Use August as the month in the year to let your hair down. If not down, wet. Jump into the lake, the sea, the pool, run through the sprinkler, stay wet and cool.
Use August to play around, the last hurrah of the hot weather. Read for 2 hours in a row in a hammock.
Use August to make batches of lemonade, cucumber water, or try out a refreshing new spritzer drink.
Do not stress that you’re not doing enough.
Be more like James Bond author Ian Fleming. I’m obsessed with the lifestyles of writers back in the day. It’s so not busy.
Go for a walk without music or voices and picture the life you want.
Then do some part of that picture in August.
Draw on big pieces of paper with charcoal. Get it wet.
August is for doing exactly what you want to do. Make it slow, make it easy. There are plenty of other months to be freaking out and running on ten.
Eat lots of ice cream.
I went on my morning walk today, the neighborhood loop — 2.65 miles. And I pictured my perfect, ideal life. It was living in Norway on the seashore. It was the lesbians who illustrated Moomin, in their little wooden boat, wearing knitted cotton sweaters and big water boots. Or Tevas. Eating outside at picnic tables.
“Tove Jansson and her life partner Tuulikki Pietilä spent the entire summer season on the remote island of Klovharun during almost three decades beginning in the 1960s. During these long summers, Tove and Tuulikki, who was a graphic artist, continued working on different projects, which included writing, illustrating and taking care of correspondence.” 1
I hope this letter finds you relaxed, untroubled, and free.
If it doesn’t — step away. Tell your work it’s August and you need to chill. Summer Fridays in effect.
And on that note: I’ll be taking the last two weeks off of Substack. Or I might just write whatever I want and be free.
Enjoy this unhurried, chill little letter.
Tove Jannson really set the bar so high. On an island with just your partner, making art and swimming all day.
Amen!