🖌️ Creativity + community + stories = how we move forward

It's perfectly natural to be overwhelmed right now, but if you're looking for ways to take action, I suggest leaning into these three things.

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Dear Reader,

The news is feeling pretty debilitating for a lot of us right now. School for Writers is a community full of LGBTQ+ folks, people of color, immigrants, first gens, people with disabilities, neurodiverse people, and people from all walks of life, and many of us are feeling unsafe and unstable in our homes.

It would be so easy, and understandable, to shut down right now.

And it's okay to rest – whatever the reason.

But what if "rest" isn't what we need right now? What if creative adventures is what we need?

I think about my paternal grandparents a lot. They were incredibly engaged in their community, traveled the world, created art, and lived full, vibrant lives precisely because they stayed active. They got sleep, yes, but their waking hours weren't inert.

When my brother was dying, the answer wasn’t to rest – it was to go to Yosemite, to have adventures, to live fully while he could.

​Lately, I've been wondering if maybe "rest" isn't what we need at all. Maybe we say “rest” because we don’t have the right language for what we really need.

"Rest" is such a nebulous term, that it often doesn't help us get to the root of what we really need. When we say we need "rest", what we often need is one of these three things:

• Sleep: Actual, physical sleep – whether it’s 8 hours at night or a 15-minute power nap.
• Rejuvenation: Activities that energize rather than deplete us.
• Rehabilitation: Specific actions that help our bodies heal and recover.

Long-term self-care looks different to each person, and it's especially different for ambitious people who feel better when they're creating, not simply resting.

If you're feeling overwhelmed but "rest" doesn't seem to help, check out this blog post on what else you might want to try.

Sometimes what fills our bucket isn’t rest at all. Instead, it might look like:

• Driving to the mountains for a hike
• Cooking your way through a new cookbook
• Calling a friend for a meaningful walk and talk
• Working on a creative project
• Being engaged in your community
• Telling your story

It's those last three that I've really been leaning into these past few weeks.

Creativity, community, and storytelling all in one place – introducing Plot Twist

About a month ago, I came up with the idea of a Choose Your Own Adventure-style interactive project where my readers got to help decide what the characters say and do next.

That idea is now Plot Twist: A Collaborative Novel.

I can't change everything that's happening in the world, but I can give us a creative outlet for our fears, excitements, frustrations, hopes, and dreams.

My goal with Plot Twist is to bring healing, joy, and fun to my community through a collaborative project that makes us all feel more connected and less alone.

It's free to join, all you have to do is enter your email address to get updates, but there are some exciting perks if you decided to become a paid subscriber. Whether you're free or paid, you get to join in the decision making and lend your voice to the project.

Because the world needs our stories now more than ever.

VOTING IS OPEN RIGHT NOW FOR WHICH STORY WE WILL WRITE TOGETHER!

Cast your vote!

I hope you'll join us in writing a book together this year, but more than that, I hope you'll carve out time for creativity, community, and storytelling in your life in whatever form feels great to you.

Stories shape who we are. Creativity defines our humanity. Community makes life better.

Leaning into all three is how we get through the good times, hard days, and everything in between.

With love,

Lauren

P.S. Voting for the Plot Twist story closes in 3 days, so be sure to go cast your vote right now. It only takes a minute.

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📝 The Writer's Career Guide: How to Build a Sustainable Creative Life on Your Terms ​Preorder a copy today –>​

🎨 Your Creative Life Blueprint – a foundational course ​Build your legacy ––>​

📘 Grab a copy of the queer romcom, BECAUSE FAT GIRL ​Get Lauren's book ––>​

📘 Write Your Friggin' Book Already® is opening enrollment soon! Get the courses and coaching you need to write, edit, and publish your book, all within a diverse community of supportive and kind humans. ​ To build group cohesion, we only open enrollment once a year, so keep your eye on your inbox – applications open soon! Check out the program →

The world needs your story now more than ever.™

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Love, Lauren Founder of School for Writers and author of BECAUSE FAT GIRL

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