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Through stories we transcend.

“It’s very important to transcend the places that hold us.”
~ Rubin Carter in “The Hurricane”

The air is weighted with disappointment, fear, anger. You walk around in a daze, watch ridiculous shows on TV, flare up in anger at the slightest setback. You could stay in that corner, grow silent, be polite. (But you have been polite long enough.) What holds you back from speaking your mind? What stops you from telling your story? It’s one thing, it’s a million. It’s the pounding of your heart in the face of a stranger, your arms frozen at your side. It’s the pull at the back of your head and the voice inside that says, whatever you write down will not be enough. It’s the fear of being vulnerable. Will they listen? Does it matter?

Yes. You are not alone. Our stories connect us. Those connections carry us forward. Speak up, in person or on the page. How else will we transcend?

transcend: girl jumping into water

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Your Next #Writing Move

Drawing of online connectionIn teaching courses online, I’ve been asked about the options of creating an outside opportunity for connecting during the course or even after the course. Some suggestions have included setting up a social media group, but not everyone is on social media or wants to interact over social media. Never mind that, depending on the metrics, posts may be visible or not in one feed or another. Still, after spending several weeks of (often intense) writing and critique, the desire to stay connected remains.

Red Oak Writing logoWhen writers are local, I never hesitate to spotlight Red Oak Writing as one of my favorite ways to connect with others. There’s a strong community of writers who move in and out of Red Oak’s studio, and Kim Suhr, the director, offers an ongoing rotation of writing & critique groups (online or in-person) plus plenty of Saturday workshops for anyone looking to hone their craft.

But I have been playing with the idea of setting up a different kind of group, one that functions between courses and critiques in a casual and generative kind of way, one that aims to satisfy parts of Forest Avenue Press’ Main Street Writers Movement pledge:

to encourage my neighbor writers in creative art.
to foster…
to support…
to introduce new friends to  my core community….

I know how difficult it can be to break away from the daily routine. If there’s a space, an invitation, and a gentle push from another writer facing similar challenges, I’m more likely to show up, put the kettle on, and set pen to paper. I’m more likely to encourage the writer across the table from me, and we–together– will create more art.

But here’s the thing: does this need to be in-person only? Is there even any interest in arranging another opportunity outside of the ones already found in your local area and mine? This is where you come in. If you’re itching to connect with other writers but are wondering how, if you’re local and just want space and a warm cup of tea at the ready, if you are willing…fill out a few questions via the survey below. Let’s talk about your next move…our next move.

Here’s the link >> Writers Meet-Up Survey.

(The survey is anonymous and will be open until February 17, 2018.)

If you’re not local to the Milwaukee area but are still interested in the possibilities, go ahead and click the link and take the survey. There’s a space for that kind of conversation as well.

 

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#CaringForCommunity: Inside & Outside

#CaringForCommunity is a blog series that spotlights the work of writers, artists, or your next-door neighbors who, without being asked and without pay, carry the light in simple but meaningful ways. These are people giving back in order to lift others up. Real life examples of compassion, concern, and inspiration.

Inside

The last time I posted on #CaringForCommunity, I mentioned Tricklebee Cafe in Milwaukee, a pay-what-you-can community restaurant that serves organic, locally-sourced food. My husband and I ate there recently, and let’s just say I felt good all around, belly and soul.

For this edition of the blog series, I want to spotlight Curt’s Cafe in Evanston, IL. Curt’s Cafe is a nonprofit organization that runs along a similar philosophy, opening their doors to young people in need of compassion, acceptance, and a place to connect.

“The mission of Curt’s Cafe is to offer job skill and life skill training to highly, highly at-risk young men and young women and help them with those skills, then help them get a job and keep a job. . . . And we don’t turn anyone away, no matter what they’ve done.” ~ Susan Trieschmann, Executive Director

Watch That’s My Child (above, from Small Forces on Vimeo) about Curt’s Cafe. Checkout their website. Better yet, when in Evanston, stop in for a cup of coffee and a dose of kindness.

Outside

After you sip that coffee cup of inspiration, head home, pop a Zyrtec, and get back outside to spread more love. This time in your garden. Rebecca Straus in “Grow These 50 Pollen-Rich Plants to Help Your Local Honeybees” (Organic Life) explains:

It’s no secret honeybee populations are hurting. Colony collapse disorder, which occurs when the majority of worker bees in a hive disappear, abandoning the queen, baby bees, nurse bees, and food, is decimating hives at an astounding rate. And a shortage of honeybees can have a very real impact on our food supply. Farmers who grow crops from strawberries to squash to almonds rely on hives of traveling honeybees to pollinate their fields. No bees means no food.

I like food. So does Tricklebee, so does Curt’s. And you. Consider it #CaringForCommunity in the round, beginning on one tiny city lot and reaching well beyond.

“…one of the easiest steps you can take is to grow more plants that honeybees like to feast on for nectar and pollen. Here are the flowers, shrubs, trees, herbs, and—yes—weeds that will give honeybees (and native pollinators!) a helping hand.”

A little hay fever for a happy beehive? I say, Yes. And I bet there’s a patch of yard within eyesight that could use a little color.

Think coneflower and crocus and pretty, flowering onions.