That is an extremely genuine notion Zack and I am grateful for this sentiment. The fact that our experience and existence matter and we should keep speaking power into them. Thank you so much for sparing your time on this! 💜
Thank you Amanda and Swarnali for this excellent installment of Cave of the Heart.
Swarnali I am so sorry about your father, it is such a hard thing to lose a parent and it's made that much worse if the passing is a difficult one. I am sending prayers from across the world (Canada).
Perhaps because this piece was written before your loss I sense a lightness in your writing, I felt a softness there that invited me in and I can't believe I have never read The Count of Monte Cristo. I will be finding a copy immediately.
The passage you share by Roy is deeply moving and one I will return to so I can fully absorb it.
What a tender thing to say Donna, thank you. Yes the lightness has brought about the playful and esoteric aspect of my creative process to the foreground and I am so grateful for that. I think the one thing we lose touch with as we grow up and traverse through grief and other anxieties of life, is the sense of carefree expression. It somehow makes us feel whole and thus we keep returning to it.
I hope you find a sense of adventure in Dumas’s work and a sense of awakening in Roy’s. 💜
An unsurprisingly inspirational interview from you, Swarnali.
I also peer into the dark (and light) places, and write about the consequences of power, so it's encouraging to discover that your coping mechanisms for survival are rooted in such hope and kindness.
I've loved reading your essays and observations over the last few months, so thanks to you and to Amanda for this piece.
Jonathan, I have come to know you and adore your writing voice so much over the past few months too. I haven’t gotten more time given my current circumstances to take deeper plunges into it but I shall return to your words soon. Keep bringing light into the dark places my friend. I am so glad for the gift of your presence. Thank you for reading this interview. 💜
I read this as someone not in crisis but who knew tough times were coming...and recognized that life is beautiful because it is difficult, not in spite of that difficulty. Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
This is such a necessary wisdom - to remember in good times that hard times are looming and to hold on the mast of courage and compassion to navigate such storm!
I know right! When I connected the dots every character arc felt so carefully considered by the author. I am pretty sure the inspiration behind them were real people.
Ohh that’s wonderful! French cinema has the reputation to be as nuanced and artistic as french literature.
Of all the wonderful interviews in this series, this one has swept me up the most. Like an ocean tide, reminding me that what life needs of us, the ways we can most honor our values and life itself, is to not let our voices be stifled. Swarna, it is a pure gift to know you.
And … Alexander Dumas was my father’s favorite growing up. He hated school in Soviet Leningrad, its strict rigidity. He’d play sick, or be sick, and spend his day in bed reading Three Musketeers and Monte Cristo. I love this connection.
Nia, I read and re-read your Cave of the Heart interview piece with Amanda several times before I sat down to write my answers. You need to know that I look up to you a lot more than you know. I adore your voice, style, fire, and honesty. Your deliberate love for the land makes me a better person and keeps me grounded in reality. Finding you and our many other friends here was a miracle for a shy introvert like me.
Are you kidding? I can't believe your father and I have this in common! That's so fascinating! If it were not for Dumas and his stories, I would have never picked up a pen. My world was so different from Soviet Leningrad (which, by the way, I would love to read more stories about from your father's perspective), and yet our worlds have converged in our common love for Dumas's world of Monte Cristo. If that's not the magic of stories, I don't know what is!
That means so much to me, Swarna, I hardly know what to say! Not just hardly -- I don't. Except to say that your writing has in turn strengthened my spine and heart and reminded me that the world needs these voices and stories full of them both -- spine and heart, and needs us to not hold back. What have we got to lose? I'm so grateful for our connection. And especially when we find these strange little connections like the world of Dumas ...
Our strange little connections and us being our authentic selves- that’s what keeps me rooted to the work. Together we will bring light into the darkness like fireflies until life extinguishes us. We have got nothing to lose 💜💜
Swarnali, your answers to Amanda's question about what you've had to let go of were so helpful for me: "your authentic truth might make some people really uncomfortable," "cultivating a nuanced perspective of the mundane" through "observing without reacting," and "there is nothing wrong with brokenness" and negative emotions. Each of these speak very deeply to my own work towards self-trust in my writing and my life. I really appreciate you sharing them!
I am glad it resonated deeply with you, Emily. I think what I talked about here is kind of universal in nature when artists and creatives are in question—especially the shy, introverted ones. We often feel like our lack of participation or uncomfortable truths might isolate us even further from other people. I realized letting go of all those notions has helped me forge better, deeper friendships with people who understand that truth—just the way we are connecting right now!
I will be looking forward to reading more of your perspectives and observations and getting to understand you better through your writings on Substack, Emily. It is so great to connect with you!
