Welcome to The P.L.A.Y. Papers: Letters From the Second Act
This is where I start over—and write the whole damn thing in real time.
Hi, I’m Tanya.
I’m a writer, a former actor, an operations wizard, a soul-led strategist, and a multi-passionate creative living inside the beautiful chaos of reinvention, with a suitcase in one hand and a journal full of plot twists in the other.
One year ago, I had a job I was great at, a marriage I thought was solid (fool me), and a life that looked pretty damn polished on paper.
Now?
I’m 45. Nomadic. Unpartnered. Rebuilding everything from scratch and collecting character-building moments like they’re loyalty points.
And honestly?
I’ve never felt more alive, or more like myself
So what is this, exactly?
The P.L.A.Y. Papers are a living, breathing creative work. A home for stories, strategy, truth-telling, and soul liberation.
It’s part newsletter, part memoir-in-motion, part anti-hustle manifesto for humans ready to stop performing and start living from their core.
We talk business. We talk heartbreak. We talk purpose, systems, magic, and mess. Think of it like therapy, storytelling, and business school had a sleepover—and brought the Pina Coladas!
This is for anyone, regardless of gender, who wants to wake up to their truth, unlearn the noise, and build a life that feels aligned, alive, and authentic.
And at the heart of it all? P.L.A.Y.
What is P.L.A.Y.?
P.L.A.Y. stands for:
Purpose – Living with intention, clarity, and meaning.
Liberation – Releasing the expectations, rules, and roles that never fit you in the first place.
Authenticity – Owning your truth, voice, and how you want to move through the world.
YOU – Because you’re the secret sauce. Always.
We need P.L.A.Y. in how we build businesses. But we also need it in our relationships. Our self-love. Our goals. Our bodies. Our joy. Our rest. Our adventure. Our art. Our everything.
This isn’t about perfection—it’s about permission.
Why now?
Because when everything fell apart—my job, my marriage, my so-called plan—I realized I’d built a life that wasn't really mine.
I was heartbroken. Yes.
But more than that?
I was just… broken.
Everything felt like it had cracked open. For the first time in decades, I had to ask myself: What do I really want?
And that question took me back to the girl I used to be.
The ten-year-old who loved to write. She dreamed of seeing the world and writing books about her adventures. She started a magazine with her bestie and typed away on an electric typewriter, fully convinced she was the next Judy Blume, until someone told her she couldn’t spell (or write). Rude.
At 45, I’ve decided: no more letting other people define what’s possible.
You deserve to feel good in your bones, regardless of age, title, relationship status, or follower count. You deserve to P.L.A.Y.
We all need to let our ten-year-old selves come out and play again.
So I started learning, remembering, honouring my core values, trusting my intuition, listening to my energy, and rebuilding from the inside out.
It was messy. It was magic. It was mine.
And I’m sharing it all here.
What do I write about?
Twice weekly, you’ll get a mix of:
P - Phoenix Diaries
Personal stories of transformation, heartbreak, and rebuilding from ground zero.
L - Letters to Viv
Open, soul-packed letters to the kind of human I write for: the curious, creative, exhausted by the hustle, and craving something more.
A - Aligned & Awake
My reflections on life through travel, human design, energy, astrology, and emotional clarity. Not as a guru. Just one person figuring it out in real time.
Y - Your Way Works
The behind-the-scenes of how I live and build, from operations to processes to strategy. This is where hustle dies, where my projector energy (we’ll talk about Human Design) thrives. Where alignment becomes the plan, this is where we reimagine business through the lens of purpose, rest, creative flow, and unapologetic self-leadership. Business gets to feel like P.L.A.Y. And yes, spreadsheets can be sexy when you use them to reclaim your life.
Bonus Magic
You might even get a sneak peek into the YA fantasy trilogy I’m writing, complete with rich worlds, strange portals, and colourful characters you’ll want to meet.
Move over, Tolkien and J.K. Rowling, a new fantasy voice is in town with spellcheck and a vision!
Why subscribe?
Because you’re tired of pretending.
Because you’re craving ease, creativity, and something that feels like you.
Because you’re starting over, or dreaming about it.
Because you want to build a life—and a business—that fits.
This is where we play.
This is where we rise.
Also, I’m funny. You’ll probably snort at least once a week.
This is where the second act begins.
xo,
Tanya
Finally digging into the reads - let’s go - love this, write your heart out Tanya!
Love this idea Tanya, can’t wait to red more about it!