Welcome!
2024
I’m a writer, author, and creator based in Brooklyn, New York. I'm interested in the intersection of creativity, storytelling, and pace. My first book, Slowing, was published by Chronicle Books on September 17, 2024.
Slow Stories has grown in many ways since its inception and will continue to evolve. That said, I wanted to establish a streamlined platform that allows you to access everything in one place. As a subscriber, you'll receive real-time podcast episode updates, book news and behind-the-scenes snippets, personal essays and multimedia stories, and more.
All letters will remain free through the end of 2024 (unless you decide to opt-in to a paid subscription—which would be an incredible gesture to help me continue to sustain and grow this project!). In the meantime, the best way to show your support is to simply subscribe (or purchase a copy of Slowing).
I've meditated on whether it's right for me to start a newsletter in this often fast-moving, saturated landscape, but I've come to envision this as my third creative place—an ever-evolving space to slow down, write, reflect, and commune with you. Thank you for being here.
— Rachel
ABOUT MY BOOK
Slowing (9/17/24, Chronicle Books)
For author and Slow Stories podcast host Rachel Schwartzmann, slowing down has changed her story in ways she could have never imagined. In this poignant and timely collection, she invites us to step away from the turmoil of daily life and awaken to the pleasures of living and creating with intention.
Her captivating essays reveal how slowing down positively affects our minds, relationships, and work, and contributions from a wide range of luminous voices in art, food, design, and beyond—including Sophia Roe, Leah Thomas, and Jezz Chung—explore the magic that emerges when we intentionally shift our relationship to time and productivity culture. Throughout, readers will also find simple-to-follow guided practices for creativity, journaling, and introspection to help them discover their true rhythm and moments of wonder.
Page after page, Slowing is a balm for the stresses of modern life and a rousing call to experience the beauty and joy of slow living.
Order Slowing today!
PRAISE FOR SLOWING
“Slowing combines memoir, interview, and instruction for a volume that feels more like an invitation than a guide. Rachel Schwartzmann wants to coax her readers to recognize slowing as something essential, powerful, and transformative—rather like time itself.”
- ELLE Magazine
“A thoughtful, intentional work filled with reflections and learnings, Slowing serves as much a guide as it does a reminder: Through quieting and easing, we find enrichment and deeper truths—and ultimately, ourselves.”
- Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper
“In a day and age where ‘busy’ is a badge and productivity is paramount, Rachel Schwartzmann’s Slowing is an enchanting and soulful examination of what matters most: time, joy, creativity, and feelings. This is a beautiful book, filled with optimism and light.”
- Debbie Millman, author of Why Design Matters and host of the podcast Design Matters
“The first half-sentence I fell in love with was ‘Worries attach themselves to mailbox keys,’ and everything that followed was a considered balm, though one that provoked such varied thought. Slowing holds awareness and secrets and a close attention, but more than anything, it is such a soft place to land.”
- Ella Frances Sanders, New York Times and internationally bestselling author and illustrator of five books, including Lost in TranslationandEverything, Beautiful
“Rachel Schwartzmann brings a calm, deep, and intentional intelligence to the interviews she does for her [project], Slow Stories. Slowing, an ingeniously interlaced collection of personal essays, interviews, and creative prompts that hit like quiet firecrackers, offers that same steadying feeling. Reading it is the closest I’ve come to experiencing words as focused meditation.”
- Brandon Stosuy, co-founder of The Creative Independent, Editor of Sad Happens, and author of Make Time for Creativity, Stay Inspired, and How to Fail Successfully
“A thoughtful, introspective approach to writing, creating, and being aware of one's own intentions. The accessible daily prompts will help both those who are feeling stuck and those who are looking to dive a level deeper into their work. Rachel Schwartzmann has created a new kind of map which can lead us closer to ourselves.”
- Chelsea Hodson, author of Tonight I’m Someone Else
“Both a reflective guide and a stirring meditation on time, connection, and pace, Slowing shares thoughtful prompts and stories that draw readers inward—to what captures their attention, to what ordinariness sustains them, and to creativity that’s been unfolding within their lives all along.”
- Rainesford Stauffer, journalist and author of All the Gold Stars and An Ordinary Age
