Holiday Edition: Writer Dates, Vision Boards, Lit Mags and Managing Holiday Expectations

Kelli and I

A Wonderful Day Spent with Poet Kelli Russell Agodon – The Importance of Creative Friends

This time of year, it can be hard to squeeze in visiting with friends – but it feels also especially important for creative types to spend time with other creative types, to encourage each other, talk shop with someone, and remind ourselves we are not totally alone on our journeys. I was so happy Kelli came out to my side of town and we practiced shooting author photos (for our soon-to-be-taken-by-amazing-publishers books, of course) as well as goofy photos and I don’t think I’ve ever laughed as hard while shooting pictures. Usually I focus on wildlife, so this is a totally different skill set! I think you’ll see Kelli is as gifted a photographer as she is a poet.

Vision Board 2019

Approaching Solstice, End of Year Poetry Thoughts and Vision Board 2019

So, it’s about to be the solstice, the shortest day of the year. I’ve gotten some really nice publications in the last few months (as well as a few rejections in the last week – everyone is clearing the deck) so I am focusing on feeling grateful for the good and trying to think of next year as a better year for my health, for building friendships in my creative community, and for publishing!

You can make fun of vision boards all you like, but I’m terrible at visual arts and so it’s good for me to practice trying to collage and put things together that are hopeful. (MS therapists literally gave me homework like cutting paper, coloring things in and other arts-and-crafts basics because apparently it helps our brains!) I’ve got a magic corner, a creative corner, a wellness corner, and a happiness corner. These last two years have been tough, I’m not going to lie. But I’m hoping good things lie ahead!

Sylvia with Tahoma Literary Review’s newest issue

Here’s a picture of kitten Sylvia (going on two years old now, but still as kitten-ish as ever!) with the new issue of Tahoma Literary Review, which is beautiful! We’ve got to celebrate the literary good things when they happen.

Managing Holiday Expectations

The holidays can be hard. The expectations, the travel, the family angst, the present-buying-card-sending-cleaning-cooking rituals can sometimes overwhelm. Especially women can feel like making a ‘perfect’ holiday is their responsibility, but you know what? Life isn’t perfect, it’s full of surprises, both welcome and unwelcome, and I think it’s important to take some down time as a time to let in the dark but light a fire, drink some hot tea or hot chocolate, spend some time considering the last year and what we’re looking for in the new year, and hopefully, spending some time with people who you love and who reflect love back at you. Except in Hallmark movies, no one has a perfect life, so there is no such thing as a perfect holiday.

A favorite ornament – carousel horse

Try to rest and have some fun. If you like seeing holiday lights like I do, take advantage of non-stormy-crazy-rain-or-ice days to see some. If spending time around plants or animals cheers you up, visit the zoo or a conservatory or botanical garden. See a movie during the afternoon on a weekday. Stay in pajamas and don’t do laundry for a day. I’ve got to do some unpleasant things in the next week (dental work, physical therapy, blood tests) but I try to sneak in as much good stuff as I can, including reading books of poetry and novels that I didn’t get to during the rest of the year. I also try to write a little, maybe set a few goals, take advantage of seasonal health-boosters like cranberries and sweet potatoes (cranberry sorbet in sparkling water? sweet potato hash for breakfast? Yes!) I wish you a very happy holiday season, but take it easy on yourself. Let things be imperfect. Allow yourself to be happy and practice kindness – to yourself and others – in small increments.

PS A very good holiday present for the poet in your life might be PR for Poets, a book to help poets prepare for how to learn the basics about marketing their poetry books! And of course I’m happy to send signed copies of any of my books to family and friends – just contact me 🙂 If you have trouble with the web forms, let me know – my crack team of web experts is working on making them work perfectly.