I’m looking forward to all these SACRED AcWriMoments! Tomorrow on Helen’s Word, my personal Substack, I plan to post a piece about what each of these writing moments -- Strategic, Artisanal, Creative, Reflective, Embodied, and Delicious -- looks like for me. Can’t wait to see how the rest of this month unfolds!
I’ve been so busy reading everyone else’s beautiful replies today that I forgot to post my own! 🥲 As a curator of the prompts, I have to say I’m equally looking forward to all of them! But in terms of which are most to the point for where I currently am in my work, I’m looking forward to the Strategic moments for helping me map out (slow, humble) grand visions for ScholarShape 2024! ✨💫✨
I’m looking most forward to Reflective moments. I’ve been on a year-long process of slowing my pace, after a few years of working at a highly reactive pandemic pace. That left me super other-focused, meeting the needs of my students, colleagues, & institution as they arose. I’m working on discerning what I want to think about, what I want to work on, separate from the sort of emergency crouch I had fallen back into during super active COVID. I hope I can use these #AcWriMoments to help me focus in even more on my own curiosity & goals.
Yeah, I see it all around me, the rising post-traumatic decompression/revisiting of new layers of feelings/difficulty figuring out how to be together now that the emergency is past and we don’t have anything to unite around. Our traditional college aged students are both soooooo happy to be back & getting to start adulthood *in the world,* and scared/anxious/depressed at coming out into the peopled space.
I'm looking forward to Strategic and Creative moments to help bring some clarity and direction to my work. Feeling a bit overwhelmed with multiple, interconnecting, fascinating threads, making it hard to know where to focus.
I’m looking forward to Reflective moments. I like how it’s focused on finding out more about who we are and our purpose, and our purpose in our project. I’m working on a memoir about mental health in academia
I am looking forward to creative and reflective moments - having transitioned out of academia I haven't been able to engage fully in the creative writing and now hoping to rediscover my writing self.
I'm launching into a big, overwhelming book project and the academic in me wants more Strategic moments, but the *writer* in me wants more of all of the other ones. Artisanal and Delicious moments in particular sound absolutely phenomenal! I want to find ways to imbue my academic writing with more of the writing joy that I get from my personal/creative writing!
I am looking forward to strategic and artisanal moments. I am a graduate student preparing to share my dissertation proposal at the end of this month. Rather than stressing about it, I would like to enjoy the process of preparing for this milestone by identifying and savoring the strategic and artisanal AcWriMoments.
There are plenty of moments to savor, to treasure, and to contemplate. Not only working to find time to write, but to convince myself that what interests me, what I wish to study, and what knowledge I wish to share are WORTHY. While this may not be a “letter” amongst the SACRED, but like the series of exercises I seek to engage in, each of these areas of SACRED are intermingled in what I might consider a subject (or subjects) of academic scholarship, worthwhile to engage with, and I deserve some #AcWriMoments to write about them. I will work to add something to this exercise every day, even if it is just a random thought. I will also allow myself to add to what I’ve written as each day goes by. This is one way I “embody” my writing—even if I write down my thoughts on a mere scrap of paper to return to again and again. Ideas deserve attention, no matter how “out there” they may seem. While I need to do much more work to shift from a creative writing stance to a more academic one, and vice versa, it is still WORTHY. So, I might say that I am eager to encompass all that is SACRED.
I should add that I am at a crucial edge—a cusp where I need to decide to move forward to a degree program or stay where I am and be more creative. Either way, each direction is WORTHY.
Looking forward to lots of Strategic moments this month! For my "cumple-mes" = spanish language version of "birthday celebration that is one month long instead of just a day" gift to myself I am going to work on my book manuscript Sugar and Power in Brazil, 1880-1965 at least 4 25-minute pomodoros 7 times a week to see how much progress I can make with a sustainable pace that allows me to go into flow zone!!
The artisanal moment sounds just right for where I am in my writing. I’m a knitter; I find joy in learning techniques from others, gathering ideas and materials, and then shaping these into something that is both beautiful and functional. Well, that’s my hope, anyway. This month I want to do something along the same lines with my writing.
Love this! My son recently learned how to knit, and I’ve been marveling at the tiny, intricate stitches. He made me some mug cozies to keep my morning coffee warm, and I’ll think of you other knitters as I use them throughout #AcWriMoments !
I'm looking forward to reflective moments and strategic moments. I haven't had the space to have reflective moments focused on myself, which in turn has affected the creation of strategic moments. I have been desiring to write a book manuscript from my dissertation but haven't had the time or courage to do this in earnest, over a sustained period of time. Thank you for creating this journey for us!
