Summoning her ‘Moxie’

by Linda Lee Purvis

Looking back a double decade ago to the dawning days of the Cosmos, I recall how refreshing I thought that new paper was for our quaint town. Having connections to Haliburton, I always enjoyed their local newspaper’s mashup of community news, stories of everyday people, emphasis on the arts and theatre, freelance opinions, and spotlights on nature - all evidence of their small town community spirit.

When the Cosmos emerged, it was of a similar vibe, steeped in personality, edge, and a non-flimsy kinda whimsy. This was an easy to consume paper with enough nourishment to keep one fed for the week, and without all the starch. I was a quick fan.

Intrigued and inspired, I reached out to founder/publisher Conrad Boyce to chat over coffee, sharing a few of my thoughts and taking a quick read of the creative mind behind the drawing board. It didn’t take long to see his bright light was committed to blaze the long road ahead that producing such a venture would require. Soon thereafter, I was delighted to have the opportunity to contribute my own freelance scribblings to the Cosmos over time.

My patchwork of articles in the Cosmos illuminated community arts, people, and places, and as a creator, this was a joy. I was also invited to contribute to a number of collective works with various themes such as Christmases remembered, or heart-warming Canada Day tales, that were assembled like colourful scribed tiles, and grouted together in print as a vibrant storied mosaic. My favourite, however, was writing my own column: Magnolia’s Moxie, named after my studio, Magnolia’s. There, I shared seasonal ideas and creative projects to inspire readers with simple pleasures for home and soul. I’m truly delighted to have been a part of those early days and have loved watching it grow.

Linda Lee Purvis is a practitioner at Synergy Life Arts, a creative wellness & lifestyle studio. She also conducts the Sound Bowl meditations at the Thomas Foster Memorial throughout the summer months.