At the waiting desk

February’s letter to paid subscribers.

“We make a miracle out of simply turning up, at the same time to do the same good work…at the waiting desk or at our well-loved familiar workbench.”

— David Whyte

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Dear friends,

Not long after I finished writing “It All Adds Up,” I opened up my copy of David Whyte’s newest book, Consolations II — a moving collection of essays exploring everyday words such as grief, love, old, and unordinary.

As I flipped through the book, I eventually found my way to his essay on the word “routine,” and came across a passage where he had captured — in his quintessential, incomparable David Whyte wisdom — everything I had been trying to say in my own story; about how it felt to layer a coffee table with all the illustrations I’ve painted for Dandelion Seeds over the past two years, while also caring for two tiny humans.

As soon as I read the passage, I knew I wanted to share it with you here.

I also immediately pictured a photo I took a few months ago — of my own “waiting desk” in Antwerp, during a moment of rare morning sunshine — and it gave me an idea.

For this month’s offering for paid subscribers, I was inspired to create a hand-lettered photo essay. I’ve paired David Whyte’s beautiful reflections on routine with some of my favorite photos from the past year — of new paintings-in-progress for Dandelion Seeds; of my days with Elena and Eva; and even a few sweet moments when my worlds came together, as Elena has started to discover her own creative rhythms.

I loved bringing this photo essay to life, and I hope David’s words will speak to you as much as they did to me.

From my waiting desk to yours,
Candace