Slow Literary Living

 Have you ever heard the term "slow literary living"? I think it was Gracie from Austen and Alcotts who used the term and I thought it sounded lovely. It truly encompasses what I hope to achieve in my own life and here on the blog. I imagine it to mean a slow life, inspired by books and literature. I love not only to read about slow and simple living in classic literature, but I also love to hear and be inspired by people who are living a slow and literary life in our modern world. 

Living this kind of life is a deliberate choice; it will not happen by accident. It is quite in opposition to how we live our modern lives and requires commitment and determination. We have discussed knowing ourselves and having a purpose here on the blog, something that has come up in a number of classics discussed here. By knowing what you value you are in a position to commit to these values and make the choices necessary to live the life you want. 

We don't necessarily need to rely on the classics to live the kind of life we want, but I find that they tend to hold the inspiration we need and to help us focus on goals from a simpler time. If you can do this without reading the classics, great - but I think you will still be missing out! There is something about reading about a life in the past and taking value from that and applying it to our modern lives that feels so comforting and true. We are so privileged to be in a position to pick and choose the best parts of the past and how to incorporate them into our lives. Whether it be growing our own food, making our own clothes, feeding our family through tough times or devoting ourselves to old-fashioned past-times, whatever it is that speaks to our heart we are in a position to apply to our own lives. 

Rhonda Hetzel, one of my favourite non-fiction authors and bloggers, says:

"A simple life is a mixture of being thrifty and working towards living debt-free, saving resources, being content with what you have, slowing down, reinventing yourself by working towards identified goals, rediscovering your family and your environment, cooking from scratch, shopping wisely and less often, looking after what you have and caring about your environment. It is changing how you see your place in the world. Instead of identifying as someone who deserves everything a modern Australian should have, it changes those desires to focus more on family, community, generosity and sustainability."

Does this sound appealing to you? Do you love the classics? Can you see how by combining the two we are on the way to "slow literary living"? In what ways do you look to simplify your life? Are there favourite books that you turn to, to help you live the life that you want to live?

I hope that you find inspiration here for a slow literary life and that in time we will get to know each other as a likeminded community. Have a lovely, peace-filled day.

Kirsty x