Pop Up Mental Health Check In
Let’s all take a deep breath.
*inhale*
*exhale*
Hi! How are you? I wasn’t planning a post this week, but thought it would be a good idea to check in during the whirlwind of events, both global and personal.
I write today from the Randolph College Low-Res MFA program. It’s always a very happy residency; the students and faculty here are some of my favorite people. I’m happy to be back and working again with such a positive group of thinkers.
I may always think back on 2023 as The Year (Mostly) Everything Went Right. I’ll talk about that more in the New Year.
However, the real purpose of this note is to check in on you, dear reader. 2024 is at our doorsteps and it’s been a while since I reached directly out this way. Reply in the comments, if you like. I like when y’all tell me what’s happening in your life. How are you? What are you looking forward to in 2024? What would bring you joy?
As always, thank you to the premium subscribers who make this newsletter possible, especially those who just signed up. I appreciate your support. This would be so much harder to do without your help. For your information, Sitting in Silence is also doing well. Our readership has gone from zero to hundreds a few months ago to thousands now. So, I’ll say thank you for all the referrals. My goal has been to create a place to share thoughts on writing and life. I’m glad y’all like it.
Also…I’m thinking of starting a podcast. Keep your eyes on your emails this week.
Thank you for asking, Maurice! 2023 has probably been the most dizzying year of my life to date. Five months ago, I lived in San Francisco. Now I'm in rural Georgia. I used to get woken up by city traffic, now I'm woken up by the neighbor's rooster. Being from New Orleans did NOT prepare me for life in Milledgeville, though I'm grateful for everything I'm learning in my MFA program and I love my students.
There's a lot I'm navigating emotionally right now that I'm confident will be important for my development as a writer, but I'm currently in the space of just *dealing,* with faith in that being the case. With all that's going on in the world right now, I'm feel like a challenge is being put fourth: Make something that *matters,* that *means something,* even *though,* even *as.* I don't yet know how to rise to that challenge. This moment, for me, feels open and uncertain, but, mercifully, not directionless. I've spent my break reading a lot, and I'm excited for the Spring semester to start. I'm taking a Criminology Theory class because this school is renowned for their Criminal Justice program, and I'm excited to see how the knowledge I get from that class will inform current and future projects.
I'm doing well, thank you. The minor surgery was a success and I'm healing. 2023 is also the year I signed with a literary agent, so a good year for me as well, I think. My hopes for 2024 are more writing and good health. I wish the same for you.