the power of vulnerability
week four: life as a creative process + february writing prompts
If you’re new here, paid subscribers receive Story Work exercises every Sunday night at 8 pm et. Story Work is the name of my new book which is forthcoming from Broadleaf in November 2025. The term describes my signature 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. For the next eight weeks, our story work series is focused on life as a creative process.
Before we get into this week’s story work exercise, here are the writing prompts for February. Our monthly freewriting workshop is this Friday, February 7 at 7 pm et. In these 60ish minute sessions, we do a series of freewrites based on the prompt list. It’s free and open to all subscribers.
You can learn more and register to join us here.
the courage to be seen:
If you are just joining us, this series is a self-study in connecting with your inner artist and staying connected through the different seasons and circumstances that shape your life. We are strengthening this connection so we don’t abandon our intentions when we face obstacles, distractions, and challenges. So we don’t doubt ourselves when we feel separated and alone. So we don’t exhaust ourselves by fixating on results and not relishing the process.
I know someone out there is embracing this invitation to slow down and ask themselves what they need before they hit the ground running this year. The world is literally on fire, January was overwhelming and heartbreaking in so many ways, and many of us are bracing ourselves from one day to the next.
We need to be intentional about cultivating lives that nurture our creative energy, that give us the courage and clarity to make choices that align with our values as we navigate difficult times.
If you walk through all of the questions and exercises in this series, you will discover insights that support you in staying committed to your creative intentions throughout the year, no matter what twists and turns life takes.
Here is what we’ve done so far:
Week One: Soulful Intentions - Instead of fixating on specific outcomes, soulful intentions focus on how we want to feel and the values we want to embody. Soulful intentions are about progress, not perfection. They allow you to adjust your expectations through life’s changes and evolutions. They allow us to incorporate habits that don’t just check off boxes but truly enrich our lives.
Week Two: The Deeper Why - If we want to align our actions with our soulful intentions, we need to integrate all parts of ourselves and consider their motivations. Getting clear on your why - and the different factors that affect it - will give you the courage and conviction to make choices and develop habits that align your parts to cooperate with your values.
Week Three: Creative Embodiment - Soulful intentions are not to be rushed. They are not to be determined by an intellectual strategy and then executed. They are seeds that need daily attention and nurturing in order to bloom. They need slow, devoted love. Soulful intentions need to inhabit our whole essence, not just our minds, but also our bodies.
This week we are exploring the role that vulnerability plays in activating our creative power.
the power of vulnerability
“A true open heart is not unguarded. Its sensitivity does not equal fragility. Its fierce compassion, fearless love, and radical honesty are its natural protection.
An open heart is not weak. It has realized its strength. The strength that allowed it to withstand deep pain and heartbreak. And because it trusts that strength, it feels safe to be open.” ― Xavier Dagba
Acting on your soulful intentions will change dynamics in your life. At times, you will feel misunderstood, ignored, overlooked, uncertain, and isolated. This is part of the journey.