~ h i a t u s ~
see you in 2023 <3
Hello, and happy Monday.
I hope that you all are having a wonderful start to the month.
This letter is a little hard for me to write, as it was a difficult decision to make: tiny driver will be going on hiatus until January or February 2023.
For the past two years, I have been sharing my journey through academia after graduating with my PhD in American Studies back in 2020. This space has given me so much—a consistent writing practice, a community of amazing friends and readers, and a space to reflect on my experiences in solidarity with others.
In recent months, I’ve felt like my writing in this space has grown a bit stagnant. I first noticed it when I ended up realizing a few weeks ago that I had offered similar advice in a recent post as I had in this post back in April. This space has never been one that I have tried to monetize, and for good reason. It has always—first and foremost—been a space that I have used to grow my own capacity as a writer and thinker. So, when I saw that I had written essentially the same thing twice, I slowly realized that I was no longer writing this newsletter in a way that served me.
After some conversations and some journaling, I’ve realized that this season needs to be one of inward consumption—of bringing things that inspire me into my life, rather than focusing on putting things out into the world. I’m writing the bulk of my manuscript draft this fall, and I want that to be where my main output lies. It’s time for me to turn inward, if only for a season or so.
Whether you have been here since day one, or have only just subscribed, thank you for reading my words. I hope to come back in the winter reinvigorated and with a new sense of wonder about what this space can be.
Warmly,
Ida
P.S. Higgins and Girlie say hi <3
Thanks so much for modeling vulnerability, boundary-setting, and how to reprioritize obligations to meet those big goals! As you reflect on how you want to continue your tiny driving, don't forget that writing and the journey through academia is iterative! Looking back at 88 and 103, they may be discussing your checkmark rubric, but how you frame the system, what you're actually focusing on, and how you describe the checkmarks are all quite different! I could further argue that rhetorically they are not "essentially the same thing" and that you're still growing as a thinker and a writer. :)
In 88 the system blew my mind, and in 103, it was a reminder that my research is still absolute annotation chaos. It wasn't a problem to me as a reader to learn about your annotations a second time, even if they were more rhetorically similar. I hope this perspective is helpful as you re(de)fine how this newsletter can serve you the way it's serving us. <3
I love this reflection and decision for you! Take care 💜