An August Abstention

My scariest post yet!

Hi Readers,

Whew. For some reason I don’t think I’ve ever had so much anxiety and/or consternation regarding a post on here, despite the fact that this subject matter is pretty banal.

The truth is - I’m writing to share with you that I’m going to be taking a Substack content break for the month of August. (Quick caveat: I will be dropping in at

Diana Butler Bass

’s awesome Substack,

The Cottage

on Sunday, Aug. 13 - and I will make sure you all get to see that, too!)

As an American, a mother, and an elder millennial (the trifecta!) the idea of “taking a break” feels really daunting. Add in the fact that as a self-employed writer, journalist, preacher and speaker, I don’t have a “regular” income on which to depend; there’s this sense that somehow not rushing forward, as hard as you can, at all times, is not only detrimental to your wellbeing but also somehow … sinful?

Can you relate to this? Or how about this? I often create self-stipulated hurdles that I have to cross before “rewarding” myself with times of rest or reflection, or other forms of self-care. For some time, I’ve been waiting to cross the finish line with a new development in my writing projects - and I keep telling myself: then! Then, I will take a break.

But as I type that out, I realize it doesn’t make any sense. I can’t take a break then. Then, it will be time to work and produce and be creative. And I can’t go into that phase this fall, a time during which I have lots of speaking engagements and courses to teach lined up as well, on an empty creative tank.

As a writer and thinker, the quality of my work is very dependent on creative energy. I can go into creative “fugue” states, where really some of my best work is done in a frenzy when I wake up in a burst of creativity at 3 a.m. Other nights, I’ll sit at my computer with a bag of nuts, a bag of fruit snacks, and a water bottle - and I won’t leave my laptop for hours.

(You’ll notice I’m not one of those writers who can get up at 5 a.m. and write before they do anything else. I don’t think my brain functions at full capacity before around 9 a.m., to be completely honest! But, I can write all night long.)

As a journalist, I also value the work of consistency - which is why this Substack discipline has been so good for me. Writing for the sake of community, in an organized fashion, independent of externally imposed deadlines - has been good for me.

Still, the time has come to make a bit of a change. As I look toward the beginning of a big new project (soon!) and other commitments this fall, I have to admit that what will be best for me - and for this community - will be a content break for the month of August.

When I come back in September, I’m planning on a bit of a modified schedule. Paid subscribers will still receive the Sunday Stretch posts each and every Sunday! They’re my devotion and prayer time, too.

Paid subscribers will also continue to receive the News with Nuance posts on Fridays, but they will be only on the second and fourth Fridays of the month, starting Sept. 14.

Free subscribers will get a preview of those posts (and you can also do a free trial anytime, or request a waiver if a paid subscription doesn’t make sense for you financially at this time; I want everyone who’d like to be in this community to feel welcome no matter what) - and then free subscribers will also get at least one Tuesday essay per month, tentatively slated for the fourth Tuesday. I’m sure I’ll be doing more of the Tuesday posts than that - but as I move into this new rhythm, I wanted to at least guarantee that one.

I’m planning on using some of this saved time to strategize ways to make this Substack community more cohesive and interesting. I did one interview post earlier this summer with artist and friend Lyz Wendland (see below), and I’d love to do more interview posts, as well as inviting guest writers into this space to share their stories. It has occurred to me that I’ve spent most of my time here making sure the weekly posts get out on time. I’ve needed to devote more of that time to an overall content plan, and it takes that planning to invite more voices in and also get to share more in-depth, reported pieces.

As I approach nearly one year as a writer on Substack, gosh, it’s pretty amazing what this community has given to me. You have helped me to value my own writing and given me the confidence that my words matter. You’ve dug me out of a deep, deep well of pitching ghosting and unpaid freelance articles that sometimes got lost in a slush pile. You’ve helped me reclaim my identity as a journalist and a writer, years after leaving my job as a full-time sports reporter; and you’ve walked with me through a bittersweet, grief and love-filled ending to my time as a solo pastor to a rural congregation in Southwestern Minnesota.

As I look at our list of subscribers, please know that I cherish each and every one of you - and I AM SO GLAD YOU’RE HERE! You all come from different places all over the U.S. and the world - and our connections vary from online acquaintances, to real-life family and friends, and former and present colleagues and fellow writers and pastors. It’s my deep love for the community that exists here that has made it so hard for me to make this call to take a break - and still it’s that same deep love that makes me know that I owe it not only to myself but to you, to know when it’s time to step away (as Jesus and the mystics and the Desert Mothers and Fathers remind me) to go into the wilderness and renew my soul for the work that God has set before me.

If it makes sense for your life, I want to encourage you to find your way into an August renewal break as well. What is something you do, routinely, that you could stop for a bit in order to create space for creativity and new life? What are areas inside of you, in your relationships as well, that have been neglected in favor of productivity, and now need to be renewed?

If you could, please do share in the comments one way you’re incorporating rest this August (unless it’s more restful for you not to - haha) — and also I’d love to hear from you what you’re hoping to see from

I'm Listening

this fall and in the future. I truly appreciate all of your ideas and will hopefully now have more space and bandwidth to make them happen!

Thank you so much for being here. You can’t give a writer a better gift than reading their work.

Love,

Angela

P.S. …

A Few Notes:

First, a huge THANK YOU to all subscribers. I get a little email notification every time someone signs up, and every time I get one, I feel joyful and honored that you want to spend part of your day with this community. I mean it when I say: “I’m listening,” to you as well, and please don’t hesitate to share with me your thoughts + ideas for what you’d like to read in this space.

To PAID SUBSCRIBERS: I am humbled and honored that you’ve chosen to spend part of your limited budget on this newsletter. To borrow words from another newsletter I love, you are directly funding freelance journalism with your subscription, and I have to thank you more than ever for your continued support. Our world’s media and journalism is in a state of crisis, with fewer and fewer billionaires in control of global news outlets, and journalists being either laid off or threatened with violence for their work every single day; with fewer and fewer newsroom positions paying a living wage. I pledge to you to steward your paid subscription faithfully + use it to support honest, hard-working, and LOCAL journalism. One of my goals in this first year is to open this newsletter to other journalists, and pay them a fair wage for their work.

THANK YOU for your support. If you’re not a paid subscriber, please consider becoming one.

On free vs. paid-subscriber posts only: My plan right now is that the Friday + Sunday posts, focusing on news + spirituality, in that order, are available for subscribers only (I am going to continue sharing a sample, with a line where the paywall cuts off for our paid subscriber community). My plan is that the Tuesday blog-style posts will always be free, to enable as much access as possible, while creating a smaller and more intimate experience for paid subscribers, who are also able to comment and share in community in fuller ways.

Free Trial: Substack always offers a free week-long trial subscription to this newsletter, so you can get a taste of the Friday + Sunday posts and see if you’d like to subscribe!

If a paid subscription is a hardship for you, but you’d like access to the Friday + Sunday posts: PLEASE do not hesitate to reach out. I will be happy to provide a complimentary subscription for you.