This is part two of my solo trip to the Little River Bus Stop in Fort Payne, AL. Today's episode is me once again voice noting myself as I flip through the guestbook and read entries, give commentary, and share stories of my own. There's something inherently magical about knowing a little bit more about a place you're visiting and getting to hear those stories (almost) firsthand via the guestbook left in those spaces. This is a short and fun episode that will hopefully put you in the headspace of planning your next trip!

If you're looking for more content, you can follow me on Instagram ⁠@mavmalone⁠ or subscribe to my Substack newsletter, ⁠Junk Drawer⁠.

You can order my new poetry book,⁠ Hope and Other Beautiful Things - here!⁠

During my recent solo trip to Fort Payne and Mentone, AL, I had the idea to begin voice noting myself on the fly. This episode and the forthcoming episodes in this mini-series from my recent solo trip are all diary-style voice notes recorded on the fly and in the moment. They detail my experiences, thoughts and feelings in real time.

On this episode, you'll hear:

• why I decided to travel to the tiny towns of Fort Payne and Mentone
• all the fun details of my accommodations (a converted school bus!)
• why I almost didn't want to go
• the story of how my 2nd poetry collection came into being
• a dissertation on rejection - how it applies to my own life and why it's so timely with the release of this book
• advice for "keeping" (and if you want to know what I mean by that - listen to this episode!)

This is unlike anything I've ever recorded before. It's raw, stream of consciousness, and recorded live from the bus on my solo trip. If you've ever been curious about what I do on solo trips in the moment, this is it.

If you're looking for more content, you can follow me on Instagram ⁠@mavmalone⁠ or subscribe to my Substack newsletter, ⁠Junk Drawer⁠.

You can also order my new poetry book, ⁠Hope & Other Beautiful Things⁠, here.

Like many, I've had a love affair with Paris for as long as I can remember. Also like many, I've never been. So when I came across a charming Airbnb listing themed like the most idyllic little Parisian cottage in the woods, I instantly hit book and planned a very romantic getaway...alone. Just me, myself, and I.

So often we plan romantic trips or experiences FOR a partner but what if you're single? Or what if you just want to shower YOURSELF in that way? You definitely don't need to be in a relationship to be able to find romance, that's for sure!

In this episode, I'll discuss:

• How to cultivate your intuition and build confidence and self-trust (if solo traveling intrigues you but makes you uneasy, you will need confidence to take action!)
• How my own codependency kept me from both my intuition and self trust
• Self-love vs. self care
• Why you should be planning a spicy romantic weekend for yourself
• How I ended up in a Parisian cottage and tales from that trip (including taking my own boudoir photos!)
• Tips for romanticizing your life

For more content, you can catch me on Instagram ⁠@mavmalone ⁠and my Substack, ⁠Junk Drawer

How many times a day to you catch yourself mindlessly scrolling social media, and then before you know it, you feel really down on yourself? Today's episode is all about getting caught in the online comparison game, why we need to STOP SCROLLING, and how to deal with imposter syndrome.

In this episode, I'll touch on:

• my love/hate relationship with Instagram
• what lead me to lock my phone away in a drawer recently
• what my community flooded my inbox with
• why reaching out for support is strength (NOT WEAKNESS!)
• tips for ditching the comparison social media game
• how to help yourself feel better when those low moments hit

For more content, you can find me on Instagram @mavmalone and my Substack newsletter, Junk Drawer

I don't just give gifts - I give experiences. So for birthdays (especially for love interests), you know I'm going to go ALL OUT. Today's episode details one of those gifts which included a trip to a movie-level Airbnb themed like Hagrid's Hut, followed by a visit to Howard Finster's Paradise Garden in Summerville, GA.

Howard Finster was a baptist preacher who devoted his entire life to making what he called "sacred art." He inscribed his sermons and words, his beliefs, into so much of his art and over the years, built Paradise Garden, a private sanctuary/folk art church and gardens as an altar to god (his god, anyway).

