Category: community

It’s SO in my Head

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I’ve thought a lot the past few years about how my thoughts create my reality.

I know. It’s all a little “woo woo.” But it’s true.

After slamming my head into the sidewalk two weeks ago during a run, I’ve spent time recovering with a bruised, scraped, and sore face. It seems every little thing reminds me of how much I hurt. A wire clothes hanger fell out of my closet and hit me in the forehead. Usually it’s not such a big deal, but this week? OUCH. And then there’s the pretty color of my face–a greenish yellow, a pukish color that has remained after the black and blue.

But I would have been ok with that incident. After all, it could have been so much worse.

Then, my right hand, the one with the arthritis in the thumb basal joint, started acting up. It seems I may have carpal tunnel, too. Even trying to unload the dishwasher made me wince.

So I’ve been grumpy. Really grumpy. And taking it out on everyone.

Yesterday, I realized I can let myself be so overcome by the darkness that I fail to see the light–my wonderful writing groups, the progress I’m making on my memoir, good friends and family, and a fabulous place to hang out during the day.

As George Harrison once said, it’s all in the mind. Here comes the sun…..

A New Space

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I’ve been busy.

This fall I moved my writing studio into a new space with two artist friends, Elizabeth Seaver and Lynette Reed. We call it Water Studio Writing and Arts, after the street on which we “live,” which used to be called Water Street. (Wow, that was an awkward sentence!)

We hope to offer integrated writing/art classes as well as our traditional writing workshops and art classes. The best part? Being with creative people. Last Friday we had nearly 100 people stop by with good wishes! We are so grateful for friends who support us in our new adventure.

Here are a few photos of the artwork, our classes, and some of the items in our gift shop. And if you want to visit our Facebook page or blog, please do! That’s one of the reasons I haven’t been posting much here. Maintaining two Twitter feeds, two blogs, and FB on top of everything we needed to do to get set up. Well, I’m a little over the top.

But now that we’re in, I’m ready to write. I worked on a poem (taken from the draft of an essay) today. And I think it has potential.

And today a new writing friend brought these. Folded paper cranes, a perfect gift to spread happiness around our new home.

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I’m feeling settled. And that’s a good place to be.

 

 

Advice From a Friend

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Awww, just get over yourself.

Yep, that’s what he said, nicely, but to the point. Steve Watkins, author and yoga teacher happens to live in my town. I met him a few months ago at a reading/musical event, and I asked if he’d be willing to teach a class at my studio.

Yes, he said. And–wow, we’re doing it.

Steve is not only a great writer (I’ve read his book of short stories –My Chaos Theory- and I’m falling in love with Dewey right now). he’s also a down-to-earth really nice guy. As we chatted about the class, relationships, and writing, he urged me to send some of my poetry to a local literary journal.

I hesitated, saying I wasn’t sure I wanted to be so public and on display (which is kind of stupid since I write here so often). And that’s when he said, smiling: Get over yourself.

I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

Seth Godin talks about not only getting to do the good parts of anything:

You don’t get to just do the good parts. Of course. In fact, you probably wouldn’t have chosen this path if it was guaranteed to work every time.

The implication of this might surprise you, though: when the tough parts come along, the rejection and the slog and the unfair bad breaks, it makes sense to welcome them. Instead of cursing or fearing the down moments, understand that they mean you’ve chosen reality, not some unsustainable fantasy. It means that you’re doing worthwhile, difficult work, not merely amusing yourself.

Facing comments about my writing, feeling the sting of rejection, these aren’t the parts of writing I look forward to. I don’t write to become well known. I do write because I love telling stories with words. So I can either keep them all contained in my new MacBook Pro, or I can send them out to the world and hope they find, as I’ve said before, “an audience of one.”

Steve offered to take a look at three of my recent poems, and he sent back solid suggestions and ways for me to rethink them. What a gift.

The very thing you’re seeking only exists because of the whole. We can’t deny the difficult parts, we have no choice but to embrace them.~Seth Godin

A Crush

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Brene Brown speaks to me. She opens her mouth, and I nod. Sigh. Smile.

I’ve read all her books, and I’ve downloaded her recent Daring Greatly to my kindle. She makes her research approachable, inviting, and meaningful.

This interview with Jonathan Fields from The GoodLife Project touches on so many important ideas: vulnerability, writing, parenting, teaching, and what makes a good life. It’s worth watching.

#digiwrimo