UPDATES...
May has arrived in all its glory and I have the cabin fever to prove it.
I keep catching myself staring out of my office window at the birds making a racket in the trees and daydreaming about tackling the disaster area that is my yard.
Even after nearly seven years (!!!) since leaving Maine, the earlier spring here in the PNW still catches me off guard.
But enough about the weather…
Since my monkey brain can’t seem to settle today, I’m going to keep this short and sweet with some quickie news and updates for you:
(1) I’ve opened registration for my June Say The Word retreat a little early— mostly because I’m super excited about it and want to start talking about it!
This half-day retreat is all about living a creative life, which might be my favorite topic behind curiosity.
Every human is deeply creative and the way that creativity shows up in each of our lives can look vastly different.
We’ll be exploring how it shows up for YOU and how to embrace it more fully in the context of your day-to-day life.
We’ll also be talking about why embracing our creativity matters, because it really, really does.
This is NOT an art retreat, though we’ll have plenty of space to talk about how to fit making art into your life if that’s how creativity shows up for you.
If you don’t think you’re a creative person, I encourage you to join us and find out why that’s not true.
If you DO see yourself as a creative person, come join us and figure out ways to deepen that relationship to creativity and how to get more of it into your day-to-day.
If you just need a few hours of self-care and have no idea how creativity fits into your life, come join us and give your curiosity free reign in a supportive environment.
The details:
June 17, 2023
12-4pm EST
$97 early-bird pricing through May 17 (then $127)
******UPDATE 5/9/23: SOLD OUT!!******** (Thank you so much for jumping right on this, you guys!!)
(2) The podcast is on pause indefinitely…
A few of you have asked about the podcast and I can’t tell you how much it means to me to have you invested in it. I’ve appreciated every single listener.
The short version is that I’ve received some critical feedback about the books I’ve chosen to include, etc and little of it has been kind in its delivery.
I’d like to mention that the outrage has not actually come from any member of the marginalized communities whose work I’ve shared. Not once.
I’m open to feedback and it’s always mattered to me to create an inclusive space, and I felt open to hearing ways I could improve, but that’s not what this has really seemed to be.
I have more to say here, when I can figure out a way to say it right…I have thoughts.
But the point here is to say that I’ve found in the last several months that there is now a knot in my stomach every time I sit down to work on my podcast, and, frankly, I’ve come to dread it.
I started it because I love to read and I think books are a beautiful gateway to curiosity, conversation, community, empathy, and joy.
I wanted to share a little of that and put something fun and uplifting into the world.
It was never anything that I made money from and was something I just enjoyed making and sharing.
I don’t enjoy it anymore.
So I’m hitting the pause button.
Maybe it will seem fun again in the future and I’ll pick it back up. Maybe not. I don’t know.
For now, there will be no new episodes.
(3) I’m looking for 6-10 beta-testers:
I have been working for nearly two years now on getting certified as a book coach (so much happening behind the scenes that I can’t wait to share over the next few months!) and I’m in the final stages.
It has been a process that I have LOVED every single minute of, and I’m so, so, SO excited for this next step.
If you or someone you know...
is interested in writing fiction
has an idea for a book but is struggling to figure out how to turn that idea into a manuscript
has reached a “stuck” point in their writing process
has a finished manuscript draft that they’re in the revision process on
has a finished manuscript that they feel will be ready to pitch in the next 2-3 months
…and is interested in getting coached for free, shoot me an email so we can talk.
Well, that ended up not being so “quick” after all, but thanks for sticking with me!
Have a fantastic week and as always…stay curious out there.