Gathering Together

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“Our power as individuals is multiplied when we gather together as families, groups, and communities with common goals. It is our collective strength that makes positive change possible in the world.”  –Brain Browne Walker, Hexagram #45, Gathering Together

As writers we need our tribe to support us in living a creative life. As authors we need our reader tribe. We are not in this alone, even though as we type away at a story or blog we do so on our own.

I offer writing and Zero Point circles because everything wants to be round and in relationship. Everything comes to fruition in community with others. Meeting up and working in circles acknowledges that everything is interconnected and in constant flux. We create meaning by first being influenced by others (and our surroundings) and then by gathering with others to create collective meaning. Nothing is accomplished, or written, in isolation. Nothing exists without numerous causes and conditions making it possible.

A writer or artist does not “grow” in isolation, and needs nourishment from a multitude of resources, just like a tree relies on earth and sky. We are all part of a larger community. To gather together acknowledges this natural community we are all a part of. Circles and community enrich us.

As writers we are nudged (or compelled, addicted?) to write our stories down. We first may write them for ourselves (rounding-out some kind of understanding on the page) but we also write so that our reader tribe can benefit from our stories and insights. So, after we have accomplished some personal creative act on our own we must put out the call to our tribe––to those who will benefit from our creative efforts. A tree doesn’t hide its fruit. I witness numerous people suffer because they keep their creative projects in the closet. Many claim a discomfort that comes with “marketing” their creative works. Instead, they could understand their sharing their work as gathering together their tribe. It’s risky. But your tribe is worth the risk.

Do the thing to do it,

And not for what it does.

All of these, for instance,

These words upon this page,

Now exist as something—

‘Will go where they will go—

Because I was the I,

And dared to write them down.

–David Rozelle, “Do the Thing”

In honor of our need to gather together, and in the tradition that poet and essayist William Stafford offered to writers, I open my home and land to you to write, enjoy the natural world, and meet up with other writers. These days are free retreat days. These are seasonal and run through October. Click here for the dates: Open Writing Days at Julie’s. 

I just finished up teaching at Write-By-The-Lake, an annual retreat through UW Continuing Studies and will be offering a weekend of  Wild Mind, Wild Life: Opening to Our Creativity through Journaling & Nature at the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired building outside of Spring Green this September. My writing consultation circles are full for this year but I will be offering my popular Spiritual Journaling Class for Creatives starting up this January, 2015!

Coming Up:  The I Ching & Psychic Development for Writers! A five-session class starting in OCTOBER. Heat up your creative light during the cold months of winter! More in this in the next Writing Wednesday blog.

“Does the rose have to do something? No, the purpose of a rose is to be a rose. Your purpose is to be yourself. You don’t have to run anywhere to become someone else.” –Thich Nhat Hanh, on the Heart Sutra

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