By: Vanessa Shields
Editing, Events, Mentoring, Writing

Summer Update – July & August

Here.

We’re still here though in a shifted experience of the ‘heres’ of our past.
We’re still reading.
We’re still writing.
We’re still passionate about creative writing.
We’re still committed to the intimacy of face-to-face, hand-to-hand, heart-to-heart gathering for the beautiful expression of words.

Truth is, we had all kinds of plans for the summer months of July and August. Including a big clean-out and furniture reorganization in the creative space. However, the pandemic continues to set boundaries for us. We are thrilled to keep our lease in the grand space that is the Coach House in Willistead, but the manor/houses are still closed to the public as social distancing is just not possible.

The great thing about dreams is that dreams are flexible. Sometimes, we need a gentle back bend towards something in the past that keeps revisiting – and we need to work out the details of why that thing is still there. Sometimes, we need a forward bend, nose-to-knees, to see just how great our knees are – that we have strong legs and endurance to keep us thriving even as our dreams shift.

What remains constant is that we keep writing. In whatever shape that looks like, during whatever amount of time we can give to our words – we can and will keep writing.

Over the weekend, I rewrote out my list of writing projects. I promised myself one thing: make the list reasonable, honest, short. The summer months move with the speed of fireflies – sometimes slow and slothy, other times whipping and bobbity. What the patterns of summer have taught us over and over is that these two months (8 weeks) fill up quickly and those writing dreams we feel so confident we’ll make come true in July quickly get shuffled into the bucket of towels, bathing suits, sand and sunscreen. Replaced with lazy afternoon naps, serendipitous visits (social distanced these days!), bike rides and reading.

It all counts. It all matters. Every experience can find new life on the page. Writers need to live big to write big.

And we need to be gentle with our summer dream writing plans. To make them possible during a time when play seems to be constantly beckoning us.

How we can continue to be inspired by each other:

Creativity Guidance – CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Editing – CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Mentoring – CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Keep reading and writing, friends. Keep spreading love through your words.