How is your week going?
Mine is hectic. The weather here in London is dreamy - vibrant blue skies, long sunny days and gardens in full blousy bloom (see photo taken from my study at 7am this morning) ☀️
But I’m somewhat chained to my desk due to it being exam marking season. I ran a large music department in a top London school for almost 10 years and have seen many talented students through A Level Music and beyond to top UK Music conservatoires, Oxbridge and even NYU. These days I keep my hand in with some part-time teaching and, at this time of year, A Level exam marking.
It means that for the next three weeks I will be chained to my laptop, marking scripts. It doesn’t pay amazingly well, but it comes as a small chunk of cash in July and August that helps to pay for a summer holiday and will help towards the 5-day writing retreat I’m attending in July. Every little helps when you’re a freelancer, and that includes every single penny earned here on Substack from you who value my words. I see you and I thank you! 🙏🏻
So, I guess it’s worth the hiding away with the blind down and fan on in my study!
Over the coming week, I will be emerging virtually a couple of times to be sociable here on Substack.
This coming Friday morning at the early hour of 6:30am (UK) I am hosting the very first (of many, I hope) 🐦⬛ Early Bird Writer’s Hour.
On Monday 23rd June at 7pm (UK), ✨ Create Ensemble will take place.
Both sessions are online (via Zoom) and you can join remotely from wherever you are in the world. The idea is that we get on with our writing or creating in the virtual presence of others to give ourselves some accountability to show up and do the thing. I know that I will need that over these next weeks, and I hope you will join me too.
To learn a little more detail about each session, click the links above.
To register for the sessions, click the links below. You do need to be a paid subscriber to access these because time/resources are valuable!
I can’t wait to see you there!