I'm writing this from Nelson Bay, Port Stephens, where I'm spending the weekend with one of my oldest friends. Taking a break from our busy mumming midlives to reconnect with our joy, each other, and reset for the spring ahead.

I flew into Newcastle Airport on Friday, and I’m not going to lie, it brought back a lot of the feels from my flying days. I recall flying into this airport as a Virgin Blue flight attendant in 2004 with a VIP guest on a Virgin Blue flight. Someone who lived in Newcastle, was a Hollywood star, a “Gladiator” and extremely entitled and rude. Wow, it brought back the memories.

It's been equal parts nostalgic and battery-charging. Despite having seen a lot of Australia already, this has been a lovely place to explore that I'd somehow never visited. Gone are our wild girls' weekends of years past, replaced by wholesome days of hiking, tea drinking, market visiting, cooking for each other, and long dinners out. It really has been just what the doctor ordered.

We'll both return to our lives this week feeling refreshed, full of new ideas, and with renewed energy.

We'd planned to do some writing together, and we've done a little, but it's also been about going with the energy and flow, enjoying each other's company, and making new memories rather than just catching up on our separate lives.

A Small Course Correction

Something interesting emerged from our conversations this weekend. My friend mentioned that the Facebook group format for The Artist's Way accountability program might not be the most helpful approach, given how many of us have stepped back from Facebook or find it overwhelming to navigate.

She's right. Email feels more intimate, more manageable, and frankly, more in alignment with the gentle nature of this creative recovery work.

We Start Tomorrow - Here's What's Happening

So instead of running this entirely over on Facebook, I'm moving our 12-week Artist's Way journey to a special section here on Substack, purely for those ready to commit to this gentle creative recovery.

This program is for women who feel like they've completely disappeared into everyone else's story.

If you're drowning in everyone else's needs while your own dreams suffocate, if you can't remember the last time you did something purely because you wanted to, if you're stuck in endless consumption (doom scrolling, worrying, managing) instead of creating anything meaningful, if you wake up feeling scattered and go to bed feeling like you accomplished nothing that truly mattered to you—this gentle 12-week process will help you find your way back to yourself.

Through simple daily practices, you'll clear the mental fog, reconnect with your authentic voice, and remember that your dreams matter too. It's not about becoming an artist; it's about creative recovery—learning to live as the author of your own experience instead of just a supporting character in everyone else's.

What we're doing:

• Daily morning pages (3 pages of stream-of-consciousness writing)

• Weekly artist dates (1-2 hours of solo creative time)

• Weekly email support and guidance from me

• A small, intimate community of women choosing themselves

What to expect:

• Weekly emails with that week's theme and gentle tasks

• Space to share insights (if you want to)

• Accountability without overwhelm

• Support without judgment

This feels so much better, more intimate, less performative, exactly what this sacred work deserves.

Ready to Join Us?

If you're ready to spend the next 12 weeks gently finding your way back to yourself, just hit "I'M IN" to join our special Artist's Way section.

I'M IN

Tomorrow we begin. Your creative recovery starts with three pages of whatever's on your mind, written by hand, first thing in the morning.

Your authentic self has been waiting so patiently. Let's not keep her waiting any longer.

See you on the other side of those morning pages! 💕

P.S. - Don't have a notebook yet? Any will do. The magic isn't in the perfect setup—it's in showing up for yourself consistently.