When a subject seems too big to tackle in writing, or my head refuses to focus on the task in front of me, I often pick up a favorite text, poem, or song and begin copying the words by hand. The motion physically reconnects my head and my heart, moving the creative process from thought to action—which is, inevitably, what I need, because I cannot fix the thing that’s broken with the thing that’s broken.
The morning I wrote this letter, I chose “Danny’s Song” by Loggins and Messina.
…And even though we ain’t got money
I’m so in love with you, honey
And everything will bring a chain of love, oh, oh, oh
In the mornin’, when I rise
You bring a tear of joy to my eyes
And tell me everything is gonna be alright
The song always puts me in a state of appreciation, which feels perfect for November. I can hear the melody in my head, my right knee bounces a little as I shift forward toward the page and fall into gratitude. The dance here does not exactly become seamless, but the emotions flow like water.
I am so thankful for this little outfit we have here. Our creative teams are constantly building toward a tempo of excellence, straddling the business and the professional with the creative and inventive. In a world where many things can erode creativity, I’d like to believe that we find a way to add back to the strata that drives us and allows us to see the world in a different way.
This is my hope.
As we move through the remainder of 2023—the fastest year on record for me—the horizon feels utterly endless and distant and, at the same time, so close I can feel the warmth, the change, and the possibilities of the coming year. This slippage of memory and perception is common in an industry where time is defined by harvests, weather, legacies, and the heartbeat of a market determined to throw a stable comfort level to the wind.
While these words may slip away as you enter the world of our magazine, I hope that the action of building these stories for you keeps our gratitude for each of you at the forefront of your mind.
Each story is an extension of our hands to yours.
As we always say, and we hope you feel, each story is a thank you.
