The Healing Powers of Writing & Creativity, Physical Therapy Inspiration & Ayurveda Recipes
Weekly Literate Love: April 11, 2025
Happy Friday!
I had a dream for the future in the most unlikely place: the physical therapy room.
If you have ever been in physical therapy before, you know the room I’m talking about: a big, wide-open room with pairs of patients and therapists working on their own exercises, chatting amicably and focused on physical health and wellness.
As I was in a lunge position on the floor working through my back and hip exercises, I couldn’t help but look around and really marvel at the set-up….and then create a bookish version in my head.
Picture this: a big, wide-open room filled with bookshelves and comfortable tables and chairs throughout. Reading nooks on the floor with comfortable pillows. Some people teamed with a bibliotherapist (or bookologist!) to choose, read and reflect on books. Others working with a writing coach to deepen their journaling experience. Small groups pf people learning new reading and writing ideas to help make their actual lives better, too.
Pretty cool.
For now, this weekly literate love letter serves as a virtual version of what that room could accomplish, but you never know. =)
Now, it’s your turn: Where might you dream in an unlikely place and what could it point to what you might want next? Take it to your journal and then share your dreams with me. If we say them aloud or see them in print, they are more likely to come true.
Keep reading for your weekly dose of literate love and click the button below to share with a bookish friend!
Happy reading & writing!
Stephanie
P.S: I’m leading a special workshop with Jennifer Kreatsoulas that blends reading, writing and yoga for caregivers supporting loved ones through eating disorders. You can learn more about it here!
What I'm Reading:
The Bookstore Keepers by Alice Hoffman
This is the third book in The Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories series and I devoured it in a single sitting just as I did the other three short stories before it. It’s a continuation of the story between sisters who run a bookshop together while family complications, diagnoses, love interests and more swirl around them. I cannot wait until the next book releases in May! I promise, you’ll be happy you added these short stories to your TBR stack.
The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin
This is captivating new historical novel from Madeline Martin, set in Victorian London about a forbidden book club, dangerous secrets, and the women who dare to break free. It took me a minute to sort out the characters in my mind, but once I did, I became fiercely connected to them and appalled at their treatment simply because they read and have thoughts about their reading, something forbidden in our past. This is a POWERFUL book releasing soon and I can’t wait to finish it this weekend.
Mind Your Body: A Revolutionary Program to Release Chronic Pain and Anxiety by Nicole J. Sachs
I've come a long way in working through chronic pain with the help of books, journaling, learning from the Curable app and changing my mindset about the pain I have. This book is my next phase of growth and I can't wait to dive in. It detailed the JournalSpeak method I shared about in an earlier post and goes even more into the science behind it…my favorite thing.
What I'm Writing:
Honestly, my writing has stalled this week. I’ve relied on morning expressive writing for a long while now and think it’s finally paying off as I no longer have the urge to unload in the morning and instead, want to use my writing in a different way.
I’ve tried some affirmations, made wish lists and even did some mindless doodling (which is actually good for you!) as I decide what kind of writing comes next.
Stay tuned and share your ideas in the comments!
What I'm Learning:
Some random Ayurveda facts caught my attention this week and so that’s the rabbit hole I went down. =) I love finding new ways that I can help myself feel better and found this recipe that I plan to try over the weekend….if I can find dandelion greens. So far, I am coming up empty. I’d love to know YOUR favorite recipes for heading into the new Spring season.
What I'm Loving:
I love pulling my morning tarot cards and this site is helping me learn what they mean and how they might be symbolic for me. So good!
Love flowers? You’ve never seem more beautiful flowers than these…and they are actually cupcakes!
Keep scrolling for my latest podcast posts and updates!
Podcast Highlights From the Last Week:
The Healing Powers of Writing & Creativity with Sharon Frances
One of the best outcomes of this podcast is the chance to connect with others who share my love of reading and writing and understand the powerful role they play in wellness, healing, creativity and living a life well-lived.
Today’s guest is one of those people.
Sharon Frances is an author, illustrator and mental health advocate who embraces, embodies and celebrates the power of writing and creativity to promote healing of all kinds.
Come listen as we talk about her personal journey of healing through writing poetry, the essential role of creativity in our lives and how her simple recommendations for living a creative life instantly melted all of my excuses away and I shared a hidden creative passion. We laughed, we cried, we connected and now, we invite you to join us.
From My Private Substack Community…
Every Sunday, I post additional content for my private Substack community to bring even more literate love to our lives. Here’s what I shared this week:
An Invitation For Immediate Renewal Through Journaling
Be sure to subscribe and add them to your TBR stack. Click the button below to subscribe. It’s just $5 per month!
Let’s Work Together!
I love to connect with others around our shared love of reading and writing.
Here are some ways we can work together to create a life you love where restorative reading and writing is at the center of it all:
🩷 Join my private Substack community for themed book calendars, bonus posts, book clubs and events each month!
📚 Connect 1:1 for personalized coaching to unlock the transformative power of your reading and writing life.
Literate love is multiplied when it’s shared! 🩷
Here are some free ways to support this newsletter and spread my message of the magic of restorative reading and writing far and wide:
🩷 Like and comment on this post so we can connect!
🔄 Restack your favorite nugget of literate love.
📷 Take a screenshot of your favorite part and text it to a friend.
💌 Forward this email to a fellow bookish and notebookish friend so they can join the literate love too!
⌨️ Refer a friend and earn prizes….including courses and coaching sessions with me!
This was a phenomenal podcast episode! I really resonated with all the creativity conversation. A Brene Brown quote came to mind, "There's no such thing as creative people and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don't." Thanks for this episode!