Yes, I've definitely felt like an outsider for most of my life and then interpreted the actions of others in a way that kept my there. And I have found that if I welcome who I am, I begin to trust myself and also find others who welcome me. Likewise! I'm very happy to connect with you here and through our writing.
That is a profound realisation and it can be solidified through your repeated experience with handing down vulnerability in exchange for connection. I pray a lot of serendipity and connection comes your way through your endeavour.
Wonderful, thank you for sharing these insights. Absolutely agree that letting go of concerning yourself with how you may be perceived by others is vital. The Roy quote is powerful, I’d not seen that.
I am so happy that my words spoke to you Stephanie. We have to come as we are and risk being vulnerable even when it is not the most comfortable feeling in the world. Thank you for reading!
I just want to pop in and say I read this after midnight, after everyone had gone to bed, with my soft robe and my mug of tea, and was carried along by Swarnali’s words. Honestly, reading Swarnali feels like one of the few trustfalls into someone else’s care I’ve ever been able to make. She takes readers into regions of the self and realities of the world we flinch from, but she cares for her readers (perhaps by caring for her own intuitive voice) along the way. I’ve learned to read her with complete trust, and it has helped me move through the world with eyes open. This interview was such a pleasure to read, in those moments I have to myself before bed.
Shaina your words brought tears to my eyes. I have jumped through many fires of self doubt and fear to fall in place with my authentic self and yet every-time I sit down to write, my hand shakes a little in anticipation. If my words have brought you peace and have been your companion in solitude then all my struggles have been worth it.
I am genuinely grateful for all the attention, trust, and adoration that you freely choose to give me. Thank you for keeping your heart open for my words. 💜
Thank you for these gorgeous words. Your answers were like being swaddled in silk and velvet- rich, heart filled and deeply felt. I loved it, thank you both.
I'm so sorry for your loss Swarnali- sending much love to you ❤️
How wonderful it is to forge new connections in time as transformative as this! Thank you for this kind comment. I am glad my words spoke to your heart.
Your substack looks amazing! Wish to get to know you better through your work 💜
Oh, thank you so much- it's so lovely of you to look. I feel exactly the same. I'm really looking forward to reading more of your work and excited to have found you xx
That is an extremely genuine notion Zack and I am grateful for this sentiment. The fact that our experience and existence matter and we should keep speaking power into them. Thank you so much for sparing your time on this! 💜
It is not only okay but truly essential that we take up space and demand that the world see our individual magic ✨
Thank you Amanda and Swarnali for this excellent installment of Cave of the Heart.
Swarnali I am so sorry about your father, it is such a hard thing to lose a parent and it's made that much worse if the passing is a difficult one. I am sending prayers from across the world (Canada).
Perhaps because this piece was written before your loss I sense a lightness in your writing, I felt a softness there that invited me in and I can't believe I have never read The Count of Monte Cristo. I will be finding a copy immediately.
The passage you share by Roy is deeply moving and one I will return to so I can fully absorb it.
What a tender thing to say Donna, thank you. Yes the lightness has brought about the playful and esoteric aspect of my creative process to the foreground and I am so grateful for that. I think the one thing we lose touch with as we grow up and traverse through grief and other anxieties of life, is the sense of carefree expression. It somehow makes us feel whole and thus we keep returning to it.
I hope you find a sense of adventure in Dumas’s work and a sense of awakening in Roy’s. 💜
Goodness gracious, so many gems in this one... I'm gonna be digesting for a while
Thank you Peter. I am glad it spoke to you in certain ways. 💜
An unsurprisingly inspirational interview from you, Swarnali.
I also peer into the dark (and light) places, and write about the consequences of power, so it's encouraging to discover that your coping mechanisms for survival are rooted in such hope and kindness.
I've loved reading your essays and observations over the last few months, so thanks to you and to Amanda for this piece.
Jonathan, I have come to know you and adore your writing voice so much over the past few months too. I haven’t gotten more time given my current circumstances to take deeper plunges into it but I shall return to your words soon. Keep bringing light into the dark places my friend. I am so glad for the gift of your presence. Thank you for reading this interview. 💜
I read this as someone not in crisis but who knew tough times were coming...and recognized that life is beautiful because it is difficult, not in spite of that difficulty. Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
💯 there is no life without conflict
This is such a necessary wisdom - to remember in good times that hard times are looming and to hold on the mast of courage and compassion to navigate such storm!
Beautiful interview. Thank you Amanda & Swarnali. 💗
Thank you Lindsey for always making time for my words! 💜🤗
What a great connection for you to read Dumas and THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO.
I have just watched the new THREE MUSKETEERS from the French cinemaverse.
I know right! When I connected the dots every character arc felt so carefully considered by the author. I am pretty sure the inspiration behind them were real people.
Ohh that’s wonderful! French cinema has the reputation to be as nuanced and artistic as french literature.
