It's the first day of school! The first real day of Fall (officially still summer, but definitely Fall). Fall to me means new stuff to learn, new classes to take and of course new back to school outfits!
Do you want to write?
I'll be honest, for a long time I never, ever, ever wanted to write anything ever. I'm serious. I feared writing more than most things.
(Well, not more than the Peanut Monster, the feature monster in a recurring dream from my youth. It was about a monster who wanted my peanuts. Lesson? Eating peanuts is DANGEROUS! My sister and brother are deathly allergic, I wonder if it's related?)
My fear of writing was so great that I just didn't do it.
Essay due? No problem, don't do it, you're "bright" and have "potential".
If you really, really can't get out of it, get drunk, write it late at night and don't worry about how terrible it is. It can't be good, because you left it to the last minute.
That was me and my relationship to writing, that is, until I met Sarah Selecky.
I took my first course with Sarah as a dare to myself.
I was going through a phase where if something scared me I had to do it. I'm not talking about hanging out naked with black widow spiders, I'm talking about hugging strangers and putting up online dating profiles.
That dare began years of working with Sarah and my relationship to writing.
It's true, my series of drunken painful one night stands with writing, became a relationship. An honest and true long term relationship.
Has it always been easy? My goodness, no. Do we still fight? Always. Do I love writing? Yes I do, through of the turmoil, I really do.
I love it because it's real. I love it because it wakes me up to the world around me.
I love it because it forces me to notice the details, like how right now it seems quiet, but if I listen I can hear the wind in the maple tree outside my office, someone raking the leaves, the squeak of brakes, hammering, kids playing with water guns, my dog breathing in the hallway and a plane overhead.
Do you want to write?
If you do, I have something very exciting to share with you. Sarah Selecky has a writing course starting very soon called The Story Intensive.
It's based on her very popular Story is a State of Mind (a self directed online course) but for those of us who need a little more structure and accountability with our writing.
It's an online course, and you'll be part of a small 8 person group lead by a TA. There will be feedback and support. New friends and a new relationship with writing.
Sarah knows her stuff. She's a Giller nominated author who taught writing courses for over 12 years in her living room before moving her living room online.
She's a matchmaker, if the lover you seek is writing.
The Story Intensive has a lot of bonuses including live calls with Sarah and an exclusive video Master Class with Margaret Atwood (that's right, Margaret freakin' Atwood, she who hasn't taught since the '70s and who may know a thing or two about writing).
I love Sarah and I love what she has to teach. Working with Sarah changed my life. It's not often I can say that about something, but it's true.
She taught me how to turn pain into beauty, how to allow the perfect metaphor to fall in my lap like a cat looking for comfortable place to nap. She gave me writing. She gave me myself.
Because I love Sarah, writing and YOU, if you sign up for The Story Intensive through my affiliate link, you'll get a free one hour coaching session with me worth $125.
Registration for The Story Intensive closes Thursday September 5th at 12pm EST and there are just a few spots left.
Click here to read more about the program and register.
If you've been thinking about it, just do it. Working with Sarah literally changed my life and continues to change my life daily. Now's your chance to let her change yours.
If you have any questions at all, please let me know and please feel free to pass this along to any of your closet writer friend.
Love,
Cecilia
oxo
p.s. If you're reading this and you're not on my list, you should really get yourself on it! Just pop on over here to get on! All the cool kids are doing it!
p.p.s. My friend Samantha and I are facilitating an amazing meditation workshop in Toronto this Fall called Pathway to Clarity, October 5-6. It would be so sweet if you could come.