Finding our way back through a moodle
Because sometimes the long way round is the way home: A gentle return to wandering, paying attention and reconnecting
Hello, fellow moodlers - it’s been a while, hasn’t it?
In case you forgot (because it has been so long), I’m Debs and amongst other things, I write about moodling (yes, its a thing!), finding small pockets of time in my everyday life to connect or reconnect with myself.
Somewhere back in March 2024, the rhythm of my writing lost its footing. I couldn’t quite hear the beat anymore, so I stopped publishing for a bit - perhaps you noticed (perhaps you were moodling elsewhere too). But recently, I’ve found myself wandering back - slowly, curiously - towards words again, through various conversations with people I know and with myself.
If you’ve been here a while, you might remember my Take A Moodle With Me posts: small wanderings through art, life, and thoughts about life. Those posts were never about getting anywhere fast, but about pausing long enough to notice what catches our attention and why.
So, if you’ve missed a bit of that slower, more meandering magic, I’d love you to dip back into the archive1. I’ve popped a couple at the bottom of this post for you to meander through. Leave a comment, press a little heart, or just read along with a cup or glass of something tasty. I’ve missed the quiet connection that happens here.
This image - and the reflections about what moodling is - feel like a homecoming of sorts for me, a reminder of what moodling has always meant for me: curiosity, play, and gently paying attention. Something I seem to have lost touch with for a while …
Moodling is … Being insatiably curious
Moodling starts with curiosity – the kind where you peer at the shadows at your feet, or reread a sentence just because it sounds good when you say it out loud. It’s the impulse to tilt your head and say “hmm, what’s that about then?” rather than to solve, fix or produce anything. Curiosity, after all, is fuel for delight – and moodlers run on everyday delights.
Moodling is … Paying attention to the smallest details
Moodling It’s a gentle rebellion against rushing. It invites us to linger on the small things that others simply don’t notice – the curl of a fern, the way a spoon catches light, the feeling in our bodies before something important happens. A reminder that meaning lives in the margins and magic hides in the everyday, waiting for us to pay attention, notice and care that we’ve noticed. (Read Rob Walker’s post about this).
Moodling is … Letting randomness take the lead
When taking a moodle, plans and destinations are optional; ompads (the Afrikaans word for detour) are essential. We might begin with a notebook and end up in a daydream, or start drawing and find ourselves mending a button. The point isn’t where we end up – it’s that delicious moment of being led by our own curiosity rather than our calendar or being tied to time. Read this - its a fun example of where I let randomness take the lead recently.
Moodling is … Intentional acceptance of slowing down
Moodling says: “yes, I could do more, but I’m gonna do less and pay attention to it with all my heart”. It’s a pause, not a stop; an easing of pace so your imagination can catch up with you. There’s a rhythm to slowness that you only hear once you stop marching to someone else’s beat.
Moodling is … Being in a physical place or some metaphorical space
Moodling happens wherever you are – in the garden, at your desk, halfway through washing up. Sometimes it’s a physical amble; sometimes it’s an internal wander through ideas. It’s a space where your thoughts can stretch, shuffle about, and maybe do a little dance before finding their way back home.
Moodling is … Allowing a circuitous route to unfold
A true moodler never takes the straight path. That squiggly, looping route that makes no sense at first glance? That’s where all the treasure is. The scenic way, the too-long coffee break, the side project that turns into a revelation – moodling trusts the meander to show you what you didn’t know you were looking for.
An invitation to moodle together
If any of this stirs something in you - a spark of curiosity, a sigh of relief, or just the thought “I’d love to do this too”, I wonder if you’d consider it your nudge to start moodling (again)? Take five unhurried minutes today to wander without a goal, doodle without a plan, or write a few words that don’t need to make sense yet.
And if you’re one of those like-minded souls who feels the pull towards creative collaboration or conversation, please do reach out. I’m gently reopening the doors to shared experiments, exchanges, and art-story wanderings. For example, take a look at this collaborative piece I did with
which was a moodle in itself!Let’s find our way back to paying attention, one moodle at a time. If you’ve made it this far, drop a 💚 in the comments. Thank you, I appreciate you.
Yours in moodling
You can find the Take a Moodle with Me archive here
Here’s a couple of posts I’ve chosen to get you going:
You might also notice a subtle change of graphics and images on my publication!
Wellcome back Debs! 💜