Abby! This is just gorgeous. I hope you know what you mean to us and so many in the Isolation Journals community. We're so happy for your successes too!
Carmen, thank you! I can't wait to one day send you and Suleika signed copies of my book, which you had a hand in birthing. You both mean the world to me, as does the TIJ community.
This is beautifully written and such a lovely testament to the community that is created here by Suleika with TIJ. I was also able to watch the advanced screening of American Symphony, and that’s how I found your Substack. So community building really is a thing. I love it. Looking forward to reading more of your work. Nice to meet you. 🥰
Your words so beautifully capture the community that Suleika and Carmen have created with TIJ! I hope American Symphony touches so many others, as TIJ has done
Love this! American Symphony was beyond wonderful to watch--two incredible spirits!!...And thanks for writing about the positive energy that can be gained through both personal expression and the creative community! ❤️
this was so beautifully written abby, and I agree with every word you wrote. I’m crying right now just thinking about the impact that suleika and Jon and Carmen and Holly and the isolation journals have had on me, and hence on my family. we are all still whirling from watching amercan symphony--- much processing and deep emotion--- and being with everyone on that zoom chat, oh my i was blown away----keep moving forward on your writing. You know that I am a big supporter and happy for your success.shabbat shalom ‼️❌⭕️✨🪬🌻
Kimberly I am so grateful that TIJ brought us together. Your friendship and support mean the world to me. I’m going to rewatch the film tonight with my husband and daughter. Shabbat Shalom!
Abby thank you for this piece. There is so much to pull from the documentary that I know I will watch it several times. In one scene, Jon is dancing and making music in public, and I felt the memories of dancing on Facebook live with Jon and people from around the world, as if we were in the same room. Our favorite couple---so talented, intelligent, and young for all they’ve accomplished. Through TIJ we watched this story unfold, but the film fills in so much more. Matt H did a masterful job, and S&J are so generous.
I definitely want to watch it again. Especially because I was jumping into the chat throughout. Definitely favorite couple (along with the Obamas who are tied to the film).
Abby, I agree whole heartedly with your assessment of the film. I especially resonated with your thoughts on hearing of Suleika's cancer diagnosis and how it felt personal. I too delight in Jon's playful approach to creativity and how he refuses to be defined by a genre for the sake of an often fickle music industry. His creations come from a grateful heart and cannot be packaged as a consumer product. His craft personifies his realized joy.
The scenes of his struggling during the height of intense pressure, questioning whether he would crack, was answered in the scene at Carnegie Hall where we saw him triumph over an obstacle that would have brought most of us to our knees. Likewise, Suleika has taught us the meaning of grace under pressure. She always finds new ways to express her creativity, no matter her limitations.
I applaud Jon, Suleika, and Matt for telling such a deeply personal with respect and tenderness.
Marnie, thank you. I love what you’ve written here. Yes! Tremendous grace under pressure. Both of them have set an example for showing up and being authentic and about the power of creative expression to connect and heal.
Abby, I love this so much!!! The story of your path to the kind of writing that fills your heart is always so inspiring to me!! And your description of TIJ and our collective feelings for Suleika and Jon rings 100% true to my feelings!! I think we will all be talking and writing about both TIJ and the experience of our connection to American Symphony for a long, long time!! XOXO
Our WNAP bubble is something you had to experience to fully understand. I love that we share that. Love you and can’t wait to plan a meetup around Lori’s book launch.
Abby, thank you for capturing this beautiful community and the timeline ..it's all been said and I just want to add my voice to this chorus of praise, love and joy that is the Isolation Journals Community.
Such an incredibly beautiful review of TIJ and American Symphony. I, too, adore this space and I am incredibly inspired by your journey as a writer. I am at the beginning of my “creative” writing journey despite a MA in journalism and 30-plus years of a career in simple writing. I long to be inspired and mentored and look forward to learning, writing seminars and motivational teachers. I am starting from scratch even as I tried so hard to focus during the pandemic. I love all of your take-aways from the film and have begun my own notes. Thank you Abby.
This means so much to me, thank you. My path has been one step at a time leading to new connections and opportunities and pivots and leaps forward. I'm excited for you--there is so much to enjoy as you explore all the possibilities. And there's something special about doing it after a 30-plus year career. With your background, you'll do great.
Abby, an amazing testimony to the wonderful and supportive ISJ community and the power of words. You captured some of the best highlights of American Symphony. There were many magical scenes and moments! I too was deeply moved and inspired and will watch it again. I'm glad you’re a part of the Substack community!
Thanks, friend! I’m so happy you are part of TIJ! I’m going to watch it again with my husband and daughter. I’ve been recommending it to friends and family.
This is truly awesome. I was a part of Open Salon, a group that Salon had going for about three years, and it was transformative for me, and there was no pandemic. There is much power in groups like this. Thanks for sharing. Amy Abbott
Amy, thanks so much for reading and sharing this. You are right--there is so much power in groups like this and I find the level of kindness remarkable.
