Welcome to this page of handouts and resources for the upcoming workshop: “Planning Writing Projects.” This workshop is offered through the Fayetteville Public Library and sponsored by the Brown Chair in English Literacy at the University of Arkansas. Much gratitude to Professor Eric Darnell Pritchard (the Brown Chair) for initiating and sponsoring this collaboration! I'm really looking forward to this virtual, public workshop coming up on Thursday, July 29th. I’m sure ... Read more ...
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Reflection Questions for Committing, Creating, and Pacing This Summer
Recently, a Patreon subscriber shared that they appreciate reflection questions, and their feedback prompted me to consider which questions feel especially important for this summer (summer 2021). Spinning off the original Q&A response (shared as part of the Q&A newsletter for subscribers), here are some questions I’m sitting with. These are influenced by the CHANI app (“astrology for self-discovery, mindfulness, and healing” by Chani Nicholas and team). The app ... Read more ...
Questions for Honoring Creative Energy and Play
Throughout today's writing retreat, I've been considering how to honor creative energy and engage in creative play. Inspired by the CHANI app (and surely by this week's new moon), I’ve been feeling such a pull toward creative play (crocheting, drawing, baking, gardening, and even listening to and writing poetry). And I’m realizing that creative play (with color, texture, shape, craft, and purpose) might be just what’s needed to fuel, inspire, and sustain more serious ... Read more ...
Why Small Sustaining Support Matters for Creators
Since the website launch in December 2018, I’ve been asking for support through Patreon, a platform for creators to make a sustainable income for doing creative work. Asking for support feels scary. It feels bumpy. Yet, it’s teaching me new ways to be in community, collaboration, and connection with others. As Chani Nicholas reminds me, it's important to “ask for what you need,” and so I’m asking that you (dear reader) consider becoming a patron of ... Read more ...
Welcome to the New Website
For this 100th blog post, I’m excited to share a new, hopefully more robust and accessible website. For the past few weeks, I’ve been building this new version of Heart-Head-Hands.com, a blog with storytelling, resources, and e-courses focused on feeling, thinking, and doing—that is, everyday living—for justice. It’s taken me longer than expected, but the site has come together with the help of good friends and a good web designer (many thanks to Steel Wagstaff!). Today ... Read more ...
Inside the Chrysalis, or Experiencing Mess, Mess, and More Mess
It’s not uncommon for me to ride emotional roller-coasters with swings from sweet to sour as I go about my days. More and more, I’ve noticed these swings as I’ve tuned in with my emotions and embodied self through Reiki, yoga, and other contemplative practices. The more I do inner work and the more I embrace mess, the more the messiness of being an always-incomplete, imperfect human inevitability shows up. Still, if I’m being honest with myself, the past few weeks have ... Read more ...
On Choosing a Writer’s Life
I’m writing. Daily. On scraps of paper and printed pages. In email boxes and google docs. On business cards and birthday notes. In calendar entries and comments, too. I’m writing. Daily. For a co-authored article. For a friend’s affirmation. For a series of pieces. For an apartment to be. I’m writing. Daily. In a bustling café. On a park bench. In a quiet room. On a hotel floor. I’m writing. Daily. Some is due now. Some is due later. Some is not ... Read more ...
Crocheting Granny Squares, Connecting to Grandmothers, and Crafting a More Just Future
Recently, I felt inspired to pick up crocheting again, after many seasons without touching a needle, hook, or yarn. Feeling the call for creative self-care, I ordered vegan yarn in the colors of the 7 chakras and laid them out, planning a small afghan of granny squares. Thread yarn onto hook. Chain five, and connect stitches, making a circle. Days after purchasing the yarn and only a few stitches into my first granny square, my mom shared some news. Betty, the woman ... Read more ...
“We’re All the Ages We’ve Ever Been”
As much as I value self-care, there are times when it flies out the window. I’m no longer the adult caring for my inner child, but I'm the toddler or teen full of emotion and pursuit of immediate pleasure. This week, I’ve been really in touch with my 2-year-old self, who’s been demanding attention. When it’s running the show, I’m inclined to emotional meltdowns, sugar binges, irregular sleep, over-tired crying, and resistance to naps. I readily settle in front of the TV ... Read more ...
Snapshots of Support
This week I’ve felt stretched thin—waking up earlier and heading to bed later than I’d like. One moment, I’m reviewing students’ midterm portfolios. The next, I’m scripting a hard conversation. While attending to microaggressions and facilitating tricky online and in-person conversations, I’m also sharing hopeful-yet-emotional announcements with family, friends, colleagues, and students. In the midst of such frenzied and frenetic activity, I’ve been finding support ... Read more ...
