issue 4 editors note

Editors’ Note

Lovely Readers,

We meet again– or perhaps this is our first time meeting (in which case, welcome). I hope you are doing as best as you can, provided all that is happening around us as of late. I hope you are finding moments of rest, peace, and joy with the people you love, as much as you are able.

This is our fourth quarterly issue, and our fifth issue overall. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been doing this for over a year now. I am forever grateful to our contributors (both past and current), as well as you: the reader. Without you, this wouldn’t be possible. So, thank you for being here. Thank you for coming along for the ride, whether it’s your first time here, or your fifth. This started as a daydream in the summer of 2024, and has evolved into the most welcoming, warm, open-minded community. There aren’t words to adequately express my love for each of you – those of you who have been here from the beginning, those of you who started somewhere in the middle, and those of you who are here for the very first time. You all matter. You all make a difference, here and abroad. Thank you.

When I started wildscape, my initial goal was to provide a space for feeling deeply, safely. Within this issue (and every issue), I welcome you with open arms to read, feel, and breathe. The written pieces and art ahead are meant to offer you the warmest of hugs, as you briefly leave the the real world behind and walk in the shoes of others for awhile. Please, give yourself the space you need to cry, feel joy, and heal, as you take in these works.

All that being said: Come on in, my friends. I’m so glad you’re here. I hope you get from this the warmth, heartache, and motivation to keep moving forward, that I felt while first reading and viewing these pieces. I hope that when you finish reading this issue, you take the deep breath you’ve been holding on to. I hope you know that you belong here, and you matter so, so much. I hope you keep fighting.

With all the love in my heart,
Ophelia M.