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Behind the Scenes: What’s Changing with Heart-Head-Hands

Filed Under: Everyday Feminism By Beth Godbee October 22, 2022 Leave a Comment

October has been a BIG behind the scenes month.

I’ve been making small shifts, acting on the recognition that I need more space and time for creativity and contribution. These shifts involve going slower, pulling back from activities, holding questions about capacity, practicing meditation, and prioritizing writing toward a collaborative book project. These shifts feel exciting—like they support me in showing up more fully, vulnerably, and with presence. And these shifts will impact both the capacity and pricing for Heart-Head-Hands, which I describe below.

A Glimpse Behind the Scenes  

These past few months, I’ve been slowing down to clarify commitments.

I’m growing my belief in my own artistry. I’m befriending surly voices (like “must be nice…”) that would typically keep me going-going-going. Instead of running from fear, I’m standing in place. I’m engaging in ancestral healing around money and power abuse. I’m listening to friends and colleagues who encourage me to prioritize spaciousness. And I’m recognizing that spaciousness needs me (not only that I need spaciousness). Time and space are needed for more creative solutions and writing to emerge.

The backstory is that since this summer, every counseling session I’ve had has focused on questions of capacity. Back in August, I wrote the question—“Do I have capacity?”—on sticky notes that have since been positioned around my home. These notes are on the refrigerator, bathroom mirror, and my monitor. I also have added weekly reminders “check in with capacity” in my calendar so that I can’t get through more than a few days without consciously asking about capacity. The question is central to my life and connected with the strong desires that arose from my experience with covid back in June: go slower, stay true to commitments, and prioritize writing and walking.

So much of this self-work is focused on learning and unlearning. So much is deeply personal and remains behind the scenes. But a lot of it also relates to how I’m following commitments and showing up in coaching and in my writing and in shared group spaces. A lot of it will be reflected in the direction of Heart-Head-Hands ~ especially through recognition that I want to be well-resourced and well-rested in and for this relational work.

So, over the next few weeks—heading into the holidays, my business anniversary, and the new year—I’ll be bringing behind the scenes work onto center stage.

This photo (from recent hiking in New York) shows me sitting on a cliff’s edge, surrounded by fall colors: trees in various shades of green, yellow, orange, and red. I share this photo because it feels like I’m on edge right now, nearing something new.

This photo (from recent hiking) shows me sitting on a cliff’s edge, surrounded by fall colors: trees in various shades of green, yellow, orange, and red. I share this photo because it feels like I’m on edge right now, nearing something new.

Preview of What’s Changing

There are five primary changes because of this behind the scenes work:

1. Gatherings: I’m wrapping up the recharge and recommit gatherings (this Wednesday is the final one). At the same time, I’m planning workshops and small-group coaching on writing and living out commitments. More dates and details are coming.

2. Gift Cards: I’ll be releasing gift cards in time for the holidays. Perhaps you’d like a writing retreat or coaching session as a gift? Or perhaps you’d like to gift a retreat or session to someone? This will be an option very soon.

3. Pricing: I’m revising my pricing and Patreon subscription tiers. There will continue to be free registration options, and I want to be sure that people can access offerings and pay what they can. To make this work, I’m adding more sliding scale options and a wider range of subscription tiers. I’m also increasing the rates for full-price registration and for registration with professional development funds.

4. Website Updates: I’m asking for testimonials and updating website descriptions of the core offerings: coaching, career discernment, writing groups, writing retreats, and speaking/presentations. If you’re willing to share a short story, description, or endorsement, please do. I’m deeply grateful for this form of support!

5. Announcements: I’m gathering feedback about what people know and don’t know about my offerings. And I’m learning that I can do more with publicity because many times people don’t know that I tailor retreats for groups or that payment plans are available or that it’s ok to drop in and out of writing groups and retreats. I’m learning that I need to communicate more, and I’m seeking support for advertising and announcements. Also, I’ll say again: if you have any feedback, please let me know.

These changes, I hope, will be mutually supportive—resourcing me for this relational work and allowing people various ways into working together.

Across all of my work, I want to be creative in striving against capitalism and for economic justice. This means working against any hustle mindset or rushed body-rhythm. This also means using practices like sliding scales and payment plans instead of limited time offers or discounts for paying up front. And this means continuing to tithe 10+% of income to people, projects, and organizations striving toward social, racial, and environmental justice.

I know that change can be scary, but I’m really, really hopeful. These changes feel aligned with my desire to be in relationships of mutual support, abundance, and sustainability instead of relationships premised on urgency, growth, scarcity, extraction, or transaction.  

In the midst of changes, the core mission of Heart-Head-Hands: Everyday Living for Justice remains the same: to hold space for learning and unlearning, writing and striving toward justice. I hope you’ll join me in this work.

