Sz 2 Ep 2 | What if the key to unlocking your creative genius lies in the pages of a century-old novel?

In this episode, Elle Rowley shares another installment in her series of Portrait of a Matriarch. She takes us on a journey through the life of the matriarch, Lucy Maud Montgomery, creator of Anne of Green Gables and unexpected mentor to generations of dreamers.

From Prince Edward Island's red-clay roads to the depths of personal struggle, we explore how Montgomery's resilience and creativity shaped a literary legacy that still resonates today.

Elle shares her 5 favorite lessons she learned from studying Maud’s complex life, and the gems of wisdom she took from her matriarchal years:

Success comes from small and simple things done consistently

Creativity can offer resilience and beauty in the bleakest of circumstances

What other people think of you is none of your business

Nature is a constant source of wonder and healing

The matriarch is the wise woman

Are you ready to find your own "Green Gables" of the soul?

Share with us what lesson resonates with you as a current or future matriarch.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro: Lucy Maud Montgomery's impact

5:07 Childhood and early life of Montgomery

10:15 Writing career and publishing Anne of Green Gables

15:23 Marriage, motherhood, and personal struggles

20:35 Five lessons from Lucy Maud Montgomery's life

25:44 Creativity as resilience in difficult circumstances

31:25 Overcoming fear of others' opinions

37:33 Nature as inspiration and solace

42:38 Montgomery's message to future generations

47:13 Reflecting on Montgomery's legacy and impact

Show Links:

"Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings" by Mary Henley Rubio: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/Lucy-Maud-Montgomery-Gift-Wings/dp/0385667604⁠

Anne of Green Gables (1985) starring Megan Follows

Anne of Green Gables, 1908 edition: https://www.amazon.com/Anne-Green-Gables-Original-Montgomery/dp/B0BTNNMXBV

Down The Well Links:

Elle's Substack - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@ellerowley⁠⁠⁠⁠

Elle's Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/ellerowle⁠

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Listen to Down The Well:

Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/6lUJfguVjtso0sPEg2wR6t?si=votEkMgqRiq8b_aEKht1gg⁠

Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/down-the-well/id1797861644⁠

Amazon: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0p4aFo3SlBSNWNpUzhiNkt⁠

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About Down The Well:

Motherhood should be full of joy and meaning. But it often isn't. Why is that? On Down the Well, Elle Rowley talks through the mother's hero's journey, and why it's different from the one you might have learned in school or books. Unlike the traditional hero's journey, mothers have to descend into the depths of their own soul. No one comes out of motherhood the same, and with the right perspective and resources, we can make sure that transformation is for the better.

SEO Keywords: Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, Canadian literature, Prince Edward Island, creative writing, childhood imagination, resilience through creativity, matriarchal lessons, mental health struggles, literary success, consistent writing habits, nature inspiration, character development, female authors, early 20th century literature, overcoming rejection, balancing motherhood and career, societal expectations, personal journals, childhood abandonment, community gossip, self-doubt in writing, nature as solace, literary legacy, historical fiction

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