the heroine’s journey
If you’re new here, Story Work is the name of my current book-in-progress. It describes a process of reflecting, reclaiming, and reimagining the stories of our lives. It involves looking at your life experiences as creative material that you have the power to shape.
The weekly story work topics cover universal life themes with references from literature, philosophy, science, and spirituality; offering perspectives that spark ideas for personal growth and creative expression.
Paid subscribers receive Story Work exercises every Sunday night at 8 pm et.
Read on for a preview of the weekly exercise.
Hi friends,
On a sunny day at the end of a muggy August in 2022, I slid on some linen drawstring pants and a black tank top with flat black sandals. I’ll take neutrals over colors any day, and I needed an outfit comfy enough to sit on the floor. The night before I sprayed, detangled, buttered, and twisted my hair so it would poof just right for my first in-person event post-pandemic. I would be facilitating a writing workshop with two black women creators I deeply admired. We’d be gathering with about 15 other women to explore writing as a path to healing.
At the event, I sat on a plush, cranberry-colored pillow in a circle with my fellow teachers and writers. We walked through a morning of exploring our inner conflicts and bodily sensations to find pathways to our voices. Together, we examined the power of language and the art of expression.
Chloe, the visionary, blessed the event with her gift for creating an artful and inspiring vibe in the space; Ẹniafẹ (
), the aesthete, sprinkled her effervescence on all of us through her poetic touches on language and movement; and Carmen (), the artist, wrapped the event up with an oral collage of excerpts from what each person said that day. We finished the experience on a natural high, floating on the creative energy of touching and agreeing with like-minded souls.One of the participants pulled me aside afterward and said that she had not been this honest with herself in a long time and she was deeply thankful. Another said that she felt an energy shift, something unblocked inside of her. I drove home that day thinking that I am right where I am supposed to be, doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing, feeling just how I love to feel.
The joy and alignment I felt in community with those women was an affirmation of why I do what I do, helping individuals and groups unblock their creative voices and reclaim their stories. It took me a long time to own, cultivate, and share this gift.
How do you want to feel? If you are not in the habit of asking yourself this question, this is your nudge to start. Ask yourself how you want to feel and what makes you feel that way.
When you ask yourself this question, don’t rush to answer it with words. Let the question raise your awareness as you go about your life, and start noticing moments and environments that make you say: this. this is how i want to feel. this is my authentic, fully expressed self. Likewise, you will notice the moments and environments where you don’t like how you feel so you can decide what to do with that information.
For this week’s story work exercise, we are continuing to reflect on our creative journeys. When you think about how you want to feel, this is a great place to look for answers.