Love the way you have described the various moments here. I’m working to be strategic as I dissertate: is this sentence, section, building on and supporting my central premise?
I like the idea of the Strategic moments; I have all of these little pieces of writing that I haven't been able to bring to fruition over the past couple of years, and I think part of it is that I don't know what I'm trying to say.
I am stalled in the final phases of crafting a book proposal for a hybrid memoir about the mass resignation of American teachers. I left the classroom a year ago feeling like a failure for being unable to meet the demands expected of me. I blamed myself for falling behind in my work, for the low test grades, for the panic attacks. Still, I hung on by my fingernails until I snapped and walked out. I didn’t just lose my job; I lost my identity.
As I witnessed other teachers I admired stumbling down the same hill that I did, I realized that we had collapsed under the combination of ever-increasing expectations and lack of support. There had to be more of us out there, I realized.
I developed a survey with a sociologist and began gathering data and narratives from teachers across the country. I wanted to tell their stories alongside mine to shed light on a pressing issue: pretty soon there will be no good teachers left.
This is a weighty exploit for me both as a former teacher and as a writer. An incalculable number of SACRED moments got me here, but the truth is -- many of these stories hurt. Fortunately, I am no longer the broken heap at the foot of the mountain I swore was my destiny. I healed my broken bones and have begun my ascent toward a new peak. I am hoping that through this particular venture, I will be able to both contrive those SACRED moments and recognize them when they happen organically. Base camp has been fun, but there’s a majestic view waiting at the top.
SACRED sounds like a perfect keyword for you, Robyn. You’re telling such an important story - others will want to hear it and find healing in your words.
Bless you, Robyn. 🙏 This is difficult, important work, and I hope that you’re able to take care of yourself along the way. Wishing you many SACRED moments of respite and restoration! 🌸
I’m looking forward to all these SACRED AcWriMoments! Tomorrow on Helen’s Word, my personal Substack, I plan to post a piece about what each of these writing moments -- Strategic, Artisanal, Creative, Reflective, Embodied, and Delicious -- looks like for me. Can’t wait to see how the rest of this month unfolds!
I’ve been so busy reading everyone else’s beautiful replies today that I forgot to post my own! 🥲 As a curator of the prompts, I have to say I’m equally looking forward to all of them! But in terms of which are most to the point for where I currently am in my work, I’m looking forward to the Strategic moments for helping me map out (slow, humble) grand visions for ScholarShape 2024! ✨💫✨
I’m looking most forward to Reflective moments. I’ve been on a year-long process of slowing my pace, after a few years of working at a highly reactive pandemic pace. That left me super other-focused, meeting the needs of my students, colleagues, & institution as they arose. I’m working on discerning what I want to think about, what I want to work on, separate from the sort of emergency crouch I had fallen back into during super active COVID. I hope I can use these #AcWriMoments to help me focus in even more on my own curiosity & goals.
Love this for you! Wishing you deep and purposeful (re)connection with self this month 🙏
The pandemic years are still having such an impact, in new ways, aren’t they? Your mention of the “emergency crouch” resonated with me.
Yeah, I see it all around me, the rising post-traumatic decompression/revisiting of new layers of feelings/difficulty figuring out how to be together now that the emergency is past and we don’t have anything to unite around. Our traditional college aged students are both soooooo happy to be back & getting to start adulthood *in the world,* and scared/anxious/depressed at coming out into the peopled space.
❤️🩹
I'm looking forward to Strategic and Creative moments to help bring some clarity and direction to my work. Feeling a bit overwhelmed with multiple, interconnecting, fascinating threads, making it hard to know where to focus.
I know that feeling well! 🙃
I’m looking forward to Reflective moments. I like how it’s focused on finding out more about who we are and our purpose, and our purpose in our project. I’m working on a memoir about mental health in academia
What a rich and important topic for a memoir ❤️🩹
Thank you!
Can't wait to read this--every coach will want to
I am looking forward to creative and reflective moments - having transitioned out of academia I haven't been able to engage fully in the creative writing and now hoping to rediscover my writing self.
🎨🪞💕
I'm launching into a big, overwhelming book project and the academic in me wants more Strategic moments, but the *writer* in me wants more of all of the other ones. Artisanal and Delicious moments in particular sound absolutely phenomenal! I want to find ways to imbue my academic writing with more of the writing joy that I get from my personal/creative writing!
Wishing you lots of joy and delight in your writing this month, Sara! Hope you can find some in even in strategic moments, too :):)
I am looking forward to strategic and artisanal moments. I am a graduate student preparing to share my dissertation proposal at the end of this month. Rather than stressing about it, I would like to enjoy the process of preparing for this milestone by identifying and savoring the strategic and artisanal AcWriMoments.
yaaaas
Sending lots of good dissertation energy your way!
