Holly chats with Jess Rowe on giving ourselves permission to create

Hello Joy Risers,

Wishing you a warm welcome to 2026. As Holly mentioned in her December issue of Notes to Self, she is taking a little breather from Substack over the Australian summer while she dives head first into the manuscript for her third novel, The World Beneath Her Feet. If you missed it in the end of year blur, you can read or listen to Holly’s final post for 2025 by clicking the link below.

I’m popping in today to share with you a beautiful conversation Holly had with the wonderfully effervescent Jessica Rowe for her Big Talk Show podcast. On this special Book Club episode of the podcast, Holly and Jess do a deep dive into Holly’s work of non-fiction, The House that Joy Built. Jess says that reading the book helped her rediscover her imagination and creativity.

I listened to the podcast this morning while I walked our puppy Lulu (am I campaigning for the return of Dog of the Month? I am), and I found myself brimming with fresh ideas and a renewed sense of creative energy. I hope that if you find time to listen to this gorgeous conversation, it might ignite something in you too. You can listen to the episode here or wherever you listen to podcasts.

I’m off to find some sequins…

Alice x