This is a previous schedule frame work we drew up for a DIY one year. The focus this year was on being generative no matter the format — we made zines, we made crankies (moving panorama scrolls), we did free writes. It was lovely.

Rachel Reynolds and I created something called DIY Writer’s Retreat.

We needed time and space to create — we needed a writer’s retreat — but the realities of our lives (parenting, working, etc) was such that even if we got into a retreat we probably would not be able to attend. So we made our own! It occurs after the school year ends and our kiddos are in camps or dance, in other words it is sweetly nestled in between drop off and pick up! Sometimes there are lots of prompts, sometimes we make zines, sometimes it’s all professional development and spread sheets about agents. There are usually cards pulled; mithras candles lit; rocks, crystals, and markers on the table; lunch is important and always delicious. It’s accountability and support, it’s a garden to grow in.

As part of DIY we have begun dreaming about something called Make Space. A community writing and art hub were we can gather with good people and make space to create things, celebrate the wheel of the year, and build community. It’s coming, little by little. We want to do it right in a way that is generative and not burdensome, in a way that allows us to also parent and work and partner and wear all the other hats life asks of us.