In the last three months, I've done a series of writing workshops in my area, five in all. A couple of them have been "ekphrastic" workshops, others used word or story prompts. All have been thankfully well-attended and I've been paid well enough to cover my rent at the Charlotte Art League for the rest of the year. (Still holding out hope that the Art League will continue to get it together and I'll be able to stay on there.) Although I "angst" over preparing these workshops, much like I used to do getting ready to teach classes, they have all gone well. Reviews have been positive. I even set an attendance record for the Charlotte Writers Club workshop. Invitations for more have resulted. So all in all, yay me. :)
Now I'm turning to getting ready for a one-week residency at Wildacres later this month. Ah, Wildacres. Without a doubt one of my happy places. I've started making little piles of things to take along. Which books, notebooks, pens and paper, notecards, journals, a bag of teas and snacks, all must be thought through and organized and packed then unpacked.Decisions must be made! This is not my first residency there, though it's been since 2018, according to my photo library. What did I learn then that I need to remember for this residency?
Thankfully I don't need to bring my own sheets and towels this time, don't need to pack those. But I do need to remember that I'm on my own, in my own little cabin, with no car, so no last minute trips to the store for something I've forgotten. Last time, I got a pretty crap cold while I was there and had to make due with the catch-as-catch-can cold medicine they had on hand at the desk. I'll be a little more circumspect with some of those OTC meds this time. And, I'll bring a few snacks for when I'm on a roll and don't want to go to the dining hall for meals -- although honestly, rousting oneself to hidey over there gets your head clear and provides a lovely walk 3x a day through the woods, and adds up 3 miles. Which means maybe once in a while I'll go for that cookie at lunch, or the pie at dinner.
That's the practical stuff to think about. What's more complicated is figuring out which writing projects to work on and what art supplies to bring. Do I write in the mornings and paint in the afternoons? Do I put together the next poetry book, adding and revising what I've got in my stash? Do I paint the cover of that book? Do I bring out that novel? Do I play with those flash essays that might turn into a memoir? Do I submit to those lists I have been building since the beginning of the year? What are the priorities? I'll be there for a week... Stay tuned for what ends up happening.
And if hanging out in a nifty cabin in a glorius mountain setting, by yourself, to work on creative projects sounds like heaven to you, go to the Wildacres website and check out the Residency opportuniies. They have three cabins and run the residencies April though October. It is not an onerous application as these things go, and you don't have to complete any reports or duties if you get one. (wildacres.org) Residency applications open Aug 1 for the 2025 season.