Today I sat at Panera with a friend who is part of my personal Board of Directors, talking about what have always seemed like competing desires: to do my Peacemaking, Thealogy1, and Writing — whether poetry or prose — and to make a generous living so I can do more Peacemaking, Thealogy, and Writing — all while paying my mortgage.
More to the point, perhaps is the thought that without financial support from somewhere else, I can’t do my Art. If I look very hard at this conundrum, I realize it’s a very deep family story. My poems and my Mother Betty’s Paintings were lovely additions to Life, and as such understood as gifts for giving rather than products for sale or support.
But my works aren’t mere additions. These expressions are my Heart’s Focus and Spiritual Calling. This is how I express the Wonder and the Privilege of being alive. This is how I translate Peace and Peacemaking for the world. This is how I invite the world to Notice Life’s Abundance and Possibility.
Sometimes it’s very discouraging. It is challenging to gather folks who will read or listen to my Work, (which is really quite good, if I can say so myself.) I’m not blaming or complaining here; I’m taking a hard look at what’s happening. And, perhaps, what I think is an invitation for others to support my work, isn’t. Perhaps I’m not direct enough or explicit enough about how you might help me. I can believe that is so — after all — like so many women born in the 50s, I was not brought up to ask for money. It just “wasn’t done.” It especially wasn’t done by people who are spiritual or professionally religious. Money! How mundane. Yeah. So is food, toilet paper, and a mortgage. And while I really am very happy doing my hospital work, at 73½, there are some physical limitations, my knees are getting older. When I can’t walk my 7,000-10,000 steps required for the work, should I stop thinking, conceptualizing, and dreaming? Because I don’t work at the hospital for simple joy or service. I also work to pay my mortgage and my bills which my Peacemaking Art doesn’t yet support.
So, here I am, not simply looking for support for groundbreaking work, I am also looking for the words that will encourage you to recommend me to your friends. I am also open to entertaining suggestions for different ways of marketing my work and refining my ask for reading and fiscal support from those of you who read and support a lot of writers and artists.
Don’t worry, I’m not throwing it all on you. I have some guidance and support. And some of that support and guidance comes from folks who are escaping our religious trainings that would like us to believe, a) you can’t put a price on the privilege of doing art (so you should probably suffer to do it), and, b) Peacemaking and Poetry are Dreams to be realized… Do they need to be supported?
Yes.
One of the reasons I’m writing this under the Wild Hares heading is that there is so much Peace, Wonder, and Awe dashing around my brain demanding Food and Names (on Dasher! On Dancer! On Thinker! And Singer!) that I long to bring into existence.
Substack is one platform where you can support me. Will you subscribe and refer me to others you think will appreciate my work? If possible, it would really help if you became a paid subscriber. You may not be able to be a paid subscriber, but some of the people you refer may be. The more paid subscribers I have, the more time I can devote to writing about the Possibilities of Peacemaking. Are you interested in my Peacemaker’s Tarot? You could subscribe to my Youtube channel and investigate how eight Moon readings a month will offer new prompts for living with the Earth and Possibilities for making Peace. I write a daily Peace musing that I send out by email and also post on Instagram. Subscribing to that and introducing others to my work is a daily prompt to consider Peace and Peacemaking as Possibilities in our lives. How about my Poetry? I’m so proud of my Antarctica Book (and if you’ve read it, thank you, will you review it?). How willing are you to sponsor a reading at your place and help me sell books? Do you realize we could do that on a Zoom call?
Support your local Peacemaker. I’ve got ideas for all of us to make Peace. I’m hoping you have ideas for me. And this isn’t a one way-street, let me know how I can support your work. Thank you! Let’s make Peace together. The World needs our Peace.
Salaam, Shalom, Peace, and Blessed Be!
- My use of Thea as in thealogy, rather than theology, refers to the Divine Feminine and that is my reference point when considering life’s conundrums. ↩︎