“I’ve come to understand that not everything I write needs to go somewhere. But the act of writing itself—of witnessing—does something to me. It organizes what I didn’t know I was trying to understand. It shows me what I’m circling, what I’m avoiding, what I already know.
Writing, self-publishing, and small acts of attention help me keep my heart from hardening. They’re not solutions—but they’re part of how I stay human.”
I’ll be attending my very first book festival as a self published author this Saturday! I’ll be doing a reading and signing at NWA Book Fest and would love to see you there! It feels surreal and I’m not sure I quite believe it’s real yet.
Find all the festival information here. (Catch me on the main stage at 2:30pm).
A peek into my creative process and current works in progress.
This week I’ve had more “reaching” energy than “rooting.”
You can download either of these printables (Reach & Root or 100 Submissions) here.
I recorded a podcast episode with Kiki from Heiter Magazine. (Coming your way in April.) Podcast interviews take a lot of energy so I am experimenting with quarterly guests this year. In the past I’ve tried weekly or monthly and that has been too much. This is part of my seasonal planning approach and slowing down to find my own pace.
I’m also undertaking a just-for-fun puppet alteration project for a Wheel of Time parody contest. I haven’t done any crafting or fan art in a really long time so this has been fun.
Also Davy is fascinated.
Maybe I’ll share a peek at that next week.
Other bits and bobs I’d like to recommend…
Watch
“I used to think that art had to begreat to be worthwhile. Now, I only think it has to be to be worthwhile.” John Green. Maybe Art Only Needs to Be. Feb 21, 2023.
Me too, John, me too.
Listen
The On Being podcast is BACK and I am loving it! These two episodes were amazing.
“The real practice of the artist is a way of being in the world.”
“It’s hard for me to finish projects because I always see the possibilities of what else we could try and I want to try everything…”
“What I came to realize is that there is a time for this open play. And it’s in those first two parts of the process, the seed phase… and experimenting.”
“By working with sensitive artists, we resonate together in that we’re feeling things that not everybody else is feeling.”
“There is no connection between the amount of time invested and how good something is.”
“The sustainable part of the practice is: start with things that are easy to do.”