HEALING AND SHARING OUR STORY
10 THINGS WORTH SHARING: An in-depth conversation about healing and sharing our stories, a contemplative journal practice, RIP William Hurt, affirmations for artists, Ron's World, and more...
Hi, Y’all!
Instead of a blog post this week, I’m sharing this wonderful conversation with Wanetah Walmsley over at Soul Hugger. If you want to get to know what I am passionate about and how I support others to heal and share their stories, check out this interview.
IN THE VIDEO: We chat about morning practices, journaling, the inner voices of perfectionism, risking sharing our work, the making of our short film DANDELION ( meta-moment: she played me in the film), how our creativity supports our healing, creative and spiritual evolution, and so much more. We laugh, we cry, we share beautiful space together. Hope you’ll join us.
(P.S who remembers when I was a brunette?)
Contemplative Journal Practice: A Commonplace Book. Heard of it? It’s a journal or book where you copy the writing of others in longhand. They were kept particularly during the Renaissance but have been around since antiquity. By slowing down and copying down another’s words or wisdom, you commune with them and their work in a more contemplative way. Many people do with spiritual text but you can do it with anything that inspires you.
Affirmations for Artists by Haley Jacobson
Favorite new book on writing your story: THE ART OF MEMOIR by Mary Karr. She’s an American poet, essayist and memoirist from East Texas, most known for her childhood memoir, THE LIAR’S CLUB. She shares her “hardscrabble Texas childhood” and her book launched a “memoir revolution”. - Karr’s website.
RIP William Hurt. The first film I saw of his was Altered States and I became an immediate fan. A few of my Hurt film favorites include: Broadcast News, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Big Chill, Children of a Lesser God, and a film we were both a part of - Mr. Brooks, shot in my hometown of Shreveport, LA.
My daughter Megan was interviewed last week on Texas Today about her work helping women end toxic dating patterns for good. Learn more about her empowering work here.
Former acting student ( and movie-going buddy) Jeff Baker will guest star TONIGHT on NBC with Rene Zellweger in the series, THE THING ABOUT PAM. Congratulations, Jeff!
Still Jonesin’. Why people born between 1955-1964 aren’t actually Baby Boomers. Finally, a name for our generation.
Yes please, to this meme:
Parker Palmer inspires me. From his book, LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK.
“The story of my journey is no more or less important than anyone else’s. It's simply the best source of data I have on a subject where generalizations often fail, but truth may be found in the details … I do so partly as an offering of honesty to the young and partly as a reminder to anyone who needs it, that the nuances of personal experience contain much guidance towards selfhood and vocation.’
May you trust that your story truly matters.. For your own healing and for the healing of the culture and our world. We need yours. We need mine. Let’s do this.
And now, a short message from…
Ron’s World:
Me: As he’s headed out to the garage, I catch a glimpse of him and I smile, and tell him, “ I choose you.” ( As in, I would choose you all over again.)
Ron: Stops in his tracks, looks over his left shoulder and asks incredulously, “I abuse you?!” ( my face.) “ Well…I couldn’t hear you! “
Lawd.
That’s a wrap on this week’s newsletter. Thanks, as always, for traveling this winding road with me. See you next week!
xoxo Mary
Love Parker Palmer as well! I chose yesterday on the 3rd anniversary of our Godson's passing to bravely tell another part of my church betrayal on FB (to tell it with compassion and grace; not from a place of victimhood). Kyle is one of my main inspirations to boldly speak whole truths. The church would have us believe being Christ-like means keeping our mouths shut. There is a 3rd way to express that I'm attempting to uncover.