End of an Era & Building Something New

Since 1999, the middle part of August has always meant something very special to me - the beginning of a new school year. We started homeschooling our oldest that first year, unsure of so many things, but very sure of one thing - we wanted our kids to love learning. I was a person who loved school. My husband, not so much, so we were attempting to make the best decision for our kids coming from two very different perspectives. We weren't pro-homeschooling. We were pro-learning, and decided teaching our kids at home would be a good place to start, then we'd take things year by year and figure it out as we went along. Eventually, public school became the place for all our kids, and one by one they graduated high school and made their way to college.  Last April, our youngest child graduated from Grand Canyon University, and I am facing my first August in 25 years without a child heading off to school.

It's kinda hit me hard. More change. More grieving a season I will never get back. If I let myself, I can wallow in the memories far too long, allow the regrets to eat at me, and long for days gone by. Those were precious years. But this is a new season. There are new opportunities. My kids are diving deep into their own professions, working their way through the highs and lows of adulthood. I am so proud of each one of them.  Also, my son and his wife are teachers, so in some ways, the school year will continue to mark certain aspects of our family time.

Every year as August approaches, I purchase the same candle - a Spiced Pumpkin Yankee Candle - and save it to light on the first day of school.  Rituals are important to me. I like marking moments with something simple that brings me joy, and every year, that candle has ushered in a new season of learning. Growing. Making memories. I bought that same candle the other day. Couldn't help myself. I might not be sending a kid off to school, but I do want to welcome a new season. This time, it's a season to be more focused on creative efforts that have begged for my attention and haven't gotten it. A season to be brave, vulnerable, generous, and consistent with my work, in a way that invites others to do the same. 

The phrase "hopeful creative" became a part of my vocabulary after I was diagnosed with cancer almost four years ago. On my worst days, I clung to the belief that even in the moments when I felt empty, beat up, or buried in the rubble of discouragement, if I could muster up enough strength to do something creative, hope would show up. On days when I felt good, hope would lead, gently guiding me to my writing room or my kitchen - my two favorite spots to create - so I could get to work, doing what I love to do.  In both cases, I felt the nudge to create out of my experience and giftedness something that would offer hope to others. I began to see hope and creativity walking hand in hand, like two friends who occasionally walk side by side, but who also have moments when one has to carry the other. And sometimes, one drags the other along, either kicking and screaming, or barely alive. Whatever it looks like, hope and creativity seem to be inseparable for me.

And this is where you come in. 

I've been working through the details of The Hopeful Creative for quite a while now. In a few days, I'll be starting a new phase of this little adventure and I would love for you to join me. The Hopeful Creative online community is all about making art in pursuit of hope, from a place of hope, for the purpose of giving hope to others. It's about the moments when hope and creativity walk closely together, and the moments when one carries or drags the other along. It's a place to be inspired and equipped to do the creative thing that's deep inside of you. It's a place where that creative thing you do can be reawakened or refreshed or repurposed. It's a place to discover you're not alone in your up-and-down creative journey. A place to be assured that yes, there are other people whose ideas keep them up at night. People whose wells seem to have run dry. People who can't find a consistent routine even if their life depends on it.
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For now, this will be a place where twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays, I post something about living the hopeful creative life. It might be a blog, a link to a resource I've found helpful, or I might just share some work of art that has inspired me. My desire is for all of us to experience creativity in community - something that I've found to bring great hope and joy to my life over the years. If you think this post isn't for you, let me gently remind you that EVERYONE is a creative. We just all have different ways of expressing that creativity. So you just might belong here more than you realize. :) 

If you want to join me, just click the button below and you can sign up. There's no fee. No expectations. No rules. Just a notice from me to drop in a couple times a week and be encouraged to stay the course, creatively!  I'll be lighting a certain candle to usher in this new season and I sure hope you'll join me! 

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JOIN THE HOPEFUL CREATIVE COMMUNITY