Hello Reader,
I’m in the middle of a self-directed ten-week book writing sprint through November (with a two week extra buffer if desired). I am writing three days a week, for about three hours a day.
I have revision notes carefully organized and catalogued. I have a a long-held vision and a felt sense of how I want the pacing to feel.
I follow my breadcrumbs. Some mornings I toss them up in the air and let imaginary birds devour them. Or I leave to go eat a real snack, make a warm beverage, then return to my desk.
As Jeannine Ouellette says, “Every draft is a shadow of the work’s living form, that ungraspable thing that shimmers just beyond articulation.”
I have the inspiration guiding me and then the actual art on the page, “the reference versus the makeup."
But there are no shortcuts.
I show up. I move the dial, slide back, go nowhere, fall into a rabbit hole. So many pages, so many puzzle pieces.
At my desk, I hold a copper paperweight in the shape of a snail. The snail is a reminder to honor my process, even when the pace is near stillness.
I’ve scheduled rest in the month of December to loosen my grip on projects of any kind.
I am also in the midst of taking a vibrant twelve-week course, Linda Thai’s “Certification in Somatic Embodiment & Regulation Strategies.” I look forward to integrating some of the new somatic practices to share in future workshops.
Do me a favor: Honor all the ways you are showing up and tuning in to your shifting pace and capacity. I’ll do the same.
Reflection
Can you loosen your grip and carve out some rest in the coming months? What feels pleasurable, restorative and low-stakes accessible to you this season? (For me, it's been a bi-monthly self-care pizza therapy session. I treat myself to a pizza.)
Resources
My Creative Updates & Offerings
A little update from me: I’m taking a break from my weekly in-person rental at the lovely REVEAL Healing Arts. Meanwhile, I am very slowly ideating an online signature course offering. More to come!
If you want to schedule an individual session or a private virtual group with a gathering of your besties, reach out via my website.
Margaret Malone, author and writing coach, invited me to be a live guest on “Bust the Canon,” her radio show. Check out the recording here.
I have some writing forthcoming in Mānoa: A Pacific Journal of International Writing, Architectures of Futuropasados, arranged by guest editor Anthony Cody. You can order the book here.
Community & Care
From Leo Acquino, community care tips including updates on SNAP + student loans.
DeleteMe newsletter has tips and tricks for October cybersecurity awareness month.
Two books I am excited about: Yumi and Monster by kam redlawsk and This Is The Only Kingdom, the debut novel by Jaquira Díaz.
If you celebrate Halloween, here's a list from Them “21 Horror Movies That Aren’t Too Scary for Wimpy Queers,” and “8 low-effort ways to make Spooky Season feel cozy and festive" from NPR.
If you, like me, don’t watch very violent shows, but enjoy a campy murder-mystery, check out The Residence about a bird-watching detective solving a White House murder.
Loved this perspective on rest for gifted and neurocomplex minds from Lindsey Mackereth.
From NPR, a caregiver’s survival guide.
I started using Brick, a physical device and app, to support my intentional screen time and phone usage. I LOVE it. Here’s my referral link, for $10 off. **It's an affiliate link, which means I get $10 too when you do.**
Soft Pants for Your Mind
Cute example of "the reference versus the makeup," from Substack (see photo collage by @imonaugust).
Love this post from Nedra Glover Tawwab that includes a prompt: "How can you make adulting easier for yourself? What is one task you don’t need to complete today?"
On New Yorker Mag's IG: The Work-Life Balance of a French Jewel Thief.
Notes & Citations
https://writinginthedark.substack.com/p/every-draft-is-a-shadow-of-the-works
https://substack.com/@themme/note/c-144184980
Let’s resource! Let’s play! Let’s happen to notice, together.
In peace,
Vanessa Micale
Founder of Poderosa Voz LLC
(she, they, ella)
P.S. You can show your support by sharing this micro-newsletter with a friend, or you can send me a digital tip and treat me to a pastry.
P.P.S. Sharing resources is one of my love languages. Is there a resource related to somatic and creative realms you want to see or you know of? Hit reply and let me know.
