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Camilla's avatar

I'm sorry to hear about the bad times you had, dear Jesse, and I can feel how hard they were and still resonate a little inspite you've been working up yourself again. I'm glad that you are back again, also back again here on Substack, so our community hopefully help you just by being and shouting out loud: You are not alone!

I had and still have some bad times, too, as in September last year I found a literary agent for my manuscript for a fiction novel, and I was so glad and thought now please, please, please the possibility to publish is to come. That would be so, so, so important to me, as I have the feeling that would be the first time in my life, my voice would get the chance to be heard. But now it turns out, that it is still so very difficult to find a publisher, even when you have overcome the first very difficult hurdle and found a literary agent. So time goes by, and with each passing day I loose faith and hope and trust in my writing ...

Belated birthday wishes to you, Jesse, and love to everyone from Germany!

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Anna Ongaro's avatar

I'm sorry to hear that you had to face a difficult time, Jesse. Sending you a warm hug 🫂 I'll be back to you tomorrow. 💙💚💙💚💐 Good night from Italy ✨✨ ✨ Moon still hiding behind the clouds. 🤷

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Suzi Blalock's avatar

Glad to see you back, Jesse - your posts prompt reflection as well as action. There's a quote by Sister Barbara Hance that I keep close - "Show me a day when the world wasn't new". Though it doesn't always feel that way, the more I repeat it the more I come to believe it to be so.

The other day I had gotten myself into a miserable place - then the Grateful Dead's Touch of

Grey came on the radio. "...I will get by. I will survive. We will get by. We will survive." Sung with such an insistent determination that I was lifted right out of that quagmire. Whatever gets us

through, right. Thanks, Jesse and belated birthday wishes.

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Amar's avatar

I think I see Ganesh in your photo of your pretty countertop.

om gan ganpataye namah

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Jesse Paris Smith's avatar

Ohhh is my Venus altar 💓💓💓there is white tara and green Tara visible in the photo here :)))

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Amar's avatar
1dEdited

Happy New Year, Jesse 🥂

To start anew is a great idea. Dawn of a new day. Birds in Hallelujah chorus keeping our heartbeats in rhythm.

It must’ve been taxing to sort through and focus on taxes. It’s time and energy consuming. I’m currently involved in a civil rights case with the AGO. My AG and your AG have a podcast together. I had to be sharp with my words recently to get some momentum in the case. It worked. I asserted myself respectfully. I stood my ground. It hasn’t always been easy. I nearly lost my will to fight. {insert song: I’m Still Standing, Elton John}

Thank you for your insights and navigation through stormy weather. Your exercises are motivating and elevating.

Up ⬆️

Yesterday morning I rode my scooter in the canyon. I was greeted by a roadrunner beeping by.

This morning I will ride again and listen to Legacies 🎶 https://pathwaytoparis.bandcamp.com/track/legacies

I’d like to get back to writing. Henry will help. 🖊️

🫐 💙

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Amar's avatar

Happy New Year, Jesse 🥂

To start anew is a great idea. Dawn of a new day. Birds in Hallelujah chorus keeping our heartbeats in rhythm.

It must’ve been taxing to sort through and focus on taxes. It’s time and energy consuming. I’m currently involved in a civil rights case with the AGO. My AGO and your AGO have a podcast together. I had to be sharp with my words recently to get some momentum in the case. It worked. I asserted myself respectfully. I stood my ground. It hasn’t always been easy. I nearly lost my will to fight. {insert song: I’m Still Standing, Elton John}

Thank you for your insights and navigation through stormy weather. Your exercises are motivating and elevating. Up ⬆️

Yesterday morning I rode my scooter in the canyon. I was greeted my roadrunner beeping by. This morning I will ride again and listen to Legacies 🎶 https://pathwaytoparis.bandcamp.com/track/legacies

I’d like to get back to writing. Henry will help. 🖊️

🫐 💙

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Lisa A's avatar

It must feel good to have the audit behind you! Love the journal prompts! I usually start my day writing in my journal...grateful to be awake...have an intention for the day. I close the day writing about the days events....wishes...prayers for tomorrow. So much to pray for...the daily news is pretty awful....thank god for art, music, friends, laughter, and the knowledge that together we can stand strong and protect each other and those that need help the most.

Daydream Believer...boy that's a good one. Happy Belated Birthday!!!!

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Li's avatar

Yay taxes done! Huge thanks for your great work on Elizabeth Street Garden--much appreciated!💚

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Miriam Wilson's avatar

An audit. Yikes! I hope you found all the required documents you needed. I am reasonably organized, but there is always that one piece of paper I can't find when doing paperwork. Good luck!

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Ethan Neville's avatar

I was just telling my mother how I’m bureaucratically challenged!

And taxes are such a laborious and annoying, yet inevitable part of our world ! I feel your pain. I’m so sorry they should be auditing the military industrial complex and corporate greed instead of Artist!

You’ve handled it with such grace and humor. I’m very impressed. !

Yes, here’s the fresh start .

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Yoshi Watanabe's avatar

Happy belated birthday.

I can only imagine how tough things were during those tearful times.

I listened to King Tuff's album, and it's really good. His style reminds me of Dr. John.

I'm glad you had that thread from Ariadne.

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Andrea Marcou's avatar

Tax audits are so stressful, I have been helping my sister who lives in Spain. Congratulations on putting it to bed!

I have had house and apartment repairs - all at the same time and then someone stole my phone from my handbag. I think that was the thing that broke me (it also happened at the time I was renewing my membership and it wouldn’t go through until my cards were verified) - another thing to deal with but yaaay it’s all sorted now.

I am grateful for my resilience and looking forward to more of your posts

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Paul Bender's avatar

Jesse, I meant to tell you if they put you in jail for tax evasion, I'd bring you a cake with a file in it--just like the old gangster pictures. Paul.

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khetzner's avatar

Good Morning Jesse! Congrats for plowing through that tax audit. Welcome back to a new year. Thank you for this post- I really needed to hear your voice! And, those songs were the best!

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Paul Bender's avatar

Here's to new beginnings, Jesse! Paul.

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Lee Penman's avatar

I LOVE the idea of a new year in July. The past few months have definitely been in the caterpillar stage, learning to adapt to the world we find ourselves in until, as you say, we learn to fly:)

As you know, I have been caring for our bird friend for the past month, and now he is finally returning to normal. The Pen and Brush exhibit was a welcome detour on a trying month!

So, I have decided to briefly try the daily challenge (although it is now afternoon)

Daytime/Start of the Day:

I am grateful for….

1. My little bird friend Rico, whom I almost lost

2. The fact that so many kind people support me

3. Being given the gift of putting my thoughts in words without fear of judgement (that took a while)

What would make today great?

1. Peace in my environment

2. Happy and fulfilling conversations

3. Gently reminding myself that today is already great

Daily Affirmation: "Something good is going to happen."

As for the others, I still have hours to fill:)

As always, thank you for being real, for being you, and for all that you bring to this world through your work:)

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