On this episode, I'll be diving into my takeaways from that experience as a non-religious person and what exactly it was that I found so profound and resonating about his work. If you're interested at all in art, hearing about my travel tales, or curious about the deeply ingrained need of humans to simply create - this episode is for you.

Follow me on Instagram @mavmalone for more, including the latest updates on books, news, and all things poetry. You can also sign up for my Substack, Junk Drawer, where I share poetry analyses, thoughts, essays, photography and more.

If you've been wondering where I went and what I've been up to, this is the episode for you. In this one, I'm spilling the tea on my home improvement (mis)adventures, my kitchen breakdown motherhood moment, and WHAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON! It's a juicy episode you won't want to miss, storytelling style, with me just yammering on into the mic.

Why is it that as soon as the clock strikes midnight December 31st and January begins, we are suddenly expected to instantly lose the weight, overhaul our lives and become an entirely new person? As I reflected on this, I realized it goes against everything nature in her season of winter is trying to teach us: to move slow and to embrace ourselves.

As I've been weathering my own personal winter and entering a phase of life where I feel unmotivated, tired, down and depressed, I have grappled with many aspects of my shadow self - these parts that are harder to look at and certainly harder to love. Much has come up for me, but without it - I wouldn't have had the words to make this episode.

So if you've ever shamed your way into change or pressured yourself to both set and meet some lofty goals in an unrealistic amount of time or felt the weight of the world telling you that you as you are, are somehow unworthy or unlovable in whatever state you're in, this is for you.

In this episode, I will discuss:

• the toxicity of New Year motivational myths like "new year, new me"
• how to work through difficult phases of life and why we must love ourselves through them
• what our personal winters can teach us if we slow down
• how the Universe pushed me into rest and cancelled my trip to Vegas
• what my first ever absolutely BOTCHED solo trip to Tampa taught me
• how we can actually use the New Year to catalyze positive change
• lessons on how to let ourselves be loved

If you want to stay up to date, be sure to follow me on Instagram @mavmalone and on Substack https://maverickmalone.substack.com/

I first discovered reiki three years ago when I was struggling with my own spiritual awakening and it fascinated me ("rei" for universal and "ki" for lifeforce energy). It opened my eyes to the transformative power of energy work and has become an integral part of healing both my mind and body.

On this episode, I sit down with long time friend, energy healer and certified Reiki Master, Kandi Leigh. Through the modality of reiki, Kandi has helped numerous clients - myself included - on their personal healing journeys to becoming their best selves.

In this conversational episode, you'll hear:

• Kandi's backstory and what led her to reiki
• a breakdown of what reiki is, how it works, and why it's important
• how to strengthen your natural intuitive and psychic gifts
• how to cleanse and protect your energy
• discussions on soul mates, twin flames and fate
• stories of synchronicity and magic
• a card reading for the collective

If you're intrigued by reiki and want to learn more about Kandi, you can find her at: https://holisticwellbeingwithkandi.com

https://kandileigh.com

Instagram: @holisticwellbeingkandi

This is a very special edition of Ink Speak because we - YES, WE! - are discussing YOUR answers to the best and worst gifts ever received. When I posed a question on my Instagram a few weeks back about the best and worst gifts people had gotten, so many people answered that I knew it was destined for an episode. Rather than sit here and yammer on solo into my mic, I invited my best friend and partner in crime, Sarah, onto the podcast to help me unwrap the mess of those responses.

On this episode, we'll go in depth on:

• our own best/worst gifts
• YOUR answers with plenty of entertaining commentary
• love languages
• holiday banter (lots of that)
• a special surprise gift for you if you stick around past the very end

It's officially December and the start of the winter season here in the US. This brings all kinds of challenges, with the business of the holiday season, the amplified hustle of life, and usually a period of moving inward (and staying indoors). Love or hate it, winter actually has a lot to teach us.

In this short episode, I'll discuss:

• the 5-15 gate in human design that deals with routine and extremes
• the difference between routine and practice
• my morning practice and suggestions for establishing your own
• the importance of winter