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Lynden Wade's avatar

Happy birthday, Kate! Your devotion to your 'onlies" shines through. I'll be celebrating my birthday by hiring a free desk in the local annual Writers House that looks out onto the Thames Estuary.

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Selkie Grove's avatar

Thank you Lynden ❤️ Devoting a birthday to writing sounds perfect!

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Wayne Bromiley's avatar

Happy Birthday to one of the most beautiful people I've had the misfortune to not meet in person. Although, to be honest, I feel like I do know you and we're great friends. Your writing is "inviting" which I don't think I've ever used in describing anyone's writing before. Inviting because you do show the devotion and love for what you create which always captivates my imagination, wonder and heart. Inviting because it makes people want to just sit down and chat with you in that cafe you mentioned before.

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Selkie Grove's avatar

Hopefully I can bring the cosy, cafe atmosphere to Substack! Thank you for the kind words about my writing, it means a lot 😊

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Kerani Arpaia's avatar

Happy birthday Kate ♥️ this post was exactly what I needed to read. I’ve struggled a lot with overdoing routines and creating schedules for myself, but what this makes me realize is that my drive to consistently create isn’t coming from a need for discipline, it’s coming from and act of devotion. I haven’t read Anais Nin’s journals before, but I think I need to now!

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Selkie Grove's avatar

Thank you Kerani ❤️ Reconnecting with why I create always helps me write the stories I'd like to read. I think hustle culture can be too focussed on celebrating routines and optimising schedules without questioning whether they're taking you in the right direction

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Kerani Arpaia's avatar

100% agree. The value is seen in how often you show up, not if you're showing up for the right reasons and in a way that makes you happy.

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Ally Ribeiro's avatar

This subtle yet gargantuan difference will definetely be on my mind for the rest of the week. Wishing you the happiest of birthdays! <3

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Selkie Grove's avatar

It felt like a revelation to me, too! Thank you Ally, hope you have a wonderful weekend ❤️

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Stephanie Ascough's avatar

Devotion over discipline-I love that. Much more heart-led.

Last birthday, I went on a hike, ate my favorite foods, and journaled a lot. Reflection is a big part of my birthday celebrations.

Happy Birthday, Kate🩵

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Selkie Grove's avatar

Heart-led is the perfect word , Stephanie ❤️

We sound similar! I had a heart-to-heart in my diary the night before, then spent my birthday with a walk and picnic next to a loch followed by cake.

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Katie Morrowick's avatar

Aah this was beautiful (as ever). I enjoy finding meaning in everything too - and I love how we look at things so deeply to appreciate all that they have to offer, where we can. To "taste life twice"... It makes me think the Thoreau quote mentioned in Dead Poets Society, "to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life". In fact, just this morning I was reading a photocopied book-page I have on the wall above my desk, which includes the Thoreau quote: "the cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run". Anyway... Enchanted belated birthday wishes, beautiful soul. I feel so honoured to be able to read your words and communicate with you in this lifetime!

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Caitlin Gemmell's avatar

I know it's months late, but Happy Birthday, Kate. I hope you had a magical one. This year, my birthday ended up being an entire month of celebration. A dear friend prepared cacao for me at his house, there were two different restaurant outings, one ice cream date, a trip to the zoo, a tea and tarot chat with one of my best friends, and a wander round the botanical gardens. I don't think I've ever celebrated my birthday so much before.

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