Marti Maley
Bio
Hi 🙂 my name is Marti. I am an artist and healer living in Alaska & Arizona. I believe in good coffee, chihuahuas, and mental health. I love connecting with fellow artists💛 @msmartimaley
Achievements (1)
Stories (34)
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More than a Mom
The runner’s jog past me, eyes downcast and shoulders sagging. It is the 20-mile mark, the most challenging leg of the 26.2-mile race. A cheer from the crowd perks them up, and the marathoner’s posture changes, making their feet a little lighter. I clap along with them, but my eyes scan the horde for the only person I truly care about: my mom. I see her in the distance, her powerful legs moving rhythmically as she approaches the checkpoint, her arms pumping. “GO MOM!” I shout out excitedly. My dad and brother join in, and we continue cheering in unison until she’s right in front of us. Breathing heavily, she acknowledges us with a smile and continues on, body and mind resolute. She has more than three hours of non-stop running behind her and still more than an hour left to go. As I watch her round the corner, I think to myself for the millionth time: My mom is a superhero.
By Marti Maley2 years ago in Families
Peace of Body
I have to admit, I’m sick and tired of trying to change my body. I find the same diet trends that disappear and then resurface on instagram anxiety-inducing; the flurry of workouts that pop up incessantly on facebook exhausting. I’m burnt out from the high protein breakfast ideas, as well as the “what I eat in a day” trends that seem almost identical. Even more so, I‘m frustrated that despite living in an era that is more than ever in favor of loving your body, I still struggle with accepting mine. All this being said, I still find myself taking screen-shots of brownies made from sweet potatoes that I’m never going to try.
By Marti Maley2 years ago in Journal
Healer, Heal Myself
Since the age of six, as long as I have kept a diary, I have signed it, “Love, Me.” Even as a kid, before countless magazine articles and email newsletters promoting self-worth bombarded my mailbox, I was drawn to the concept of loving yourself…or at least, trying to. Nevertheless, despite understanding this early on, I have spent most of my thirty-two years criticizing, critiquing, and reprehending myself. Judging myself. Wishing I was someone else. And yet, I’ve never given up on my incessant quest for self-acceptance. I read A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson so many times I can quote it. I kept gratitude journals, repeated affirmations, and listened to podcasts. I purchased an absurd amount of bergamot-scented candles. But for some reason, focusing all of this energy solely on myself never quite clicked for me. It wasn’t until I began shifting my awareness to helping others that my relationship with myself finally began to heal.
By Marti Maley2 years ago in Humans
La neige à Paris
The streets of Paris are almost deserted. It is almost 10pm on a weeknight in January, the slowest month of the year. There is a stillness to the streets that is surprising compared to the commotion and bustle of London, where we’ve just taken a train from. I stare out the window, perched on a wooden stool in a cleverly hidden cocktail bar, half-listening to the bartender give my Boyfriend recommendations for modern French cuisine. Every so often a person passes by, bundled up and hunched over from the cold. I turn to my drink, belly warm from the alcohol, and sip slowly. As I lower my glass, my eyes widen.
By Marti Maley2 years ago in Fiction
A Midwinter Awakening
There is snow in my boots. My face stings from the cold, ears numb. My fingers are stiff, frigid even though they are gloved. I stuff them into my pockets to shield them from the wind. My steps are small, unsteady, as if my body refuses to respond to the below-freezing temperature.
By Marti Maley2 years ago in Fiction
