Building This Corner

A Page from Nora’s Notebook

Nov 02, 2025

This post is part of one of The Written Corner series: Nora’s Notebook. More personal than the main journal, it’s a tiny addition to the collection. It opens the pages of reflections on creativity, footnotes of a freelancer, and my own stories - straight out of the pocket, the ink still fresh.

Though I wholeheartedly believe in the “show, don’t tell” approach, I wanted to share a few details about this project - as many posts have already been shown (and read!) I wouldn’t be writing this post, or starting this series at all, if it weren’t for the many kind requests for it - thank you all, who encouraged me. So here it is: the first post from Nora’s Notebook - the pages just unfolded, some words smudged with my sleeve (and a little scattered, as every true notebook tends to be).

Somewhere between inspiration and persistence lies the simple joy of building something that is truly ours. As a creative, I’ve always felt it’s essential to have a project where we hold the reins. In truth, I think that’s important for everyone, not just those who call themselves artists - having a space, however small, that belongs to us. The Written Corner is no different. One creative project inspires another; we need these tiny sparks so they can circulate, catching light from one another, keeping the creative fire alive - no matter how small.

Some creative ideas arrive in a flash and are reality the next day; while others need time to blossom from the smallest seed - and this was no different. I’ve come to believe that timing has its own quiet wisdom, and perhaps this one was simply meant to begin now. A project of this scale wouldn’t have been possible without all the experiences that led here - and without the people I’ve met, and continue to meet, along the way. I’d dreamt of creating a literary newsletter for years, and now, with this growing circle of readers, that seed has come into bloom. Thank you, truly, to everyone reading. You’re the ones making this corner come alive.

Though a project of my own, I saw from the first week after The Written Corner was launched that it keeps growing - far larger than I’d ever thought it could. And while I may be in charge of the decisions, I can already see how many parts have started to take their own turns, out of my grasp, dancing to the rhythm of a creative current invisible to the open eye. I’m endlessly grateful for the ways it keeps growing - beautiful, evergreen, with seasonal flowers circling up the walls of this corner and making The Written Corner flourish in more ways than I could have ever foreseen. As creatives, perhaps that’s the lesson - or just a gentle reminder: to stay open, to see where the path leads, even when we’re the ones who built the door that opened it.

Beyond my own wishes and designs, and the constant urge to write and to share, I felt that the right moment had come for this project to be part of a solution. Reading is one of the few things we do that stops us from multitasking. It is one of the few things that asks us to stop, and be. We need these moments. We live in a rushed world - beautiful and full of life, but fast. Though I often enjoy the energy of doing many things at once, there’s something sacred in giving your full attention to a single page, a single thought. Reading is our anchor; it connects us back to our breath. To savour words is one of the purest ways to taste life.

In the rhythm of our busy days, we rarely stop. The Written Corner is an invitation to do just that, to take a seat with a cup of tea and breathe in the words that quiet the rest, even if just for a brief moment. I believe deeply in the power of words. Reading grounds the body; it’s a tonic that calms the mind and softens the noise. It’s an experience that opens a thousand more, awakening all our senses - if we allow those moments simply to be. To be a reader is an art form on its own. The words are here as the foundation, but it is the reader who builds the castle or city upon them - through imagination. Opening a book - or an email, or the Substack app - is a conscious decision. And so, I value every reader of this post: your presence means you are connecting to your own self and breathing. You’re following the rhythm of these sentences, just as someone a street away, a city away, a country away might be doing right now. Reading connects us for a few seconds, a few minutes of borrowed time between errands and obligations, and that connection has been an honour to explore through this project. Reading reminds us that presence does not require proximity. The Written Corner exists to create those quiet, shared moments. Step into the corner, and stay a little if your heart desires.

Beyond this tiny notebook, this newsletter primarily celebrates life through the place I call home: London. A city that, to me, is welcoming, alive, and inspirational - not only because of its own creative energy, but also because of the kind and supportive people (many of whom have been championing this project!) Whether you live at its center, come here to work, or visit only once every ten years, there is a place and a moment here that awaits you - and you can find it within this corner. Hence, archiving moments is at the heart of why I started this project, as much as connecting people. In an era where life often pulls us apart, I hope this space invites you to share the experience of reading and find a quiet sense of community across the world. No matter where you are, when you read, you are here.

To me, London as a writer is divided into three main threads: Lettered London, exploring emotions, reflections, and the intangible; Chapters of the City, capturing the places, events, and history that shape it; and Corner Conversations, focused on the people - those passing by, living here, or somewhere in between. Archiving it all ensures these memories are held close, rather than being carried away by the wind of our rushed days.

One of the most beautiful parts of this project has been the generosity and warmth of everyone I’ve interviewed - from old friends in creative circles to the new, wonderful people I keep meeting (many interviews are still in edit and unpublished). It has been a powerful reminder of another reason I started this work: supporting one another, in any way, is far from a weak thing to do - it is one of the strongest acts we can offer. To share, to champion, to celebrate others is one of the cornerstones of The Written Corner.

In the midst of noise and overstimulation of modern life, it seems we listen less actively. We hear the news, podcasts, and chatter, but rarely with intention. Conversation and real connection are precious, and my hope with Corner Conversations is not only to create something lasting - words indeed have that power - but to cultivate active listening. To me, that listening is most fully realised through written words, giving each voice the space and care it deserves.

This, and many more notebooks, are filled with the methods and, more importantly, the motivations of this project - this post is an envelope already stuffed so full I can barely close it, but in time I’ll share more about a creative project that is all me and all you at the same time. Writing for you through this corner, so that our moments together - in-between scrolling, harshly coloured visuals of commercials, and loud news across all platforms - can be held. My hope for this project, and now its reality, is that this corner brings solace, letting the words steady the day, like pages pressed between fingers.

As much as I cherish this moment, and the requests from dear readers, I’ll keep some of my hopes and plans secret. I’m not the kind of writer who spoils future scenes. So, for today, let me close the notebook here, we’ll open the pages together soon.

🖋 Dear Readers, many of you have already written to me, sharing what you’d love to read next in this and other series - thank you for that. Please keep doing so, or leave a note in the comments.

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