This really touched me. The need for encouragement to take a leap, the yearning for writing outside of the confines of work and the journey it has taken, the hypervigilance that I know only too well. Abby, thank you for sharing yourself so vulnerably and for speaking so eloquently about what the Isolation Journals community means to you. It means a lot to me too and I am encouraged to be more courageous myself -- sharing myself and not just commenting or observing. Thank you.
Amy, thank you so much. This means so much to me. And it makes me so happy to know you feel inspired by something I wrote. That is the greatest pleasure I get from writing--feeling like I’ve connected with someone else.
Hi Abby, the story of your writing journey is what I needed this morning. I have been wrestling with self doubt each time I sit down to write. There is a sacred window when the sun is still rising that invites me to create in this way. But settling into it requires more courage each time and occasionally I look to my phone for distraction. This time it offered me hope. You reminded me that we each have a place to create in this world, as our unique, quirky, beautiful selves, and that that growth requires discomfort. I love hearing about the practical steps you took, to learn from others, to join a community, to actually pursue publication! I have been lurking in the TIJ community since Day 16 (I had to go check, lol), but you stepped into it fully and are seeing the fruit. Well done! Which day was your prompt? I saved all of my emails so I can probably find it. Best wishes on your book, I’d love to read it!
Kim, your comment made my day. Seriously. THIS is the most gratifying part of writing--feeling like I am connecting with another person the way other writers have always felt like a lifeline to me (I know you didn't call me a lifeline, lol). I hope you will give yourself permission to show up as yourself in your writing and to be vulnerable and gutsy and fully yourself. It took practice for me to lean into that but it does get easier. Here is the link to my prompt:
Thank you for cracking so many doors with this essay. I too found the isolation of quarantine ignited the writer in me; I had always written but I came out of isolation calling myself a writer. When I saw American Symphony, I was struck by a couple with the highest level of reverence for their art, and each other. Such quiet and heart-centered grit. What an inspiration. Persevere, persevere because creating beauty is the centerpiece of our reason for existence.
"Persevere, persevere because creating beauty is the centerpiece of our reason for existence." Yes, yes, yes. Creating beauty. Enjoying beauty. Valuing the beauty in the smallest moments. I love what you've said here and want to read your work. I love that you are owning your identify as a writer.
This was a beautiful movie! Having just taken up piano one year ago I was riveted by the sustaining power of music and creativity to get us through tough times. For me, this was a huge takeaway.
Abby! This is just gorgeous. I hope you know what you mean to us and so many in the Isolation Journals community. We're so happy for your successes too!
Carmen, thank you! I can't wait to one day send you and Suleika signed copies of my book, which you had a hand in birthing. You both mean the world to me, as does the TIJ community.
This is beautifully written and such a lovely testament to the community that is created here by Suleika with TIJ. I was also able to watch the advanced screening of American Symphony, and that’s how I found your Substack. So community building really is a thing. I love it. Looking forward to reading more of your work. Nice to meet you. 🥰
So nice to meet you, Lisa! Thank you for reading my newsletter.
Your words so beautifully capture the community that Suleika and Carmen have created with TIJ! I hope American Symphony touches so many others, as TIJ has done
Thank you so much, Carrie! It’s such a special community.
Love this! American Symphony was beyond wonderful to watch--two incredible spirits!!...And thanks for writing about the positive energy that can be gained through both personal expression and the creative community! ❤️
Wasn’t it so beautiful? You know I count you among the writer friends I cherish.
this was so beautifully written abby, and I agree with every word you wrote. I’m crying right now just thinking about the impact that suleika and Jon and Carmen and Holly and the isolation journals have had on me, and hence on my family. we are all still whirling from watching amercan symphony--- much processing and deep emotion--- and being with everyone on that zoom chat, oh my i was blown away----keep moving forward on your writing. You know that I am a big supporter and happy for your success.shabbat shalom ‼️❌⭕️✨🪬🌻
Kimberly I am so grateful that TIJ brought us together. Your friendship and support mean the world to me. I’m going to rewatch the film tonight with my husband and daughter. Shabbat Shalom!
Abby thank you for this piece. There is so much to pull from the documentary that I know I will watch it several times. In one scene, Jon is dancing and making music in public, and I felt the memories of dancing on Facebook live with Jon and people from around the world, as if we were in the same room. Our favorite couple---so talented, intelligent, and young for all they’ve accomplished. Through TIJ we watched this story unfold, but the film fills in so much more. Matt H did a masterful job, and S&J are so generous.
I definitely want to watch it again. Especially because I was jumping into the chat throughout. Definitely favorite couple (along with the Obamas who are tied to the film).
Abby, I agree whole heartedly with your assessment of the film. I especially resonated with your thoughts on hearing of Suleika's cancer diagnosis and how it felt personal. I too delight in Jon's playful approach to creativity and how he refuses to be defined by a genre for the sake of an often fickle music industry. His creations come from a grateful heart and cannot be packaged as a consumer product. His craft personifies his realized joy.
The scenes of his struggling during the height of intense pressure, questioning whether he would crack, was answered in the scene at Carnegie Hall where we saw him triumph over an obstacle that would have brought most of us to our knees. Likewise, Suleika has taught us the meaning of grace under pressure. She always finds new ways to express her creativity, no matter her limitations.