Of all the wonderful interviews in this series, this one has swept me up the most. Like an ocean tide, reminding me that what life needs of us, the ways we can most honor our values and life itself, is to not let our voices be stifled. Swarna, it is a pure gift to know you.
And … Alexander Dumas was my father’s favorite growing up. He hated school in Soviet Leningrad, its strict rigidity. He’d play sick, or be sick, and spend his day in bed reading Three Musketeers and Monte Cristo. I love this connection.
Nia, I read and re-read your Cave of the Heart interview piece with Amanda several times before I sat down to write my answers. You need to know that I look up to you a lot more than you know. I adore your voice, style, fire, and honesty. Your deliberate love for the land makes me a better person and keeps me grounded in reality. Finding you and our many other friends here was a miracle for a shy introvert like me.
Are you kidding? I can't believe your father and I have this in common! That's so fascinating! If it were not for Dumas and his stories, I would have never picked up a pen. My world was so different from Soviet Leningrad (which, by the way, I would love to read more stories about from your father's perspective), and yet our worlds have converged in our common love for Dumas's world of Monte Cristo. If that's not the magic of stories, I don't know what is!
That means so much to me, Swarna, I hardly know what to say! Not just hardly -- I don't. Except to say that your writing has in turn strengthened my spine and heart and reminded me that the world needs these voices and stories full of them both -- spine and heart, and needs us to not hold back. What have we got to lose? I'm so grateful for our connection. And especially when we find these strange little connections like the world of Dumas ...
Our strange little connections and us being our authentic selves- that’s what keeps me rooted to the work. Together we will bring light into the darkness like fireflies until life extinguishes us. We have got nothing to lose 💜💜
❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
Swarnali, your answers to Amanda's question about what you've had to let go of were so helpful for me: "your authentic truth might make some people really uncomfortable," "cultivating a nuanced perspective of the mundane" through "observing without reacting," and "there is nothing wrong with brokenness" and negative emotions. Each of these speak very deeply to my own work towards self-trust in my writing and my life. I really appreciate you sharing them!
I am glad it resonated deeply with you, Emily. I think what I talked about here is kind of universal in nature when artists and creatives are in question—especially the shy, introverted ones. We often feel like our lack of participation or uncomfortable truths might isolate us even further from other people. I realized letting go of all those notions has helped me forge better, deeper friendships with people who understand that truth—just the way we are connecting right now!
I will be looking forward to reading more of your perspectives and observations and getting to understand you better through your writings on Substack, Emily. It is so great to connect with you!
Yes, I've definitely felt like an outsider for most of my life and then interpreted the actions of others in a way that kept my there. And I have found that if I welcome who I am, I begin to trust myself and also find others who welcome me. Likewise! I'm very happy to connect with you here and through our writing.
That is a profound realisation and it can be solidified through your repeated experience with handing down vulnerability in exchange for connection. I pray a lot of serendipity and connection comes your way through your endeavour.
Thank you!
Wonderful, thank you for sharing these insights. Absolutely agree that letting go of concerning yourself with how you may be perceived by others is vital. The Roy quote is powerful, I’d not seen that.
I am so happy that my words spoke to you Stephanie. We have to come as we are and risk being vulnerable even when it is not the most comfortable feeling in the world. Thank you for reading!
I just want to pop in and say I read this after midnight, after everyone had gone to bed, with my soft robe and my mug of tea, and was carried along by Swarnali’s words. Honestly, reading Swarnali feels like one of the few trustfalls into someone else’s care I’ve ever been able to make. She takes readers into regions of the self and realities of the world we flinch from, but she cares for her readers (perhaps by caring for her own intuitive voice) along the way. I’ve learned to read her with complete trust, and it has helped me move through the world with eyes open. This interview was such a pleasure to read, in those moments I have to myself before bed.
Shaina your words brought tears to my eyes. I have jumped through many fires of self doubt and fear to fall in place with my authentic self and yet every-time I sit down to write, my hand shakes a little in anticipation. If my words have brought you peace and have been your companion in solitude then all my struggles have been worth it.
I am genuinely grateful for all the attention, trust, and adoration that you freely choose to give me. Thank you for keeping your heart open for my words. 💜
So beautiful !!!! Thank you
Thank you for spending your time on this. 💜
Thank you for these gorgeous words. Your answers were like being swaddled in silk and velvet- rich, heart filled and deeply felt. I loved it, thank you both.
I'm so sorry for your loss Swarnali- sending much love to you ❤️
How wonderful it is to forge new connections in time as transformative as this! Thank you for this kind comment. I am glad my words spoke to your heart.
Your substack looks amazing! Wish to get to know you better through your work 💜
Oh, thank you so much- it's so lovely of you to look. I feel exactly the same. I'm really looking forward to reading more of your work and excited to have found you xx
💜💜