With deep gratitude and on the brink of more announcements,

Beth

—
This post is written by
Beth Godbee, Ph.D. for Heart-Head-Hands.com. Subscribe to the newsletter for upcoming announcements. A few of these announcements include: 

  • Recharge and Recommit: Final gathering is Wednesday 10/26.
  • Writing Retreats: Six open dates—the next is Tuesday 10/25.
  • Weekly Writing Group: Registration is open for Fridays Nov-Dec.

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Tagged with: career, career discernment, change, coaching, commitments, healing, learning, pacing, reflection, social justice, writing groups, writing retreats

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Embodied knowledge matters. So do commitments. And especially acting on commitments as part of everyday life, BIG and small. This website—a mix of blog posts and research writing, courses and offerings—shares ongoing efforts toward everyday living (feeling, thinking, and doing) for justice.

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bethgodbee

Update: THANKS to everyone who alerted me to the a Update: THANKS to everyone who alerted me to the account and who reported it. It appears to be down. I’m really grateful. 💚

*************

So … apparently someone has cloned my account and started one at @bethgodbeee (with eee — 3 e’s at the end). 

If you’ve received a request from this account, will you report them?

And if you’ve had this happen or know more about this sort of copycatting/cloning, I’m so grateful for camaraderie and advice. I’m in a learning curve.

Thank you!!!
If you're currently on a journey with a writing pr If you're currently on a journey with a writing project, consider joining this Thursday's #writing retreat.

I think of retreats like this boardwalk: there's a pathway to follow with clear edges and a lot of spaciousness to work/walk throughout the day.

Learn more about one-day online retreats, sliding-scale registration, and upcoming dates here:

https://heart-head-hands.com/product/writing-retreats/
✨✨link in bio✨✨
It's fall! A few views from here: 1. My partner J It's fall! A few views from here:

1. My partner Jonathan and me hiking at Great Falls.
2. Crocheting in progress. I'm picking back up this project started early in the pandemic.
3. Pumpkin pancakes. Yum!
4. Weird leg-like mushrooms sticking out of a log.
5. Book display on whole food plant based (WFPB) eating.
6. Embers in a simmering campfire. 
7. Shadows of me and my partner on a winding trail.

{Not pictured: Recovering from covid and flu vaccines. Send healing wishes! :-)}
Updates to the new offering “Pathways Through Bu Updates to the new offering “Pathways Through Burnout: A Cohort Experience”:

For the past year, Candace and I have been listening to requests for an offering around burnout (or, more precisely, being burned up), and we launched a new cohort experience August 1st. We are deeply grateful for the range of responses we’ve received since then, and we’ve been prioritizing time to listen and discern what people want and need.

Through a lot of conversation and reflection, we’ve decided to slow down further and to reshape the offering. 

We’ll continue offering interactive workshops on practices for navigating burnout—with new dates announced for November 3rd and December 15th (and more to come in 2024). 

Starting in January, we’ll hold a few one-day retreats with time for art, play, contemplative practice, conversation, and coaching. We hope the retreat will feel like something that’s possible now (with so many pushes and pulls on time and attention).

All of this is leading to a 12-week version of the cohort experience: a season of connection to match a season in life. We’ll reopen applications in the spring and hope that a small group forms well ahead of our start date in September 2024.

The details of all of these experiences—and an invitation to join the workshops in Nov and Dec—are shared online here: https://heart-head-hands.com/pathways-through-burnout/ 
✨✨link in bio✨✨

And we continue to appreciate all sorts of feedback (questions, suggestions, affirmations), so please reach out anytime. <3

[Image says: “Pathways Through Burnout / Practice Workshops / One-Day Retreats / Cohort Forming for Fall 2024” and shows photos of the two of us—Candace and Beth—side by side.]

With @dr._candace_epps_robertson_ #burnout #update #practice #contemplative #meditation #writing #art #retreat
I am slow to edit and share photos, but I want to I am slow to edit and share photos, but I want to share these from the Beyond Granite public art exhibit that just left the National Mall here in DC. I wish this installation was staying long-term. How I struggle with visiting the Mall in the best of conditions. And how these pieces helped me appreciate what could instead be done in this space. 

Also, Jonathan and I got really lucky that the night we visited was the most spectacular sunset! Scroll through for photos of how "America's Playground" appears against an orange sky (no filter).
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About Beth Godbee

I'm an educator and former writing studies professor who believes our fully embodied selves matter in the world. We can’t just think our way out of the incredible injustices, dehumanization, violence, and wrongdoing that characterize everyday life. We must feel and act, too. [Pronouns: she/her.] Read more ...

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