Butterflies and Newsletter Changes

Hello friends!

It’s been a little over a month since I sent out the last newsletter, so I suppose it is definitely time for an update.

In the last couple weeks, I have submitted several poems to various writing publications! I’m expecting to receive a lot of rejections, that's just how it goes, but I do feel good about the work I'm submitting. Still, waiting for responses is giving me butterflies!

I am also getting close to having a chapbook-sized poetry collection (possibly two collections) compiled. A chapbook is a shorter collection of poetry, usually between 20-40 poems. The main collection—Project Middle—is on learning about my own neurodivergence, and self-acceptance. The second is a collection of political writing and social commentary that is still a bit amorphous, at least in my own mind. There are several chapbook contests open through the next month or two, so I am aiming to put something together before the submission windows close. 

I am also making some newsletter changes. I'm no longer going to send my own poetry within the newsletter. I will still post poems on my website, and I’ll link to them so you can check them out. The reason I’m making this change is that I know some of my writing is challenging, and quite a bit of my work is in response to political events. I think many people— including me—have found this year to be stressful, and have needed to carve out space to get away from upsetting or anger-provoking news and events. It is healthy and necessary to be able to consciously choose when and how you process current events. So I’ll share a link and description of new poetry that I post on my website, and you can take a look in your own time.

I’ve also been contemplating sending my newsletter weekly, but need to figure out a way that is sustainable for me. With ADHD, I’ve found that I need to anchor an activity I want to do consistently with another activity that I do on a regular basis (or at least a thing that occurs reliably on a regular basis). I also need the activity to be somewhat “boredom-proof.”

I’m still thinking about how to accomplish the first point. My weekly life is not in a consistent and stable routine at the moment, and even if it was, the holiday season would be throwing it off. BUT, to the second point, I’ve decided a fun and interesting focus for each week might be to write about about how a poem, short story, work of art, or piece of music/songwriting has impacted me. These pieces could be old, or new; and I may encounter them anywhere: in print, online, even on the street. I live in Colorado, and 1% of the state’s capital construction funds go toward funding “Art in Public Places.” The result of this is that there is public art to be encountered everywhere. ^.^

I’ll also still continue to share updates on writing and life in the weekly newsletter.

Following suit with my work, I will not share the art I come across within the newsletter, but will instead share a link to the subject for that week.

Well, I’ll give this new spin on my newsletter a try for while. And as always, feel free send a message to let me know if you are enjoying the new format.

Be well, and have a safe and peaceful December!

Kerri