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Rhonda's avatar

Excellent post! As I read, an idea for a creative project formed: My goal for this dark time is Connection, building Community. A new Michael's store (arts & craft supplies) opened near us. I'm going to get a few canvases and pain those guidewords to display in my office so they'll stay top of mind in the times to come.

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Lisa Cooper Ellison's avatar

I love this, Rhonda. Community is so important right now. I can't wait to see those beautiful canvases. Thank you for being such a bright light in this world.

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Michal Nortness's avatar

Your sense of direction may still suck Lisa, but your timing is right on the money. I have been stuck every which way, and finally feeling a tiny bit of movement. This helped. As always, thanks.

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Lisa Cooper Ellison's avatar

Thank you so much, Michal. I'll take good timing over directional accuracy any day. I'm so glad this was helpful.

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Stephanie Shafran's avatar

As I wrote on Instagram, spending time in the company of my grandchildren, ages 7, 11, 12, & 14, is the only way to ground myself from the terrifying reality already percolating in my midst.

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Mary Austin (she/her)'s avatar

Thanks for this! And the interview with Kristin Jarvis Adams was delightful. More chickens; the first time I've ever heard this writing advice. It made me laugh!

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Lisa Cooper Ellison's avatar

Thanks for reading and listening, Mary. More chicken as writing advice made me laugh too. It's so quirky but it worked so well!

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Marisa Russello's avatar

What's your professional opinion on rage rooms where people go to smash things? Good for your mental health or...?

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Lisa Cooper Ellison's avatar

I think they can be great for your mental health, especially if you struggle to connect with your anger. However, if you're a trauma survivor or a person whose nervous system is easily overstimulated, you'd want to know in advance how you'd re-regulate yourself if it felt like too much.

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Marisa Russello's avatar

Thanks!!! I really want to go to one.

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Meagan Justus's avatar

Well, I can’t clean up the world but I can clean out and organize my pantry & closets! It brings me satisfaction and control to have my space organized and it keeps me moving.

I’ve focused on writing content that brings happy feelings and I treated myself to some new gel pens that are in a rainbow of fun colors.

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Lisa Cooper Ellison's avatar

I love it! I'm personally a rage cleaner. Get me mad, and I'll have a spotless house. :)

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Becky Strom's avatar

During the week of the election, I happen to be out of town in Arizona a place I’m not familiar with and without my support system. So I got in the rental car and drove for almost 10 hours all over the state up the mountains down the mountains over by the snow on the mountains down the canyon along the forestjust to be in touch with what nurtures my soul. That’s what I need to do more of this week and hope to.

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Lisa Cooper Ellison's avatar

Driving can be so grounding. It's such great a metaphor for getting unstuck and moving forward, especially when we can do it in nature. I'm so glad you were able to do something that nourished your soul like that. I hope those views stay with you.

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Katie Daley's avatar

Great question, Lisa. This week, this quote from T.H. White's The Once and Future King has been resuscitating me: ". . . you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.” I've also been working harder than usual on writing and revising poems. Being so absorbed in the creative process is reminding me of how much power we all have to create the inner--and outer--worlds we want.

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Lisa Cooper Ellison's avatar

This is such a beautiful and timely quote, Katie! Thanks for sharing it. I'm trying to live by it right now by listening and learning as much as I can while I nurture my creative energy. Sending you a big hug, soul sister.

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Katie Daley's avatar

A big, soulful hug back to you, soul sister.

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Katie Rouse's avatar

This is so helpful for this week especially. It's been so hard. I've really been trying to resource with meditation, which has been so powerful in the wake of all the emotions coming up, and then writing, off course. Having a deadline to finish this revision for my manuscript has been perfect timing for channeling these emotions into sharpening these last chapters especially.

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Jim Pollock's avatar

Thanks Lisa - the quote from Camus is extraordinary. I have switched from memoir to fiction now but feel I am ploughing the same ground. I am aweriting about WW2 in the Resistance and Camus spent time in the Cevennes mountains where some of my novel is located. Loved your The Psychology of Memoir and am glad I get your emails. The quote can ground the various phases of the transformation of my protagonist - it puts into words what I have been looking for, without really knowing it. Thanks again. I am giving up on politics, so intend to switch my paid Substacks in to something more useful for me, for at least four yeara. Jim

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Nov 12
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Lisa Cooper Ellison's avatar

Me too. :)

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