1) I love Mind Magic--and you are the first person I've heard mention it. I'm a big proponent of manifestation--it's worked so well for me in my past professional life.
2) I rewrote my novel and starting submitting. I've gotten 3 requests for full--one passed due to a conflict of interest--1 simply passed (but with a kind note) and the 3rd is still out. You'd think this would make me happy? Oh, no! It's made me want to hide under the covers with chocolate. (And I don't even LIKE sweets)
I think we need some coaching around the "grief implicit in rejections"--And something I wrote about recently on my Substack--on the topic of relevancy--"if we feel as if we're writing into a void, can the relevancy meter truly be moved?" We writers need to feel (at least this is my perspective) that our words matter...how do we find that meaning in the face of rejection? (Another "grief" topic.)
So glad you have joined this wonderful community. Evelyn, a BRILLIANT idea.
Manifestation carries a lot of baggage, so I get that people shy away sometimes, but I am really appreciating the neuroscience perspective. Our attention is so powerful. I think this would be such a fun book for the book club. It would definitely stir dialogue!
I'll take some chocolate! Sharing our creative work with a market system is fraught. I've let the process repeatedly call my worth into question, and I've come to believe that my value as an artist doesn't belong near a public market. The real work for me is sourcing my validation from within and centering on the process rather than the outcome even as I try to sell my art. Your suggestion for coaching on the grief of rejection lit up so many ideas. I immediately started writing. Thank you for the toss!
I enjoyed your post on relevancy. I wonder who determines one's relevancy? And whoever one hands that determination over to - do they deserve it? You mention that the hopeful note in Olive Kitteridge is that the character comes into her own. Heck yes. I now have to read that book. Looking forward to more connection with you.
Hello 👋 Evelyn! Hello 👋 Joanna! Welcome! 💃🏻 I would be most interested in dealing with the inner critic, unlocking creative energy and the virtual sessions. I'm down for anything. This sounds like it's going to be fun 🤩 Thank you!
Hi there, Joanna! We're so happy to have you here--welcome! I would LOVE to learn more about how to deal with the inner critic. I just started to fully commit myself to writing this past year, and though I've had some wins (starting up my newsletter, Human/Mother and winning Evelyn's Mid-Career Writing Scholarship!), imposter syndrome tends to show up and, unfortunately, drains my creative well. How do you play offense and defense before, during, and after this happens? I look forward to hearing what you have to say! Thanks in advance! 💕
Yes! Inner critic work! I love that you already recognize and name it for what it is. Our critics really do have their own distinct voice and hearing how it's different from our own wise one is a huge step. Can't wait to dive deeper. Until then - this might help: https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClG2AfFgt1_/ Keep going, Katrina!
Thank you. It was such a powerful thing to write. Wouldn't it be a fun creative challenge in the CIH community - to write and share our stories of self?! I'm putting it on the idea list. Great to meet you :)
What a fantastic addition to the community! Welcome Joanna and thank you Evelyn for another great way to help the community to thrive and deepen our understanding of our creative selves a little better too! Thank you both so much! I’m excited to learn even more in this brilliant community 👏 🎉
Oh my gosh, Joanna, I am so excited that you're joining this incredible space for writers! As a burned out endocrinologist and aspiring novelist, I relate deeply to your personal journey and know I'm going to learn a lot from you. Sending you all of the positive energy for your novel-in-progress (can't wait to hear more) and ordering a copy of Mind Magic right now!
Also, mushrooms are 100% the best pizza topping. 🍄
Thank you for the positive vibes. This community serves as such an important touch point. Our mirror neurons see each other taking creative risks and caring for ourselves, and then reflect that within. So glad to be here with you. And mushrooms on everything!
Welcome Joanna! I’m rooting for you and your novel; I could so relate to this; ‘This time centering my worth within myself instead of letting the business of publishing determine my value. Wish me luck.’ Inspiring! I’d love Joanna to help us figure out our ‘zone of genius’ (I’ve read The Big Leap) more specifically as it relates to our writing, and also what blocks us from actually doing the thing we say we so very much want to do~~which for me is to actually open one of my novel WIPs and work on it, rather than dancing around it, for fear the mss as it stands will make me cringe and run. How do we fall in love with our creative projects? At least for moments of infatuation.😀💗
Oh Amy, you touched on some central stuff with "what blocks us from actually doing the thing we say we so very much want to do." The book Mind Magic helped me understand the neuroscience of why we feel fear even when we get what we want. Our brain is trying so hard to minimize its expensive energy usage based on our evolutionary demands, so new things or changes (even when we want it!) trigger a fear reaction. Like, "Look out this might make us use a lot of glucose!"
