24 Comments

I really resonate with the can't be bothered. You made me wanna get honey and jojoba. Come to think of it I have both already!!

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Ooh, let me know how it goes. I genuinely enjoy washing my face these days, it feels like a little act of rebellion 💚

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Yes to being “deliciously, painfully, wonderfully human”, Brooke! The best share possible. And big congrats on your manuscript - that’s truly wonderful.

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Thanks so much Jodie!! For the first time I feel like I've actually cracked the story. The momentum feels good! 💚

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Yay! Thats' why we stick with the process!

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I love this appreciation for what is half-written instead of holding onto feelings of guilt, or shame, or regret. Everything we start leads us somewhere, even if it's to starting something else — the thing we're really meant to write. Thank you for sharing your half-posts!

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Thanks Ali! I think letting go of guilt and shame and regret have been my unofficial (and unplanned) projects for 2023 and I love that even as we head into December, I'm still learning about it. So glad to have you here and always happy to read everything you write - half-finished or otherwise 💚

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Dec 1, 2023Liked by Brooke McAlary

I particularly relate to not being bothered with the beauty things. I've maintained blue or purple hair for about 5 years and recently decided to leave it all to just grow and fade out. When people ask me about it my default response is that I just can't be bothered anymore

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Right?! It's really liberating to acknowledge there are many things I just cannot be bothered to do. It used to feel bad or lazy, but now it just feels lighter. So glad to hear you've found yourself in a similar spot 💚

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Thank you for this--for this specific half-baked reflection and for these specific half-baked ideas. You’ve managed to hit on some of the things I’ve been really wrestling with right now, in a way that helps me come to peace with them.

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I'm so glad to hear that, Sara, and so glad to have you here. I reckon the more we come to terms with our half-baked-ness, the richer we'll feel. At least, that's my theory 😆💚

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Nov 30, 2023Liked by Brooke McAlary

Thank you, I love do think about all my unfinished work as a huge pile of compost that allows me to grow those projects I‘m finishing these days…

About grey hair - and I have LOTS of them ;-): when people talk of dyeing them, I answer proudly: I earned every one of them!

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100%! I love my grey hairs! Life's too short to give any of my energy to worrying about covering them up. And I'm with you, I feel like I've earned them too. How lucky are we to have them? 💚💚

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Nov 30, 2023Liked by Brooke McAlary

Ooooooft I really needed to hear this today! Plenty of unfinished paintings in my studio at the moment and I can honestly relate to so many of these feelings you expressed here! 👩🏼‍🎨

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From now on, they can be referred to as 'compost', if that helps 😆 And I'm so glad it resonated with you. I wasn't sure where this post was going to end up when I started it, but I like that it hit on this feeling of 'not everything needs to be finished in order to be valuable'. 💚

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Nov 30, 2023Liked by Brooke McAlary

I loved this piece of writing. The acceptance of our half finished 'seeds' as having worth feels really important... and your half finished seeds were things of beauty.

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Thanks so much Jo, that's really lovely to hear and lovely of you to say. Something about this idea seems to have hit home with people, which is really cool. We must all be carrying around so much pressure all the time. Maybe we can let some of it go. 💚

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Well gee thanks lady (sarcasm)...I'd hoped for your blessing in throwing out or painting over or unravelling all those years of half finished art and craft projects!!! hahahahahaha

But honestly, thanks for sharing, as always, your lovely take on things. I'll just have to bless myself I guess! ;)

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😆😆 you know, after I hit 'Post' on this I realised that the headline might be a tad misleading. Consider yourself blessed to throw those craft projects out though - and if it helps, just imagine them going into the compost heap of your creativity 💚💚💚

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Brooke - I LOVED your comments on Contentment - I shared your post and comments with my readers on Substack today. I was pondering what it means and feels like to be contented also this past month.

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Haaaaaaa - the joy of seeds germinating. Figuratively and metaphorically.

I do appreciate the audio version - thank you Brooke xx

It allows me to nurse my elderly furbaby on my lap plus pat my 3 1/2 year old younger furbaby whilst listening and taking that time to be ❤️

This season of my life is full of highs and lows. Permission to spend time with my furbabies is worth it. Seeds will germinate. This time is precious.

Thank you 🙏

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This is such a beautiful post Brooke and resonates deeply with me. I remember a lady once showing me her amazing loft space full of various needlework and craft projects, many never completed. She joyfully and without a hint of regret called these her 'unfinished symphonies' . I will always remember that but I take so much from your compost analogy - that sits wonderfully with me 💚

100% behind you with not dying my greying hair - it was a liberating moment when I decided to stop colouring it (also a cost effective one! 😂). As for honey and jojoba oil, well you have well and truly converted me now. I love it!

Super happy for your progress on your manuscript. This news made me smile and I can't wait to hear how draft #4 comes along!

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“I practise prying loose my stiffened fingers one at a time. Practise convincing them to stay soft, to let the rough surface of the life raft scrape by underneath. To feel the emptiness that exists between letting go and whatever comes next.

The breath held before the splash”

This writing though!!!! Fabulous 😀

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I've been considering and reflecting on the idea of enoughness, this post ties in nicely. I can't be bothered with a lot of stuff anymore, most of it just adds more to my load and less to my contentment.

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