Goals, Projects, Practices
...and an invitation to hear me read my work
Greetings, dear reader,
Here in the woods of Connecticut, there was a taste of spring on Sunday. I toured our yard to see who was peeking through the dirt–signs of sedum and rhubarb, daffs and daylilies, and even my favorite peonies. I opened windows and the door between the house and the screened porch, and even though the air was a little chilly, I luxuriated in the freshness of it. Out in the woods, skunk cabbage and witch hazel are blooming. Early harbingers of flowers to come.
Goals, Projects, and Practices
Last week I signed up for a 5k. I’d stopped running in December, opting for after work tea time with Neal rather than after work running alone. Going over two months without a run warranted my revisiting the Couch to 5k program I used to get ready for my first 5k in 2022. So, Sunday I did my first training walk-run. It was glorious to be out in the woods in the afternoon (dog hikes are usually early in the morning) and equally glorious to start working towards a goal.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a project person. I start loads of projects and complete many of them. Projects aren’t the same as goals, though. With a goal, I’m setting out to achieve some specific thing (run a 5k and beat my time on the same course last year), and I’m following a prescribed approach to reach that goal (Couch to 5k workouts with designated running up hill training once a week–this course starts with a short, steep uphill, and last year I struggled because of it.). WIth a project, I’ve usually got a series in mind. I may have a fixed number in that series (100 days. 366 days.), but very little is prescribed. I feel my way through projects. Trust my intuition. Make changes as I practice.
Practicing, I’ve discovered, is where it’s at for me. In eleven days, I will mark my 3,000 consecutive day of yoga practice. Every day rolling out my mat is a different experience. Some days I am able to drop a pin in the moment. Some days I feel stronger than others. Some days moving my body with my breath gives me deep joy. Some days I wonder why I’m doing it at all.
Well, maybe training for the 5k is a practice, too. Maybe it’s a project. The prescriptive nature of my 5k training differentiates it, though. Do you find you have different approaches to goals and practices, or are they the same for you?
Upcoming Creative Patina Workshops
While my teaching partner Joyce Hayden and I focus on writing when we write our course descriptions, the truth is that our goal is to help our participants to create a creative practice. Write poetry or prose–we’d love to see both. Draw. Collage. We provide context, write inspiring prompts; you bring your creativity in whatever form it wants to take. Here’s a link to our Spring Workshops. Our first workshop on March 25, 7-8:30 EST is one of our favorites to teach: Hermit Crabs. Here’s the description:
“Found Forms: Constructing Hermit Crab Poems” Hermit crabs are not suited to one shell for life. They constantly seek their optimal environment, one that allows them to grow as they need to. Such is the way with a Hermit Crab Poem, an inventive structured writing that Brenda Miller’s book, Tell it Slant, introduced to many people. Sometimes, in order to tell a difficult or vulnerable story, a unique “form” or structure must be found to contain the specific content.
In this participatory workshop, we’ll work together to create a list of possible found forms for poems such as field guide entries, a course syllabus, or a college application. Hermit crab writing examples will be shared. A focus on consciously combining specific form and content will allow for a deeper connection to the themes you choose to explore. Participants will be provided with sample hermit crab poems for guidance, time to write, and an opportunity to share their new poem and discuss their writing experience.
A Month Celebrating Women Meeting at Westfield State University & on Zoom–Join me!
As part of the Month Celebrating Women events on my campus, I’ve been invited to read my Rumpus essay “Enough! Words as the Way: Rediscovering My Sister and Myself Forty Years After Her Assault”. I’ll give you a content warning now–it’s about kidnapping, sexual assault, and the aftermath on the survivor’s family. It’s probably the most important thing I’ve ever written. I’ll be reading alongside Leah Nielsen, who will be sharing her recently published essay about the complexities of mother-daughter relationships and loss during Covid.
If you are local to Western Mass, join us at the Arno Maris Art Gallery on Thursday, March 21, 5:00 p.m. Our EGST and JEDI programs are supporting us by providing a lovely array of food and beverages. We’ll also be streaming the reading on Zoom. Here’s the link: https://westfield-ma.zoom.us/j/2860244052
I’d love to see you there!
Script for Demanding a Ceasefire in Gaza
I believe I will do more good by making phone calls and writing emails/letters to elected officials than by posting my protests on my social media feed. I admire the folx who use their social media effectively for protest, but I’ve made the choice to take different actions. Actions focused on my own responsibility as a citizen. If that’s more your style, you might find this script for calling elected officials to demand a ceasefire in Gaza helpful.
Link List:
Books I’m reading:
Subtract by Leidy Klotz. A friend mentioned it to me, and since I often swamp myself by taking on more than I need to, I thought I’d read it. I’ll let you know what I think when I finish it.
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin. This is my before-bed book. Still dipping into it each night.
What I’m Watching:
The Nettle Dress. Partly a fairy tale, partly a grief primer, partly a love story…and entirely a maker’s fantasy, I urge you to find it and watch it. I may stop watching any other media for a while just so this film has enough room to linger in my mind (see, look at me subtracting!)
How I’m moving:
My friend Romalyn talked about the Japanese Radio exercises. I had to know what she was talking about, so I turned to Google. Let me tell you: if you’re in a slump, do this, and in under 5 minutes you’ll feel revived!
What I’m Eating:
I declared March to be “Mediterranean March” in our kitchen. Oh, we won’t be 100% Mediterranean, but there’s enough evidence that it’s a healthy lifestyle, so I’m embracing it by making this soup (so good!) and this slow cooker vegan cassoulet (can it be cassoulet without confit? I don’t know, but as I’m vegetarian, I’ll give this recipe a try) as a start.
Creative Prompt: Go outside with a notebook and pencil. Find a place to sit comfortably (or stand for a while). Spend 10 minutes really looking at your location. You might focus on a tree or other plant, or maybe the birdsong you’re hearing or how the air feels. After attending to your senses in the place you’ve selected, spend another 10 minutes writing down all of the specific details you can. Don’t edit or stop. Later use what you’ve written to create something new–a poem, a story, a drawing.
Thanks, as always, for reading this.
xx,
Beverly