One of my most powerful coaching tools is somatic work, helping people see that emotions are 'energy in motion' and to let them move. Don't lock the fear to a story about yourself or your work, let it be sensations in your body that are felt and moved through. Consider it like an itch. Where do you feel it in your body? Fear asks us - what new things need to be learned? I wonder what this fear is trying to show you. I make up a story that somewhere behind that fear might be creative energy ready for infatuation. You got this! As you can see in this lengthy reply, I can't wait to dig into this stuff with all of you. Thank you for your warm, authentic welcome.
Hi Joanna! Thank you so kindly for this generous and helpful comment. I will read Mind Magic, I am fascinated with neuroscience and this seems like a book that could reveal some important insights for me. And this idea of using somatic tools in my writing and creativity is also a new idea for me. While aware of somatic therapy, I hadn't thought of it in these terms. As I open up a printed out full manuscript of a novel I have spent over 4 years working on, and which did not find its champion in the pursuit of an agent last year, I will keep in mind how the fear of re-entering this novel feels in my body. I want to make it "good enough" but perhaps the more helpful stance is to make it "true enough." I can actually apply your incisive questions, about what fear asks us, of my protagonist, as she is confronting a lot of what she fears throughout the novel and I suspect I need to embody that more deeply--in myself, so I can transfer it to her, in a way that will also give readers that embodied sensation. I absolutely love this phrase, "Somewhere behind that fear might be creative energy ready for infatuation." YES! I set myself a creative intention for this month, which is to fall in love with this novel again. So this challenge you pose is spot on! Thank you!
Welcome, Joanna! And what a great idea!!
1) I love Mind Magic--and you are the first person I've heard mention it. I'm a big proponent of manifestation--it's worked so well for me in my past professional life.
2) I rewrote my novel and starting submitting. I've gotten 3 requests for full--one passed due to a conflict of interest--1 simply passed (but with a kind note) and the 3rd is still out. You'd think this would make me happy? Oh, no! It's made me want to hide under the covers with chocolate. (And I don't even LIKE sweets)
I think we need some coaching around the "grief implicit in rejections"--And something I wrote about recently on my Substack--on the topic of relevancy--"if we feel as if we're writing into a void, can the relevancy meter truly be moved?" We writers need to feel (at least this is my perspective) that our words matter...how do we find that meaning in the face of rejection? (Another "grief" topic.)
So glad you have joined this wonderful community. Evelyn, a BRILLIANT idea.
Hi Diana!
Manifestation carries a lot of baggage, so I get that people shy away sometimes, but I am really appreciating the neuroscience perspective. Our attention is so powerful. I think this would be such a fun book for the book club. It would definitely stir dialogue!
I'll take some chocolate! Sharing our creative work with a market system is fraught. I've let the process repeatedly call my worth into question, and I've come to believe that my value as an artist doesn't belong near a public market. The real work for me is sourcing my validation from within and centering on the process rather than the outcome even as I try to sell my art. Your suggestion for coaching on the grief of rejection lit up so many ideas. I immediately started writing. Thank you for the toss!
I enjoyed your post on relevancy. I wonder who determines one's relevancy? And whoever one hands that determination over to - do they deserve it? You mention that the hopeful note in Olive Kitteridge is that the character comes into her own. Heck yes. I now have to read that book. Looking forward to more connection with you.
And thanks for the response—and for joining this terrific community.
Hello 👋 Evelyn! Hello 👋 Joanna! Welcome! 💃🏻 I would be most interested in dealing with the inner critic, unlocking creative energy and the virtual sessions. I'm down for anything. This sounds like it's going to be fun 🤩 Thank you!
Thanks for the lovely welcome! My chest filled with warmth as I read your enthusiasm.
Thank you for joining us.
Hello to you both! Evelyn, I always love your posts, and Joanna, you are going to be such a wonderful addition! Welcome! ✨🥳
Woohoo! I am really astounded by the joy in this community.
That's all due to Evelyn! She's fostered one of the loveliest online communities (perhaps THE loveliest)!
