Offering Thanks...

& other ways to calm a nervous system

Thank you for being you. Thank you for existing in the world. Thank you for reading, and thank you for listening. Thank you for making it possible for me to share these thoughts, because I know that you are here. 

Here's Sharon Olds speaking with The Paris Review about how "women were definitely not supposed to write," and other topics. If you, like me, lived through the time of women being treated this way, or if you still feel this right now as a part of you, as I sometimes do, I hope you enjoy what Olds has to say about it, and how she got past that poison in the air we breathe, that inner critic, that social awareness that makes me think, who am I to [whatever I want to do next]. Join me in Brave Space where we crush this kind of toxicity together! 

If you're thinking about a new project in the New Year, or if you're wondering why you're never getting to do the things you want to do, think about your process. Do you have one? Is there a typical way you get things done? Is there shame inside about not getting things done? I know that as a creative person, I have so many unfinished projects (ADHD helps with that!) but the shame of it is something I've worked to heal.

But how can you know what you can accomplish if you never get past the shame of having not accomplished something else? Compassion, grief, sadness, letting go, and kindness toward self really help -- how can you find and offer yourself more of that? Being willing to feel the sadness that allows us to let go and move forward helps. Offering myself compassion for the difficult feelings helps. I know you'd offer it to me or a friend, so what stops us from giving ourself what we need the most? 

Being able to see the need for a process is a step. Brave Space is all about creating a process for ourselves so we can see when it's time to generate new ideas, when it's time to revise, and when it's time to rest and refill. 

I'm taking the rest of this weekend to rest, refill and enjoy my family. I hope you are doing what you need to do for your process. And if you have questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you! 

Everything in its season...

Brave Space schedule 11/27-31:

Monday 12pm ET
Tuesday 10am ET
Wednesday 12pm ET & All Human Brave Space at 7pm ET
Friday 12pm ET
(there is no Brave Space this Thursday 11/30)

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New Offerings:

2024 Winter Playwrights Workshop openings! There's been some shifting around, so I have 1 spot available on Wednesdays from 6-9pm ET and 2 spots available for the Thursday section from 6-9pm ET, both on Zoom. Begins January 3rd and 4th respectively. If you have a full-length play or you're writing one and want to hear it with feedback in a supportive group that focuses on craft, my workshops are limited to 6 participants. 10 weeks, $500. More Info Here

Brave Group Coaching for Everyone! If you've been interested in discovering more about your nervous system and how to better regulate it, if you want to get to know and work with your parts, (inner critics, perfectionists...) then this is perfect for you! I have a few spots left Tuesdays starting January 9th from 7-830pm for 6 weeks. $120 discounted rate paid in full in advance (partially refundable). Or you can reserve your spot for $50 (nonrefundable) and then pay either $100 to start or $25/weekly. More Info Here

Writing Prompt:

A Generative Exercise adapted from a Bruntwood/Simon Stephens exercise. If you're wandering around looking for something to write: for 5 minutes don't stop writing, every sentence starts with I remember - Simon Stephens does it for 15 minutes a day. He says it’s private writing just for you. Don't craft. Don't censor. It's a muscle exercise. For 5 minutes he starts every sentence with I notice. For 5 minutes every sentence starts with I feel. For 5 minutes every sentence starts with I gave/give/got. For 5 minutes make your own. Look for the juicy bits, the parts you want to go further into, to expand. Create your own prompts by taking one or two things from each part of the exercise (remembering, noticing and feeling) and using those in combination as your own prompt. What characters or ideas grow out of this? What setting or situation? What needs to happen? Will it? 

Wholeness Tip:

Learning to respect my own process and accept where I am right now has been a key to allowing me to grow, change and heal over my lifetime. Wholeness (the word) shares the same root etymology as health. I do a yoga nidra practice daily with an intention of wholeness. It’s easy! Yoga nidra is a form of sleeping yoga (you don’t move!) so anyone can do it.

I started to do it when I was too sick to get out of bed, when I was in the hospital in 2014 with complications from ulcerative colitis. I weighed 87 pounds. I spent 20 days at Allen Pavilion on morphine. I promised myself I would go back to my writing practice when (if) I got out, and I did.

Writing has not only kept me alive, it has kept me whole and helped me heal. I had to find ways to write that didn’t scare me, so I created safe practices. I wrote in public. I created writing groups.

Whatever your creative practice, there is a place for you and your work in the world. Understanding what lights you up, what you’d love to talk about, is to understand what you value. Go toward that. Find a way to do more of that or something connected to that. Whether you do yoga nidra or not, do something you love. And if you can no longer do the thing you used to love, find the next thing. You can come to Brave Space to explore and journal about what you might do.

Announcements:

Playwright Opportunity: Emily Perez, the Literary Manager for the Athena Project, is looking for scripts for their Read & Rant program. These scripts must be written by artists of underrepresented genders. Historically, Athena Project has used the word woman to describe the artists they have served, which they recognize as a word that is not inherently inclusive of all identities across the gender spectrum. They seek to create a safe creative space for all individuals who have been historically and presently marginalized on the basis of gender including all women, non-binary, genderqueer, and otherwise LGBTQ+ individuals. It's a book club for plays. They will feature one to two scripts that have not yet been produced each session and invite the playwright to join our conversation. Guided by a professional dramaturg, they invite attendees to share constructive comments, thoughts, and affirmations in order to aid in the development process of the piece. You can find out more about our past sessions here. Submissions will be accepted from now through November 30. The link for playwrights to submit their work is here: https://athenaprojectarts.org/submit-2/