This is Chronically Chill
And I’m Neghar Fonooni—published author, multi medium artist, Tarot reader, lifelong bookworm, single mother + empty nester, and child of Iranian immigrants. I live on Nisenan land in Northern California with a cat I never imagined would be mine, and often write my newsletters from a treehouse overlooking a panoply of Ponderosa Pines. I also happen to be chronically ill, but Chronically Chill is not a newsletter about chronic illness, rather the way I’ve learned to realign my life in the face of it.
Over the past two years I’ve navigated the unpredictable flare-ups of an undiagnosed chronic illness: is it long covid? Is it perimenopause? Who can say (surely none of the myriad specialists I’ve seen!). The fact remains, I’m perpetually fatigued with a foggy brain and a host of unexplained symptoms, but through it all what I’ve come to find is peace. Slowness. A deeper and richer appreciation for every tiny bit of magic that crosses my path.
I’ve become a more present version of myself since I’ve been asked to navigate this illness—the chillest version of myself thus far. And so, these are stories about allowing joy to coexist with grief, empty nesting and aging, dating (or the lack thereof) in your 40s, breaking generational curses, going slow and drinking water, and striving for chillness in all aspects of my being. I also write about collective liberation, conscious spirituality, and really anything I feel called to pen.
I am honored and excited to to share this space with you, and I’m very much looking forward to writing to you from my little artist’s studio in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.
This is a reader supported publication, and one that I channel a great deal of energy into. I love it here, and I think you will, too. For just $7 a month, you’ll receive a minimum of four monthly essays and have access to the full archive of posts. You’ll also get occasional Microdoses of Joy, New + Full moon blessings, and other musings straight to your inbox.
Free subscribers will receive a monthly bite sized collection of words but paid subscribers will get the best of me because, well, Mama’s got mouths to feed and medical bills to pay and a kid to put through college. This small contribution will allow me to write more frequently, more fervently, and keep the lights on while I work diligently on my next book. My hope is that one day, my readership will grow to the extent that I can sustain myself through these words alone—you can be a part of that, should it feel aligned for you.
Thank you for supporting my work and allowing me a space in your inbox; it is a privilege I will cherish and never take for granted.
A little bit of everything,
Neghar
