This Week, September 1, 2024
Nine Things of Interest
1) Come See
Watch me stumble over my show's name, Yield: A Quixotic Quest to Rescue Virtue. I'm often too clever for my own good. For the life of me, I could not think of the word quixotic!
The show is up until Sept. 22. The Ragged Edge, 504 Bluff St., Cedar Falls, is open Thursdays through Sundays. Hint: Thursday nights are a very chill night to sample bespoke cocktails. So, if you haven't seen the show, or it was too crowded opening night and you didn't get to see all that you wanted, swing by.
Hours for the Ragged Edge:
Thursday 4–9 PM
Friday 4–10 PM
Saturday 3–10 PM
Sunday 2–6 PM
2) Find Your Joy!
I highly recommend this FREE online course to jump start your play with your creative soul The course started Thursday, but you can still join.
3) Reach
"Listen to your heart and trust the direction you are being pulled. Something inside you already knows what to do." Spring Washam
I love the aerialists of the plant world, morning glories, clematis, peas, sweet peas. They reach blindly, hoping to latch on to something, driven to reach, reach, reach for the sun. And their reaching is so driven, they leap out of the ground and start climbing.
Even when all they find is air, they keep reaching. I need this message. Sometimes, the point is to reach for the unknown, to find our foothold, to embrace the unknown with trust, to let go of the center and the old growth.
May you reach, reach, reach for the sun, trusting that your heart knows what it's doing, even if you don't.
4) Romeo and Juliet meet Fireborne
My dear friend Dorothy Winsor is revealing her cover for the sequel to a book I loved!
If you came to my author events, you might have heard Dorothy speak about her writing process. She crafts the best books for tweens (officially, her designation is young adult fiction for those 12-18). Her books are such good romps that I love reading them.
This book is called Dragoncraft. The exciting sequel to Glass Girl is out on September 21.
Tireless snoop Addy and dragon-inspired glassmaker Emlin may be in love, but her father betrayed his brother, and someone still wants the brother dead. In a treacherous world, they struggle to protect their families while hanging on to one another.
It's available for pre-order here.
5) Find Your Joy Taster Opening Day?
Sign-up here
I have some questions from some of you. So here are the answers:
1) No, it's not too late to sign up if you haven't
2) You can watch the opening session at your leisure. Click here:
3) The lessons are sent to your email. They are released early in the morning in the UK, so they should be in your inbox every morning.
4) The Facebook group page is for fun. Participate or not, use it as inspiration, but don't expect a critique.
I want to share how I'm approaching the course this year. I heard this somewhere but can't recall where, so can't give credit for the idea. I'm using the back of wallpaper for my exercises for Taste Your Joy this year.
I spent the hour of the welcome session gessoing the back of the paper. The recommendation was to use wallpaper liner paper. But Menards didn't have any, so I snagged a "paintable" wallpaper roll for under $16. So much paper!! So little pressure.
And now I can get over one of my biggest hang-ups: The preciousness of the supplies makes me want to do "Great Work." Wallpaper gives me the freedom to mess around, have fun, and play.
If you take this course, it's unlikely that you will end up with a finished piece. And that is wonderful. It takes so much pressure off to knock around, be open to new discoveries, and find what gives you pleasure.
Someone commented, "There are loads of people in this course." And there are! One of the moderators said more than 16,000 people are taking the course, which I love. I don't have to "perform" or show my work unless I want to. It's a place to sit back and enjoy the ride.
I'm promoting this course because it's free and high-quality. I'm not paid anything or benefitting from this promotion in any way. I'm promoting this class because connecting with our creative spirits makes life joyful. And I want YOU to experience joy.
Note the picture with my fingers covered in paint. The physicality of acrylics gives me such joy!
Sign-up here.
Author Seedbed Slides
There is a treasure trove of information in this post! Bookmark this and come back to it often as you continue in your writing journey.
7) The Dividends of Community
I "teach" beginning watercolor. I only use that vocabulary so other people understand. Really, I'm just a guide at the beginning of one path toward a life of creativity.
Last night, two former students, Mary and Linda, met me at Ragged Edge to see my work. They showed me theirs. This is the best of being in community.
Community is a wellspring that fills us up by inspiring us. One person's "success" is shared like a slice of pie from a pie that never diminishes. Community keeps us reaching with gentle nudges to try things, that by ourselves we would never dream of doing.
Thank you, Mary and Linda, for reaching out, inspiring me, filling me up, and celebrating a perfect August night with good company and laughter.
8) Simple
A late Sunday afternoon bouquet. Some days call for simplicity. In hot August, Sunday afternoon is one of those. Dahlia and salvia.
9) Surveiled
Those new city speed cameras are getting so clever. Look how they caught the last time my besty, Diana Hansen and I went for a night on the town? That’s me on the left. (Photo Courtesy Imperfect Women)
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