Spring into Action
Happy New Year?
The spring equinox is considered the astrological new year, and from an energy level, I can dig it. January is often sluggish. We’re still slow to respond after that long stretch of “holiday”—Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day representing weeks of varying degrees of “out of office” messaging. We’re still in the shadows, stretching and yawning, trying to come out of a feeling of hibernation that’s difficult to shake. The nights are still long, the days still short. When February comes, we’re jolted and jinxed by its brevity. If we’re not careful, we can get whiplash from the flurry of activity that grabs us by the shoulders and reminds us that a new calendar year is in full swing!
“All right! I’m up!”
And now, with March, we can finally show up clear-eyed and focused. The equinox representing a certain reset to our internal clocks. The day and night nearly balanced, we welcome the movement into longer days, the sun setting later and later, the buds and blossoms a reminder that we can always begin again. That’s a message that came through from a dear friend of mine, Christina Arenas, who wrote that the spring equinox, “embodies a sense of rejuvenation, with cultures worldwide, particularly here in the Northern Hemisphere, embracing it as a symbol of new beginnings. You can always begin again, and again.”
Research is my Jam!
Most writers I know love information, love discovering new things, love reading and researching and (re)imagining old and new worlds informed by a fascination with something or someone from before, something or someone that has gone unnoticed, something or someone who inspires the here and now.
In this interactive, generative webinar, we'll explore research as an element of craft. From composing research questions and developing organization techniques to accessing historical archives, and (re)visiting personal artifacts, we will examine the ways research can spark, support, and sustain our creative ideas.
Basically, We Go to Together Now
I’ve been going to Mineral Point, Wisconsin, for the Shake Rag Alley writing retreat for three years now, so it’s safe to say that we’re in a relationship. I’m always happy to return to my home state and always delighted to spend time on the beautiful Shake Rag Alley campus for a weekend of writing workshops, readings, art gallery crawls, and indie bookstore love! This year, the line-up at Mining Your Stories features poetry, nonfiction, and fiction workshops and classes that will definitely unearth your best creative self! Join us!
