We all have stories inside us, waiting like seeds to sprout
A practice to cultivate creativity and harvest words
On this last day of April, National Poetry Month, I want to start with a haiku:
birdsong and tea, this
breath in my lungs – how I start
each morning: thank you
Growing up, my mom often quoted poets and theologians, and one of the refrains imprinted inside me is Meister Eckhert’s:
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”
Today, looking out the window toward the mountains, listening to the birds with my journal on my lap and a cup of tea on the windowsill, I felt the daily gratitude of this rhythm. This is how I start most mornings, and despite its humble repetition, this ritual of paper, pen, tea, and the mountains waking up outside is one of the things I’m most thankful for in life.
Some mornings poems spill out, other mornings ideas for essays sprout, and sometimes all I do is look out the window. Regardless, this daily rhythm is the foundation my creative practice grows from.
We all have stories inside us, waiting like seeds to sprout, push up through the soil and unfurl in the sun.
As a farmer and writer, I believe that creativity is as essential as food. That growing food is both a creative act in itself and fodder for a flourishing writing practice. While the words that sprout aren’t always about food and farming, the practice of creating opens up a way to write.
I believe in the power of rhythms to bring stories into the world, and I believe in the power of community to create supportive spaces where creativity can grow.
And that’s why I created Harvesting Words: a writing workshop for farmers and gardeners.
If you’re looking to cultivate your own writing practice, I invite you to join us here as a paid subscriber. Harvesting Words will begin on May 17th, hosted here on Substack, with new lessons released every Friday.
Throughout the workshop I’ll guide you through four sections:
Plant Seeds : sowing your writing practice
Cultivate : growing your writing practice
Harvest : revising & getting to the finished piece
Workshop : ask questions & get feedback on your writing
While I used to offer Harvesting Words for $149, you can access it by becoming a paid subscriber for $70/year or $7/month.
Whether or not you join as a paid subscriber, thank you for reading Art & Soil. I’m grateful for your presence!
May you find a seed of creativity today and tend to it with joy.