I applaud Jon, Suleika, and Matt for telling such a deeply personal with respect and tenderness.
Marnie, thank you. I love what you’ve written here. Yes! Tremendous grace under pressure. Both of them have set an example for showing up and being authentic and about the power of creative expression to connect and heal.
Abby, I love this so much!!! The story of your path to the kind of writing that fills your heart is always so inspiring to me!! And your description of TIJ and our collective feelings for Suleika and Jon rings 100% true to my feelings!! I think we will all be talking and writing about both TIJ and the experience of our connection to American Symphony for a long, long time!! XOXO
Our WNAP bubble is something you had to experience to fully understand. I love that we share that. Love you and can’t wait to plan a meetup around Lori’s book launch.
YES!!!! That will be incredible!!
Abby, thank you for capturing this beautiful community and the timeline ..it's all been said and I just want to add my voice to this chorus of praise, love and joy that is the Isolation Journals Community.
Thank you, Karen! It's such a special community.
Such an incredibly beautiful review of TIJ and American Symphony. I, too, adore this space and I am incredibly inspired by your journey as a writer. I am at the beginning of my “creative” writing journey despite a MA in journalism and 30-plus years of a career in simple writing. I long to be inspired and mentored and look forward to learning, writing seminars and motivational teachers. I am starting from scratch even as I tried so hard to focus during the pandemic. I love all of your take-aways from the film and have begun my own notes. Thank you Abby.
This means so much to me, thank you. My path has been one step at a time leading to new connections and opportunities and pivots and leaps forward. I'm excited for you--there is so much to enjoy as you explore all the possibilities. And there's something special about doing it after a 30-plus year career. With your background, you'll do great.
Abby, an amazing testimony to the wonderful and supportive ISJ community and the power of words. You captured some of the best highlights of American Symphony. There were many magical scenes and moments! I too was deeply moved and inspired and will watch it again. I'm glad you’re a part of the Substack community!
Thanks, friend! I’m so happy you are part of TIJ! I’m going to watch it again with my husband and daughter. I’ve been recommending it to friends and family.
An incredible love story. The balm we all need! I've been gushing about it!
And idk why I wrote ISJ 😅 of course I meant TIJ! Where's that edit function when you need it most?
This is truly awesome. I was a part of Open Salon, a group that Salon had going for about three years, and it was transformative for me, and there was no pandemic. There is much power in groups like this. Thanks for sharing. Amy Abbott
Amy, thanks so much for reading and sharing this. You are right--there is so much power in groups like this and I find the level of kindness remarkable.
This really touched me. The need for encouragement to take a leap, the yearning for writing outside of the confines of work and the journey it has taken, the hypervigilance that I know only too well. Abby, thank you for sharing yourself so vulnerably and for speaking so eloquently about what the Isolation Journals community means to you. It means a lot to me too and I am encouraged to be more courageous myself -- sharing myself and not just commenting or observing. Thank you.
Amy, thank you so much. This means so much to me. And it makes me so happy to know you feel inspired by something I wrote. That is the greatest pleasure I get from writing--feeling like I’ve connected with someone else.
Hi Abby, the story of your writing journey is what I needed this morning. I have been wrestling with self doubt each time I sit down to write. There is a sacred window when the sun is still rising that invites me to create in this way. But settling into it requires more courage each time and occasionally I look to my phone for distraction. This time it offered me hope. You reminded me that we each have a place to create in this world, as our unique, quirky, beautiful selves, and that that growth requires discomfort. I love hearing about the practical steps you took, to learn from others, to join a community, to actually pursue publication! I have been lurking in the TIJ community since Day 16 (I had to go check, lol), but you stepped into it fully and are seeing the fruit. Well done! Which day was your prompt? I saved all of my emails so I can probably find it. Best wishes on your book, I’d love to read it!
Kim, your comment made my day. Seriously. THIS is the most gratifying part of writing--feeling like I am connecting with another person the way other writers have always felt like a lifeline to me (I know you didn't call me a lifeline, lol). I hope you will give yourself permission to show up as yourself in your writing and to be vulnerable and gutsy and fully yourself. It took practice for me to lean into that but it does get easier. Here is the link to my prompt:
https://theisolationjournals.substack.com/p/real-talk
Thank you so much for everything you said here. Keep me posted about your writing! xo
Thank you for cracking so many doors with this essay. I too found the isolation of quarantine ignited the writer in me; I had always written but I came out of isolation calling myself a writer. When I saw American Symphony, I was struck by a couple with the highest level of reverence for their art, and each other. Such quiet and heart-centered grit. What an inspiration. Persevere, persevere because creating beauty is the centerpiece of our reason for existence.
"Persevere, persevere because creating beauty is the centerpiece of our reason for existence." Yes, yes, yes. Creating beauty. Enjoying beauty. Valuing the beauty in the smallest moments. I love what you've said here and want to read your work. I love that you are owning your identify as a writer.
Thank you. It would be my honor. I look forward to your shares as well!
This was a beautiful movie! Having just taken up piano one year ago I was riveted by the sustaining power of music and creativity to get us through tough times. For me, this was a huge takeaway.
I love that!