The Habit Kate Gaston Is Generous. And Hospitable.
Sep 29, 2025
Kate Gaston, a talented essayist and the mind behind the Substack That Middle Distance, shares her insights on creativity and hospitality. She discusses how confessing envy can free creative work, emphasizing vulnerability's role in relationships. Kate reflects on the transformative power of community and generosity, highlighting her journey from medicine to writing. She also explores how sharing the messy process of creativity fosters connection among artists and praises the hospitable spaces at Northwind Manor that nurture creative growth.
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Balancing Solitude And Fellowship
- Writers need both long stretches of solitude and protective fellowship to produce work without collapsing into self-absorption.
- Jonathan frames retreats as structured solitude that balances alone time with community check-ins to sustain creativity.
Process Sharing As Generosity
- Sharing unfinished process is a distinct form of generosity that builds relational trust among artists.
- Kate argues vulnerability about creative struggle helps others see making as attainable and communal.
From Private Writing To Public Calling
- Kate describes arriving at a Habit retreat as a non-writer and reading her work aloud for the first time.
- That weekend showed her the power of candid conversation and peer encouragement to transform a private practice into a vocation.
