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I loved hearing about your creative process, thank you for sharing. I just signed up for a writing course next year called “Writing with your World”

This part of the course description really spoke to me “In these days of flatlined apocalypse, of unfeeling consumption, of enforced complicity with an unchosen culture, what words want to rise from the molten depths? What truths have you waited too long already to voice? What outrages, passions, and loves for this tender wild planet and your own particular bioregion are aching for your written fidelity? “

I wondered if you would ever consider running a workshop or course on writing and activism? Or your own version of David Whyte’s hiking and poetry retreats? I know that’s a huge undertaking, but just curious to know.

Thanks for all you do and all you share

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When I'm feeling distressed about things, I like to make a little joke to lighten the mood. This one came to mind reading this week's newsletter. Humour - I suppose if the sperm count goes down, that will help the overpopulation problem, which will help reduce demand on the earth's scarce resources. Will it happen in time?

I joke.

This is terrible and tragic and makes me feel like things are even more out of control than I first thought. However, it is good news about the rate of change in some parts of the world.

Does anyone know if it's true that rubbish is still intentionally dumped into the ocean by waste disposal companies? Even with all the efforts of some to clean it up, and with all the awareness there is around how damaging this practice is for ocean health and our survival?

When traveling in Nepal about 15 years ago, I was pretty stunned to see the Bagmati River that runs through the capital meters deep in rubbish, mostly plastic. Our local guide said they can't afford waste disposal, so everyone throws their garbage in the river and "wait for the wet season."

I understand this practice is still occurring today and that most of the plastic in the ocean comes from five big rivers. I’m not sure what they are or where?

Presumably, developed nations will need to support developing countries with waste management if we're to get this situation sorted out. I haven't heard anyone talking about how we can help. Does anyone know if anything is being done or if the conversation is occurring anywhere?

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Dear Sarah, I feel there is nothing more important and urgent at this time than to address the way the pandemic has been handled by our govt and media through fear, coercion, bullying, separation and segregation of communities, families and friends. The after effects and fallout has been horrendous on families with business closures, teenage and adult suicides, 400% increase of calls to mental health lines, loss of jobs, isolation, loneliness and people don’t feel safe or at home in this world anymore. This is on top of the 80k serious adverse effects from the jab on the TGA DAEN report to young people and people of all ages. This has affected peoples health long term and their ability to earn a living, why isn’t this devastation addressed by the media or health authorities? The targeting and silencing of people including professionals that have genuine concerns and are just asking questions or having other opinions has not been seen to this level in our beautiful country. I feel the suffering and fallout to peoples lives and trust of those making decisions will take many decades to heal. The advice they have followed with prescribing the same treatment for every person young and old when it’s now clear that it has not got things under control is madness. It makes no sense to continue doing the same thing without stopping to reassess and change to a different way of doing things and consider other options and treatments.

This is what is most urgent and heavy on my heart and a lot of people I’ve spoken to. This time in our lives will be written in history books and if we don’t wake up future generations will ask “what happened”?

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I love the doubt component as a catalyst to creativity. As Descartes said “Dubium sapientiae initium. (Doubt is the origin of wisdom.)”

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Also. Curious when you did your world hiking with one backpack bad wrote on the road

Did you notebook?

With pen..?

Write in a laptop as you went

A phone?

Or committee to memory ?

X

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Anything manmade tends to be crap

Natureithe true healer and a few years ago I felt mother nature was sorting us out

Flooding and sending fires to wipe out masses in places of greed or genocide

This last couple of years has turned that theory on its head

As mother nature is ravaging good places. Those that need to be protected.

Anyway. I hold fisth in nature. We have to. Anna x

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I don't know how you stay in anger and process it all

I too stay in anger yet some of this must be transformed to a action and some kind of contribution and resolution

If you're not enraged you are nto paying attention right...?

Yet many others crusing through this materialistic existence carry on regardless as it's about survival and stuff the planet she will regenerate regardless

I read yesrs ago

Forget the planet. She is fine

The humans are not

Humans; invariably best and worst things on the planet

I'd have to say the worst most of the time finding space in humans music poetry dogs and eccentric passionate souls like yourself

My question. Whey do they still say climate change is a fact and still part of this paid fall and decline in civilisation..

And getting back to David whyte..I so love him

How extraordinary you got to do a retreat with him and like a fellow writer earlier how wonderful if you could concoct a hiking writing retreat : all women even although that may stir some debate..

I stopped writing and I'd get my downloads in walks bad in nature and pure clean environments

I write on the move

There is something dynamic in it for me

I have a poetry book

www.writingwavesofgrace.com

A series of poems and downloads

It's old now. But thanks to a friend in the states she got it published as folk said she should

I had thousands of more pieces that were since lost as my FB account was deleted

So I am learning to NOT hold onto anything or grasp

Yet I still do

Love you writing and brain

I'm not sure folk are aware what goes into writing a book tears re edits etc etc cost time sanity

When you have a fast brain like yours that processes and downloads quick lynits hard to get it all out

But you maintain clarity and wisdom and the real deal

Few and far between

Hats off to you

Thanks

Love. Anna x

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Great to hear your going out on your own with book publishing Sarah - I’ve heard that some authors are releasing chapters via a paid Substack subscription, so there’s an idea. Also, Tim Denning and Todd Brison do a great course on self publishing on Amazon & Ingramspark. Good luck!

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