Write-In Schedule for May
Plus a few thought on rest and renewal
“Almost everything will work if you unplug it for a few minutes... including you.” — Anne Lamott
After a very dry winter in the Rocky Mountains, we are finally seeing some moisture. I happen to love grey days. They remind me to slow down and rest—something I’ve been sorely missing in my life lately. Although I’m well aware of the perils associated with pushing past the boundaries of burnout, sometimes it’s hard to slow down. There is so much to do. There is ALWAYS so much to do. And so today, I’m taking a moment to remind myself (and those of you following me on this journey) that it’s okay to pause and reflect. It’s okay to step away from your desk and do something else for a change. Your novel and stories and emails and promotion and interviews will still be waiting for you when you return. You have permission to breathe. You have permission to take time for yourself—time that doesn’t have a goal attached to it. In fact, you’ll be better for it. Trust me.
This might seem like an odd post attached to a schedule urging you to show up at set times to work, but write-ins are more than productivity sessions. They are a place to commune and commiserate. They are a safe space without expectations. Sometimes we write. Other times we read or doodle or daydream. A creative mind needs a sense of play. It needs time for joy.
In workshop, we are a third of the way through the SEASON OF THE SERPENT and just finished discussing fairy tales under the umbrella of The Kind and the Unkind Girls (ATU 480). One of the more well-known variants of this tale type is “Les Fées” or “The Fairies” (also known “Diamonds and Toads”) by Charles Perrault. In discussion, I realized that I’m famous for being unkind to myself. Later, when I tried to press myself to whittle away at the stack of overdue stories and essays, I realized I couldn’t push through another paragraph. And so, for the first time in a long time, I decided to be kind to myself. I picked up a book of Grimms’ Fairy Tales and engaged in playful erasure. It was truly delightful, and I felt creative inspiration peeking around the corner.
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” — Aesop
The deadlines are still there, but I’m determined to dedicate time to refilling my creative well this month. I’m going to keep poking at fairy tales, looking at ways to retell them in poetic forms subverting the original Grimm versions. I’m also planning to read a few new books that have been languishing on my nightstand for months now. If you want to play along, I’ll be reading The Vital Spark: Reclaim Your Outlaw Energies and Find Your Feminine Fire by Lisa Marchiano, Catching the Big Fish: Motivation, Consciousness, and Creativity by David Lynch, and The Hurting Kind: Poems by Ada Limón.
In May, we will be meeting at our regularly scheduled times on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. For those of you unfamiliar with the write-ins, these productivity sessions are a perk for paid subscribers. You can join us for as little as $10 a month. It’s a wonderful and supportive community. Feel free to join us.
Write-In Schedule
Tuesdays: May 5, 12, 19, 26; 10 am-11:15 MST/ noon-1:15 pm EST
Wednesdays: May 6, 13, 20, 27; 5-6:15 pm MST/ 7-8:15 pm EST
Saturdays: May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; 2-3:15 pm MST/ 4-5:15 pm EST
To find the correct translation for your time zone, visit https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/. If you join us for them all, you will have TWELVE solid hours of scheduled writing time with the support of our wonderful community. I hope to see you there!
Schedule
Tuesdays: May 5, 12, 19, 26; 10 am-11:15 MST/ noon-1:15 pm EST
Wednesdays: May 6, 13, 20, 27; 5-6:15 pm MST/ 7-8:15 pm EST
Saturdays: May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; 2-3:15 pm MST/ 4-5:15 pm EST
Zoom Meeting Link
Topic: Storied Imaginarium Write-In Link
Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86452295793?pwd=4TOIQu4b1xTzjc3m1afDLJmHLISKLY.1
Meeting ID: 864 5229 5793
Passcode: 487794