Wow, I did it. Yeah, I know I wasn't going to mention my cheating ways in the next post, but this is where criminals go wrong: They boast! I just published my cheatin' post and it has a date in June. Mooo--hahaha. Tech isn't so bad after all. It lets us pretend we were somewhere we never were. Wait a minute?! That's bad. Ok--so tech is as bad as I suspected all along. This makes me wonder: Why don't I just post on time? Clearly there's no magic here. I just talk to you, and you listen, and I don't allow comments, so you don't talk back. It all works out. Why the delay in my monthly commitment? I don't know. That's something for me to think about. Figure out. Iron out. Why do I think this is hard? I think that's a writer thing. We see writing as work and perhaps that's why social media is so prolific (and side note: toxic:) because there is no filter, no editing, no holding back. It seems everybody wants to be a writer. And everybody wants to be famous. So--perhaps social media offers up what everybody seems to want whether they should be given a platform to write or be famous at all. They are able. And now, there's AI. But, really--there will always be unique stories created by humans. So don't just spill yours away on social media. Sit down. Write it out. Think about it. Edit it. Control your own story and don't let people just pull you apart online. Let your words sit and settle within each reader in their space-- not while they're standing on a subway and looking for ways not to look at the person across from them. Your story is meant to be digested by someone who is prepared to sit down--napkin on knee--and take it in. Respect yourself and your story. It's all each of us has. April was such a busy month! Everything that was usually quarterly and staggered so that each quarterly happening doesn't fall within the same month--all fell on the same month: April. I'm still trying to catch my breath. Something I'm so glad I said "yes" to was the collaboration between The Room to Write, the non-profit that I founded and direct, and the Arts Collaborative of Wakefield, a local arts organization. So, in addition to all the quarterly things, TRtW also had a month of art programming to plan, get the word out about, and carry out. Artists and Writers featured together. Yay! I always say how nobody goes out to a gallery to look at 8x11 white pieces of paper with words on them, but this time they did because the pieces of writing were accompanied by colorful, unique art. The writing was also colorful and unique in its language and format, but it helps to have some eye candy to draw a reader into words on a wall. One of the pairings can be found on the North of Boston Writers Network with the other twelve to follow. The first features one of the art exhibit coordinators, Andrea Willey, and my oldest daughter, Alice Getty. It was such a proud moment to see my teenage daughter step out of her comfort zone and agree to participate in a collaborative art exhibit featuring an original poem she wrote inspired by the art she saw. There were so many other things that happened--regular programming at the Senior Centers--a great lineup ending with Stephen Puleo this afternoon--as well as two local author interviews at WCAT Studios and the usual critique group meetings: Multi-genre, Kid Lit and the Senior Group. There was a board meeting, a Writers and Illustrators Meet & Greet as well as six local authors visiting the art exhibit to read the books they authored aloud to kids and parents, there were exhibit evenings and afternoons and various discussions here, there and seemingly everywhere. More about that and photos can be found here:) May is usually very busy, but I think compared to April it may be calmer. I'm looking forward to that. After spending three and a half hours of one day this month trying to bunny-proof my back yard by blocking all entrances, I am looking forward to some uninterrupted garden time. And some Z-zz-z-z--z-z-z-z-z-zzzzzzzzzzz . . . |
Archives
October 2024
Categories
All
|