support. reading ur work inspires me too!
The amount of “girl, are you okay” messages I’m getting lets me know I’m on the right path. And so are you. Another beautiful read.
Keep going ❤️✨
🤍🤍🤍