23 Comments
User's avatar
Valentina Scambia's avatar

Brave, Honest and Claiming - your writing is Powerful.. 🌟💜 I am always ‘with you ‘ and walking hand in hand with you when I read it ✨✨

Expand full comment
Maïlys Ray's avatar

Thank you so much Valentina for these words and for your support 💙 Being able to 'bring you along the way with me' truly makes me happy ☺️

Expand full comment
Laura Lloyd's avatar

I really enjoyed reading this Maïlys. The evolution of your newsletter as a reflection of your inner transformation and unique experience sounds fresh and very intriguing

Expand full comment
Maïlys Ray's avatar

Thank you Laura, I’m glad you enjoyed it.

Expand full comment
Cheyanne Johnson's avatar

Loved your IWD essay! Here’s to navigating the messy middle, exploring the contraction, and resisting the pull to oversimplify the complexity of our lives as women.

Expand full comment
Maïlys Ray's avatar

Thank you Cheyanne! Yes, let’s embrace messiness.

Expand full comment
Lyndsay Kaldor's avatar

This is wonderful, both nuanced and powerful. It was beautiful to learn more of the magic of Corsica and ‘her’ history as a backdrop to your writing and your continued becoming. I resonated with what you said about not wanting to be defined by labels but recognising that the different aspects have had a profound impact and make up parts of who you are. I also hugely resonated with the trial and error approach, I am finding that to be my way too, not having all the answers and actually only discovering things as we go along. Thank you for sharing your voice and your story here xx

Expand full comment
Maïlys Ray's avatar

Thank you Lyndsay for sharing your thoughts. Retracing my steps recently made me see how much "trial and error" was the best approach for me. And indeed just the fact of taking action by writing this post and sharing it seems to have lifted some of the resistance I was experiencing and gave me clarity. So I will definitely lean more into that and trust the process.

Expand full comment
Jenna Folarin's avatar

Such a great post Maïlys, I loved this part especially:

"Permission also to keep telling my story on my own terms — not as a continuation of my past, but as a declaration of who I am becoming."

These words feel really empowering and exciting too, you are documenting things as they are unfolding really. I so relate to that balance between motherhood and creativity too - I've interviewed 25 women in my now Motherhood and Creativity interview series, which you might enjoy reading too. Looking forward to following along on your journey 💛✨️

Expand full comment
Maïlys Ray's avatar

Thank you Jenna, I’m glad it resonated with you. And thank you for pointing me towards your interviews, I’m gonna go read them.

Expand full comment
Amanda Aaron 🇨🇦's avatar

So lovely to read your journey. Thank you for sharing 🥰

Expand full comment
Maïlys Ray's avatar

Thank you Amanda and thank you for adding it into your compilation!

Expand full comment
Hilda Scheenstra's avatar

Oooh, I'm so curious about what your inner warrior will bring to the table! 🧡🔥🧡

And I loved reading your Siren Song!

Expand full comment
Maïlys Ray's avatar

Thank you Hilda! I'm really happy this essay spoke to you because to me writing it really felt like channelling that inner warrior and bringing back some of her fire.

Expand full comment
Lauren Barber's avatar

Adore this Mailys! I also adore that fiery photo!!! Wooosh the power I feel.

So much beauty in your words here, from the resonance about motherhood to the statements that you share about the reflections of Corsica and your creative expression here. So glad you have claimed this all in this piece xxxx

Expand full comment
Maïlys Ray's avatar

Oh thank you so much Lauren for these words and for this collective Siren Songs project. Working on this essay helped me put into words things I was feeling and connections I was seeing. But the Holding Stories circle really helped me let everything that I had written sink into my body. And the words you, Lyndsay and the participants shared also made me see other connections.

Expand full comment
Lauren Barber's avatar

That’s so beautiful to hear. I’m so glad we got to sit all together xx

Expand full comment
Tiphaine Plasse's avatar

Proud of you big sis’ ! I feel in the reading that you’re heading to a fuller,  more powerful and happier version of yourself ! Keep it up as I can’t wait to read more until you find your « I couldn’t help but wonder » ;)

Expand full comment
Maïlys Ray's avatar

Awww thank you lil sis 🥰🥹😘 Don’t know the final destination yet, but writing this particular essay definitely felt like taking a big step further done this path I’m heading too.

Expand full comment
Catriona Knapman's avatar

I love this Mailys- how you weave together your story, your daughters and the women who lived in Corsica in the past, to help you define what you are hear to say. That is so powerful.

Expand full comment
Maïlys Ray's avatar

Thank you Catriona for these words. There is definitely a common thread that IWD and this Siren Songs project made me see even more clearly. And I’m eager to keep pulling that thread.

Expand full comment
Amanda B. Hinton's avatar

Thank you for tagging me here and for letting us be a part of what’s unfolding in your writing life and specifically this newsletter. 🫶

Expand full comment
Maïlys Ray's avatar

Thank you Amanda and thanks for your precious guidance!

Expand full comment