Newsletters
September Newsletter
Not everyone is as sure as this bee
Not everyone is as sure as this bee heading towards the desired center of the sunflower. For many of us, the summer is a time to take a break from writing projects and just unwind and refresh. I know for myself returning to work on my long-term project seems a bit daunting. Meshing creative work with demands of everyday life feels almost impossible. In order to get back to what I love, I’ve returned over the last month to some habits that got me started with writing and ones that keep me going. Perhaps there’s something for you, too.
Seek other writers and creative people. I am so grateful for my writing community: my own workshops, my regular writing group with an AWA leader, my AWA colleagues, and my poetry group. Connect with others and plan to meet, share work, or just talk about writing. Maybe attend readings or lectures. Hold your own writing salon. Do a gallery walk. And write.
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Reread and revise your old work. In the spirit of being less critical and more celebratory, I reread work that pleases me, and noticed what’s working and then revamped some old poems. Start small here and pick one piece.
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​Surround yourself with which inspires you. On my daily walks, I’m returning to a podcast series I love, Poetry Unbound. And on a rainy day, I pulled out books from the shelf: poetry, memoir, fiction, writing techniques. I’m savoring what I find speaks to my creative self. (Yes, I write in my books;) Try to set aside sometime every day to devote to this and see what comes.
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​Try a new, creative endeavor or return to one for new perspectives: I’ve taken so many photos over the past years. Going back through them gets me to think of the stories within the frame, before the frame, and after. And I’m dancing more—in the kitchen when cooking or on the porch.
Being in nature: For me, being in nature is a must. Walk the same path every day and look small changes.
If you have a particular practice which gets you in the writing mode after a break, email me, and I’ll share it in my next newsletter.
In the Spirit of Writing.
Summer
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