Wandering words
I am back from my writing hiatus..
Hello all. I am back from my hiatus (and I will be writing… again). Today though I am going to share personal stuff. I want to tell you something and also remind myself. This space has given me a lot of confidence to write. I am truly grateful for the connections I have made on Substack. Mainly to
for continually pushing me to write.When I started my journey here, I was quite naive, and knew nothing about writing. Today, I am still naive! Oh, you thought I have figured it out? Not yet, man. It’ll take an entire lifetime. Maybe two! Who knows..
For the past few months I have been distanced from Substack— it was inevitable. There were some urgent callings that I had to answer to, but I did not let myself astray from writing. I used this time to build an eco-village commune, based on an agro-tourism model and pushed myself to read and write in my native language; ie, Marathi. And I must say, I have done quite well there. My Marathi book is about to hit the book stores. (which I am so effing excited about!!) Here’s a sneak peak to the book cover.
It’s such a crazy life. Don’t you think things are getting pretty hopeful? I know, there are wars that keep growing, people are dying and the future looks grim. It does look hopeless from that end. I am simply trying to work on my farm to keep my sanity. Sometimes I feel that we have pushed megalomaniacs into positions that should only be reserved for kind-hearted souls. Imagine a world taken care by saints - the true ones!! Yet, on the other hand, where I stay, I have been seeing some incredible positives. Today I want to reflect on those.
When I started this Substack, there were no readers out here. I was writing for nobody. But I kept writing and slowly things started to shift. The sun shone on me. It’s crazy how things are interconnected. This platform gave me the necessary push to self-publish my first ever book. That book launch gave me venues to speak and surprisingly a growing social media platform. This platform gave me a chance to reach to many people out there who were unreachable in the past. Now that has paved way for me to deliver a TEDx talk this coming July and also a native talk alternative to TED. All because someone came across my profile and went on to read my book. I really don’t care about reach and numbers as long as I am able to work on the farm, get my hands dirty and build a sustainable economic model for the village community. It all seems to be coming together.
For long, I was on a spiritual pursuit— and I still am. I have come a long way from travelling with my backpack through the Ganges and Himalayas, to finding monks in Morham, Scotland and trying to learn things from them, to now sitting in silence whenever I want and being in an undisturbed working motion. I have found peace in being of help to others. I have found true love in the act of living and most importantly, giving. Maybe the world will look at me as someone or something but I know that I am nothing and everything in the same breath. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I breathe. Whenever I feel like I am being known, I become a friend and the fame vanishes. Whenever I get into tense situations, I calm myself down and therefore the world calms down.
Just yesterday I was at a petrol station where a lady came upto me and said, “Oh I am a big fan of your work. You are doing noble work. It will be an inspiration to future generations.” Now, I don’t know whether I am doing noble work, but I know that I am not lying to myself. I can watch myself in the mirror and not feel ashamed. That is all I wanted. Content.
When I left England, I did not know what my earning streams would be. I was actually carrying the burden of being a loser because losing behind on growth as an artist was a tough pill to swallow. A friend had told me then, “Ash. Whatever happens— own it.” That’s been my mantra.
I haven’t got time to write like I used to, but I have decided to keep pushing myself to do it. Writing here is a release. Writing is a form of performance. It’s dancing with the words that are usually arranged in an in-orderly manner. It is to reach you who is sitting miles, timezones and frankly worlds away from me. If you feel light after reading, I have done my bit. I want you to have a smile on your face every time this newsletter comes out. I know it’s been otherwise for the past few months, but I want to change that. I want to be lighter myself. Because life isn’t a burden that any of us should be carrying. Life becomes easier when we realise that actually there is no burden out there. It’s just us performing this beautiful dance called life!
So, here I am. Back again. Not with big plans, not with heavy promises—just with an open heart, a working mind, and muddy hands. I’ll write when I can, and I’ll show up as honestly as I can. That’s all I’ve got to offer, and I think that’s enough.
If you’re still here reading this—thank you. Really. You’ve been part of this quiet but beautiful unfolding. And if you’ve just joined—welcome. There’s no formal start here, no grand finale. Just a space to breathe, reflect, and maybe find a piece of yourself between these words.
Until next time—be gentle with yourself, walk barefoot once in a while, and remember: we’re all just figuring it out, one page at a time.
-Ash