All Parts Belong

What I'm learning from a daily challenge, plus link love

Welcome to poems, paintings, and ponderings! Where I share what I’ve been writing, painting, and processing lately. Thanks for being here!

Some ponderings

I recently read back through many of my poems from my Plunge / Paint / Poem challenge, trying to select a few to read at my monthly in-person writing group. (Side note: I highly recommend joining an in-person writing group if you are able, even if--especially if--most of the writers write in a different genre than you.)

When I looked back at my words, I was a little embarrassed by some of it. I realized some were haphazard. Some poems I thought were profound read back as cheesy, forced, sentimental. Before this project, I used to only share the ultra-curated and edited. Paragraphs I had read and re-read until I had the words memorized. Until the piece felt not just right, but like the only way to say it. Only then was I ready to share with the world.

In sharing my writing every day (or most days), I'm showing that all parts are welcome: the good, the profound, the cheesy, the lackluster (and a lot of it has been feeling lackluster!). Even the days I don't plunge and paint, I've come to find acceptance there.

What started as a fun creative experiment has become an exercise in self-acceptance. This project is the opposite of bespoke, letting whatever bubbles up be good enough. It's the opposite of AI: I use my own janky photography skills, clunky words, and novice painting to create something kindled by my own imagination.

Each day becomes a question: can I accept this day's output, with its varying moods and quality? Can I accept myself just as I am, everyday?

I am learning that my ideas and words and art are worthwhile regardless of quality or excellence or how they are received. I am showing myself that my creativity is valuable in any state. I am valuable in any state.

All of it belongs.

All of me belongs.

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If you’ve ever done a daily challenge or are currently working through the 100 Days Project, I’d love to hear what you’ve been learning about yourself and the creative process! How do allow creativity to be valuable in its own right while a balancing a desire for improvement/producing polished work?

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Listen to Your Mother Update

Last Sunday, Mother’s Day, I had the honor to read an essay for Listen to Your Mother Spokane to an audience of over 300 people!

While I was way more nervous than I anticipated, I did it! I didn't trip! I didn't forget how to read! I didn't lie down behind the podium in a crumple (a vivid recurring fear I had!) I read first which was a gift because I could relax and enjoy the rest of the show and a curse because someone hadn’t yet silenced their cell phone and took a loooonnng time turning it off.

The experience of 300 people hanging on my every word and erupting into applause I won’t soon forget. I have about that many subscribers here and now when I share, I can think of a whole beautiful auditorium filled with my readers' faces.

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What I'm reading

I am allergic to rating books, probably because I know how subjective reading taste can be, I believe anyone who puts a book into the world deserves a chance to be read, and as a former college writing professor, it feels too much like grading.

But here is an unranked list of books I've read lately that I enjoyed for different reasons:

• Holding On and Letting Go: A Life in Motion by Lindsay Swoboda. Lindsay writes with wisdom, honesty, humor, and does an amazing job of embracing paradox.

• Be Ready When the Luck Happens--delightful, inspiring, and makes you want to cook

• The Wedding People--content warning-suicide, but I am fascinated to learn what other people believe makes life worth living

• The Tennis Partner--content warning--addiction but beautiful writing, as always, from Abraham Verghese

• Long Bright River--content warning--addiction but fast paced and I stayed up way too late to finish

• I’m currently reading The Favorites--can someone please warn me if addiction creeps into this novel, too? It's also been so hyped that I'm scared I will be disappointed, but so far I can’t put it down.

Any lighter book recommendations? Memoirs especially?

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Substack’s worth reading

• I thoroughly enjoyed Kim Beyer Rausch’s Lessons from the 100 Day Project: Part 1 and she makes delightful art!

• Invaluable information on How To Sit With An Emotion by clinical psychologist Dr. Amber Groomes

• The top four ass-kicking truths KJ Ramsey learned editing her first memoir (And they aren’t just for fellow writers)

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What I’m loving

• I just finished a photography workshop with Ashlee Gadd and Jenny Flynn and had so much fun expanding my photography skills and confidence. Ashlee just released an incredible resource, Embracing Mystery, a 65-page guide to help you take pictures with a dose of nuance and mystery. Featuring nine prompts, tons of sample images, and general tips & tricks to help you take your photos to the next level, this PDF was designed with mothers and memory-keepers in mind. You do not need to be a professional photographer or have a fancy camera to use it! ❤️ Purchase here

• For anyone affected by OCD or loves someone with OCD, I cannot recommend the OCD SoCal’s Loved One’s Support Group enough. You do not need to live in SoCal to attend. The free, Family and Loved One’s OCD Support Group meets virtually, via Zoom, every second Saturday of the month from 11am to 1pm PST. Sign up more info here.

• Speaking of OCD support, I should mention that I run a support group for creatives with OCD (or anxiety). Our next meeting is tomorrow, Sunday, May 18th at noon Pacific Time (3pm ET). Sign up for more info here or feel free to send me a Substack message or reply to this email.

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Upcoming Publications

I have a few upcoming publications that I am excited about!

• I was accepted to my first literary journal, Calla Press. I will share an essay on the theme of Living in Wonder.

• I will have an essay featured in Coffee and Crumbs’ Summer Collection woohoo!

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Poems and Paintings from the week

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Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear what you’re working on and mulling over. Have a great weekend!