Hello Reader,
During days of deep rest, I wrote the word “attention” on a post-it.
A reminder to tend to my attention this year, because my attention is how I love.
I added new boundaries to my daily rituals to quiet the noise. I slowed down the inhalation of social media, news, even Netflix (though I made sure to finish binge-watching Heartstopper first).
But then, Los Angeles went up in flames.
I carry California with me, all these years since I moved away.
Via the Watch Duty app, I incessantly zoomed in and out to monitor the expansion or containment of fires close to my loved ones.
But I love hard. The land, the animals, the people I don’t know, are also my loved ones.
I texted people to check in. I scrolled social media and absorbed footage of radical devastation and community care.
I attended a few meetings where the "business as usual” approach reminded me how often workplaces lack the skills to hold space in this era of pluricrisis.
I grew foggy, anxious and scattered, some hybrid freeze state of defense. The grief was immediate but I didn’t recognize how much softness I needed.
I am safe from the stressor, but still carry the stress in my body. As shared in Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking The Stress Cycle, we need a “safe place to move through the emotional cycle of stress,” (28).
I sat with my guitar and wrote a love song to Los Angeles.
We need to offer ourselves the same gentleness and care we extend outwards.
Maybe you could use some gentleness today? Here are some words I took comfort in.
We are precious. I will show up for myself, for the greater circles I am connected to. Our immense grief is our immense love. I love you, in the past, present and future.
Reflection
What or who do you love from a distance? How can you show your love for that place, that person, those living or ancestral beings?
Resources
My Creative Updates & Offerings
I pitched and published my first book review of Caro De Robertis’ The Palace of Eros. Note: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette requires the user to create a free account to login to read.
Listen to my new mixtape on Spotify from my ongoing mixtape exchange.
I want to donate a virtual somatic workshop for those impacted by the Los Angeles fires. If you know of (or are part of) a small peer group, collective, grassroots organization—please reply to this email to express interest. I can facilitate in Spanish too!
Community & Care
A few creative writing offerings: a free virtual gathering with Kaveh Akbar on the last Monday of each month; A new gorgeous, soulful book of poetry by Melissa Civil; A vibrant and uplifting "After-School Poetry Workshop," with Gabriel Cortez.
For those impacted by Los Angeles county fires:
From LA Times, How to talk to friends and family about the devastation of the wildfires.
Lumos Transforms' free Anchoring Resilience sessions: https://lumostransforms.com/anchoring
Community mental health circles shared via Asian Mental Health Project: https://lu.ma/mentalhealthaction
https://www.lagrief.com/la-fire-grief-resources
Guitar Center Foundation, support for musicians.
US Writers Aid Initiative, support for writers.
How to help: via Them, Mutual Aid Funds LA Fires; via BET, Displaced Black Families GoFundMe Directory; More on National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON); More on Pasadena Humane.
Soft Pants for Your Mind
Musician Dianna Lopez released a new dreamy, soothing album “Crossing the Threshold.” Perfect tunes for revision of writing or just resting, eyes closed.
Bad Bunny's new album is a gift. I love the sapo concho toad animation videos on Spotify that accompany each song, also featured in a short film here.
Notes & Citations
https://aliceoseman.com/heartstopper/netflix-series/
https://metawell.online/articles/news-ritual-builder/
https://metawell.online/articles/what-does-a-healthy-relationship-with-the-internet-actually-look-like/
https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/whatispolyvagaltheory
Nagoski, Emily, PhD and Nagoski, Amelia, DMA. Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking The Stress Cycle. Ballantine Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, 2019, New York, NY.
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.