Hi there, Joanna! We're so happy to have you here--welcome! I would LOVE to learn more about how to deal with the inner critic. I just started to fully commit myself to writing this past year, and though I've had some wins (starting up my newsletter, Human/Mother and winning Evelyn's Mid-Career Writing Scholarship!), imposter syndrome tends to show up and, unfortunately, drains my creative well. How do you play offense and defense before, during, and after this happens? I look forward to hearing what you have to say! Thanks in advance! 💕
Yes! Inner critic work! I love that you already recognize and name it for what it is. Our critics really do have their own distinct voice and hearing how it's different from our own wise one is a huge step. Can't wait to dive deeper. Until then - this might help: https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClG2AfFgt1_/ Keep going, Katrina!
I'll check out the post! Thanks, Joanna!
Welcome, Joanna! I'm looking forward to learning more about you!
Hello Joanna! 🌻 What a fun partnership between you and Evelyn--congrats!
"my story of self" I love that!! Exciting to see CIH growing. Congrats!
Thank you. It was such a powerful thing to write. Wouldn't it be a fun creative challenge in the CIH community - to write and share our stories of self?! I'm putting it on the idea list. Great to meet you :)
Looks like a promising partnership with Joanna on CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY.
👏🏻🫶🏻
Welcome, Joanna!
What a fantastic addition to the community! Welcome Joanna and thank you Evelyn for another great way to help the community to thrive and deepen our understanding of our creative selves a little better too! Thank you both so much! I’m excited to learn even more in this brilliant community 👏 🎉
Welcome Joanna! Really excited to read your future posts—love the idea of a creative coach! 🫶
Oh my gosh, Joanna, I am so excited that you're joining this incredible space for writers! As a burned out endocrinologist and aspiring novelist, I relate deeply to your personal journey and know I'm going to learn a lot from you. Sending you all of the positive energy for your novel-in-progress (can't wait to hear more) and ordering a copy of Mind Magic right now!
Also, mushrooms are 100% the best pizza topping. 🍄
Thank you for the positive vibes. This community serves as such an important touch point. Our mirror neurons see each other taking creative risks and caring for ourselves, and then reflect that within. So glad to be here with you. And mushrooms on everything!
Welcome Joanna! I’m rooting for you and your novel; I could so relate to this; ‘This time centering my worth within myself instead of letting the business of publishing determine my value. Wish me luck.’ Inspiring! I’d love Joanna to help us figure out our ‘zone of genius’ (I’ve read The Big Leap) more specifically as it relates to our writing, and also what blocks us from actually doing the thing we say we so very much want to do~~which for me is to actually open one of my novel WIPs and work on it, rather than dancing around it, for fear the mss as it stands will make me cringe and run. How do we fall in love with our creative projects? At least for moments of infatuation.😀💗
Oh Amy, you touched on some central stuff with "what blocks us from actually doing the thing we say we so very much want to do." The book Mind Magic helped me understand the neuroscience of why we feel fear even when we get what we want. Our brain is trying so hard to minimize its expensive energy usage based on our evolutionary demands, so new things or changes (even when we want it!) trigger a fear reaction. Like, "Look out this might make us use a lot of glucose!"
One of my most powerful coaching tools is somatic work, helping people see that emotions are 'energy in motion' and to let them move. Don't lock the fear to a story about yourself or your work, let it be sensations in your body that are felt and moved through. Consider it like an itch. Where do you feel it in your body? Fear asks us - what new things need to be learned? I wonder what this fear is trying to show you. I make up a story that somewhere behind that fear might be creative energy ready for infatuation. You got this! As you can see in this lengthy reply, I can't wait to dig into this stuff with all of you. Thank you for your warm, authentic welcome.
Hi Joanna! Thank you so kindly for this generous and helpful comment. I will read Mind Magic, I am fascinated with neuroscience and this seems like a book that could reveal some important insights for me. And this idea of using somatic tools in my writing and creativity is also a new idea for me. While aware of somatic therapy, I hadn't thought of it in these terms. As I open up a printed out full manuscript of a novel I have spent over 4 years working on, and which did not find its champion in the pursuit of an agent last year, I will keep in mind how the fear of re-entering this novel feels in my body. I want to make it "good enough" but perhaps the more helpful stance is to make it "true enough." I can actually apply your incisive questions, about what fear asks us, of my protagonist, as she is confronting a lot of what she fears throughout the novel and I suspect I need to embody that more deeply--in myself, so I can transfer it to her, in a way that will also give readers that embodied sensation. I absolutely love this phrase, "Somewhere behind that fear might be creative energy ready for infatuation." YES! I set myself a creative intention for this month, which is to fall in love with this novel again. So this challenge you pose is spot on! Thank you!
So glad you are entering into a partnership with Evelyn. I know you two mean a lot to each other Great to have you here. ❤️
Hug! <3