There are plenty of moments to savor, to treasure, and to contemplate. Not only working to find time to write, but to convince myself that what interests me, what I wish to study, and what knowledge I wish to share are WORTHY. While this may not be a “letter” amongst the SACRED, but like the series of exercises I seek to engage in, each of these areas of SACRED are intermingled in what I might consider a subject (or subjects) of academic scholarship, worthwhile to engage with, and I deserve some #AcWriMoments to write about them. I will work to add something to this exercise every day, even if it is just a random thought. I will also allow myself to add to what I’ve written as each day goes by. This is one way I “embody” my writing—even if I write down my thoughts on a mere scrap of paper to return to again and again. Ideas deserve attention, no matter how “out there” they may seem. While I need to do much more work to shift from a creative writing stance to a more academic one, and vice versa, it is still WORTHY. So, I might say that I am eager to encompass all that is SACRED.
I should add that I am at a crucial edge—a cusp where I need to decide to move forward to a degree program or stay where I am and be more creative. Either way, each direction is WORTHY.
Rachael, I think you will LOVE the prompts our contributors have prepared for this month! They touch on so many of the themes you’ve mentioned here.
Looking forward to lots of Strategic moments this month! For my "cumple-mes" = spanish language version of "birthday celebration that is one month long instead of just a day" gift to myself I am going to work on my book manuscript Sugar and Power in Brazil, 1880-1965 at least 4 25-minute pomodoros 7 times a week to see how much progress I can make with a sustainable pace that allows me to go into flow zone!!
Ohhh flow zone is such a delicious place to be 😍. Wishing you lots of that this month!
The artisanal moment sounds just right for where I am in my writing. I’m a knitter; I find joy in learning techniques from others, gathering ideas and materials, and then shaping these into something that is both beautiful and functional. Well, that’s my hope, anyway. This month I want to do something along the same lines with my writing.
Love this! My son recently learned how to knit, and I’ve been marveling at the tiny, intricate stitches. He made me some mug cozies to keep my morning coffee warm, and I’ll think of you other knitters as I use them throughout #AcWriMoments !
Mug cozies are a great idea. Enjoy!
Hello knitting friend!
Hi! Good to meet you!
I'm looking forward to reflective moments and strategic moments. I haven't had the space to have reflective moments focused on myself, which in turn has affected the creation of strategic moments. I have been desiring to write a book manuscript from my dissertation but haven't had the time or courage to do this in earnest, over a sustained period of time. Thank you for creating this journey for us!
Thank you for being here, SueJeanne!
Here's to a month of cultivating connection with our writing in community! Very thankful for this space!
Very happy to have you here, Jillian! 💫
Love the way you have described the various moments here. I’m working to be strategic as I dissertate: is this sentence, section, building on and supporting my central premise?
Very useful question! We can never go wrong with that one 🙏
I like the idea of the Strategic moments; I have all of these little pieces of writing that I haven't been able to bring to fruition over the past couple of years, and I think part of it is that I don't know what I'm trying to say.
Sending lots of good strategy energy your way, Julie!
I am stalled in the final phases of crafting a book proposal for a hybrid memoir about the mass resignation of American teachers. I left the classroom a year ago feeling like a failure for being unable to meet the demands expected of me. I blamed myself for falling behind in my work, for the low test grades, for the panic attacks. Still, I hung on by my fingernails until I snapped and walked out. I didn’t just lose my job; I lost my identity.
As I witnessed other teachers I admired stumbling down the same hill that I did, I realized that we had collapsed under the combination of ever-increasing expectations and lack of support. There had to be more of us out there, I realized.
I developed a survey with a sociologist and began gathering data and narratives from teachers across the country. I wanted to tell their stories alongside mine to shed light on a pressing issue: pretty soon there will be no good teachers left.
This is a weighty exploit for me both as a former teacher and as a writer. An incalculable number of SACRED moments got me here, but the truth is -- many of these stories hurt. Fortunately, I am no longer the broken heap at the foot of the mountain I swore was my destiny. I healed my broken bones and have begun my ascent toward a new peak. I am hoping that through this particular venture, I will be able to both contrive those SACRED moments and recognize them when they happen organically. Base camp has been fun, but there’s a majestic view waiting at the top.
SACRED sounds like a perfect keyword for you, Robyn. You’re telling such an important story - others will want to hear it and find healing in your words.
Bless you, Robyn. 🙏 This is difficult, important work, and I hope that you’re able to take care of yourself along the way. Wishing you many SACRED moments of respite and restoration! 🌸