June

I think some introductions are in order

"It is June. I am tired of being brave." - Anne Sexton 

Already this beloved month is more than halfway through. I wrote in my journal this winter that I want to lay down my armor because it’s so very heavy to carry around, and I’m so, so tired. I came across this Anne Sexton quote the other day and just felt very seen. Maybe you feel seen too. And so, I offer you my first missive. I feel lighter already.

---

6.15

today I walk all over town. it's hot, and I buy thick zinc sunscreen that says 'baby' on it for $3 at Reny's. a pair of irises are laying down to rest in someone's front lawn. they are as big as my hand and so juicy purple I want to eat them. instead, I take a picture. I walk into the cool dark of City Beverage and thank god that Arizona iced tea is still only $1.

Big ole sleepy irises reminding me of home.

My name is Maya Skylark. I'm a poet/writer/artist/educator. I am a gemini shapeshifter, a chronically ill fashion gal, a mender/maker/knitter/unraveler. You probably got here because we met on the street while I was selling sewing kits and zines, or maybe you follow me on instagram. Whatever the case, I'm so glad you're here.

I got here because for the past two years I've been trying to leave instagram, with varying degrees of success. I wanted this for many reasons, but mainly because in 2020 I was beginning to realize that once I opened the app, I couldn't log off. I was spending whole days scrolling and comparing myself and my life to the tiny, perfect-seeming snapshots of other people's lives. My self confidence crumbled daily. In December 2020 I deleted the app off my phone for the first time since originally downloading it. I would stay off for months at a time and feel so free! So connected to myself and my friends! So inspired to create art without comparing it to anyone else! So fashionable as I walked down an actual street! But also….broke, so very broke. Since 2016 instagram has been my tether to an audience much wider than my contact list in my phone, wider than my beloved bcc email list that I often neglected. I would log back on to promote a market I was going to table at or a new zine I had made and then just get sucked right back into the Land of Comparison, which is a scary place. 

I know I'm not alone in experiencing Algorithm Angst, and I've watched folks I admire take a step away from instagram and find a home for their words and their work here. My goal is to write to you and share a lot of the same sort of words and images I would share on instagram, but longform, kind of like a digest, as well as recommendations, workshops I'm teaching, and updates like when my new zine mailings are released. I would like to note here that like most of my work, this newsletter is offered at a sliding scale: one end is free, the other is $5/month (or a discounted yearly rate of $50). Paid subscriptions will support me as a writer/artist/human and allow me to continue offering my writing for free for those who can’t afford it!

The past two years have been ones of accelerated change, and I have found myself embracing my creative self more and more, as well as managing a chronic illness that has a significant impact on my energy levels. One of my goals in writing this newsletter is to rededicate time and space to my daily writing practice as I work on completing two works - a poetry chapbook and a collection of essays about the transformative nature of knitting. Paid subscriptions will supports the completion of those efforts and more!

I'd love to point you in the direction of my website, which I've newly updated with ways to buy my work! Those sections are linked here and here. It's all very new and evolving so thank you for your patience!

If you've made it this far, thank you. It really means a lot to begin this journey with you here! Feel free to introduce yourselves in the comments :) I'll leave you with some joyful moments below:

• Walking around town and smelling the watermelon-jolly-rancher smell of the locusts blooming everywhere

• Summer thunderstorms

• Getting a peek at the strawberry moon as it rises between buildings

• Hearing birdsong through the phone while talking to a friend

• The peony bud that is slowly unfurling on my desk

The sunlight after a thunderstorm in my teeny tiny apartment.

Take care and take heart,

m