Elizabeth Wilder's Blog

This poem is from my poetry Patreon, where you can read three brand new poems every week before they are published in a book, and it is about all that I am thinking about right now: release, redirection, and rediscovery.

I've been thinking a lot about what I expected my reality to be at this point in my life versus what it is.

Maybe my reality is that I cannot write books right now. Not fiction. Not stories. Not novels.

To write a story, short or long, feels like holding my breath. I’m sure this isn’t the best approach, but despite years of trying to adjust, it’s who and how I am.

Maybe it’s time to accept that.

And accept its sister truth: that perhaps this season isn’t for work that requires me to stop breathing, to ration my oxygen and exhalations.

As a mother living through a lingering pandemic with a partner that’s been turned chronically ill by its viral clutches while we grieve my recently deceased father, maybe this is exactly the time to let things go. To not clutch tight to that which threatens to drown me. To breathe deep and stay afloat in the midst of the floods in which I find myself.

I’ve always seen myself as a writer of stories more than anything, even though the words that appear at the end of my pen tend toward poetry more than narrative.

I’m forty years old.

I am entering the second half of life, I’m told.

Maybe it’s time to redefine my path, my trajectory, my self.

So the reality is that I give myself permission to release that which deprives me of breath. That which feels forced. That which drowns rather than buoys. That which crushes rather than heals.

Maybe it won’t always be this way. Maybe when my children are grown, I will find stories blossoming from me once more.

But for now, the section of soil in my creative self from which stories grow is barren. I allow it to lay fallow and, perhaps, with time, renew itself.

I won’t force it though.

Because there’s so much else to do than stay true labels and dreams that no longer nourish me or serve the world in the way I would like.

There are poems to write, textile art to stitch, and creative experiments calling me, begging me to give them time and attention.

So I will.

I will feed into the things that feed me.

And I will prune the shriveled branches of my life to make way for fresh growth.

This all feels very appropriate as it is spring in my part of the world, a time where the cold and dead gives way to new life — and what cannot sustain life is left to decay into nutrients that will, eventually, feed the earth.

Easter is this weekend, and while I do not celebrate that particular holiday, I do celebrate the springtime revival of warmth, light, and life — in myself as well as in the earth.

I look to the sky and let the warming sunlight shine into my tired eyes and wash my old worries away.

My questions for you are:

What is nourishing you, and what is taking from you without giving anything back?

What labels aren’t serving you any longer?

What dead growth needs to be pruned from your life in order to let fresh green shoots sprout?

Feel free to journal on these questions, or write poems or create art to address them. If you do, I invite you to share them in our creativity circle on Facebook, here.

I've heard this question so many times, whether it's about painting, writing, fabric art, and more.

How do I start?

It would be nice if there was a magical answer, a surefire formula that always lead to success.

But the answer is far less neat than that.

Because...you just have to start.And you have to be willing to do your art badly. 

At least at first. And maybe for a while. 

You have to paint/write/stitch wild and messy with lots of mistakes because that is how you learn.

Yes, you can always take classes and read books and watch tutorials. This will help. It can help a lot. 

But you still have to do the work of the class/book/tutorial imperfectly, with the openness of a beginner.

You have to practice.

And, with time, your knowledge grows. You refine your skills. You learn what you like, what works, and what isn't your thang.

But first, before anything, you have to just. start.

If you're willing to just start, and to make mistakes, that is the beginning of all your dreams coming true.

Just start. Paint badly. Write awkwardly. Stitch messy.

And if you keep going, keep practicing, keep showing up, sooner or later, you will find you are living the creative life you always dreamed of.

Are you ready to start creating right now, but don’t know how to get started? Keep reading, because I have something that can help with that… Start creating — without the overwhelm I have just released a one-of-a-kind DIY kit to help get you started creating fabric art easily, quickly, and without the overwhelm. This kit will allow you to experience the joy and sense of accomplishment of hand-stitching your very own piece of fabric collage art. 

Even better, your finished piece makes a gorgeous piece of home decor to keep or gift!

This kit comes with all the support you need to create the beautiful celestial mountain fabric landscape pictured. 

The only supplies you'll need to already have on hand are fabric or embroidery scissors, some paper, and some glue. 

Your kit even comes complete with a comprehensive video tutorial where I walk you through each step of the process. And if you still have questions, I'm available to answer them via Etsy's messenger.

Are you ready to make fabric art with me? Get your kit

First time we’re meeting? Click here to subscribe my newsletter & receive a coupon code for 25% off in my Etsy shop!

Want more? Connect with me on Instagram , or join our free soul circle on Facebook .

Free poetry bookFor a limited time, you can download Night Cycles, my premiere poetry collection, for free!

Night Cycles is a lyrical collection of poems about life's deepest questions & brightest moments, all spun out under the wandering moon. Do you dare to step into the vulnerable black whose name is your own?

awaken. revel in the heat of your own flames. feel the drum beat throbbing in your gut, the searing nearness of the sacred fires, the slap of your bared soles against earth as you dance in the ash and embers of your own waking.

you were made for the light, for spirit and sinew, for the uncertain dark, for hands holding hands holding hands.

the song begins. you are not alone.

Nab it on amazon US!

First time we’re meeting? Click here to subscribe my newsletter & receive a FREE copy of Ordinary Miracles, my short but mighty collection of poetry:

Want more? Connect with me on Instagram , or join our free soul circle on Facebook .

If you’ve been following along with me on Instagram or Facebook, you may know that 2022 was the year that I gave myself back to art. After being mostly gone from creating visual pieces for nearly 10 years, I decided to listen to my heart and try my artist’s apron on again, figuratively and literally speaking.

So I started creating.

It was, in a word, terrifying.

But also exhilarating.

I explored a new medium, fabric collage.

I fell in love.

And, to my shock, others seemed to really love my fabric landscapes too. They encouraged me to start to offer them to the world, so I did.

My fabric collages were accepted in one local shop, then another, and then a third. I was asked to participate in a local holiday market. I applied to be a participant in more vendor markets and craft fairs, and was accepted to three, and now am a regular participant in one. 

The thing about in-person events, though, is that I’m awkward as hell. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m autistic and have ADHD. Maybe it’s my imposter syndrome. Or that I’m damned exhausted (hellooooo, mom life + pandemic life). Most likely, it’s a combination of several factors.

Me being awkward as hell as my first market of 2022.

But I did it. 

I made mistakes, and I did some things right.

Here’s what I’ve learned.

1. Showing up is half the battle.

Okay, I know this seems like a no-brainer, but it’s a big deal. 

I stayed away from even trying to sell my visual art for a long time . . . because I was scared. Because it’s vulnerable. Because it sucks to show up, get your hopes up, and then be disappointed if nobody’s buying.

But if you don’t show up at all, your chance of sales is 0%. You’ve already determined the outcome before you even try. 

Showing up in the face of fear, then, is super brave. And it’s 100% more likely to bring you success or new customers or new creative contacts than not. 

In my opinion, showing up is a success, even if you sell nothing.

2. Preparation can help bridge the gap between might and will.

One thing I let remain an obstacle for my participation in local events was my display table. Even though I create visual art, real life design is NOT my forte. Just ask my home — I’m terrible at decorating! 

So naturally, I was worried about my vendor table display. 

To help myself overcome this, I practiced at home. I set up a whole display in my kitchen, trying to figure out what might work at a fair.

It helped immensely. 

Here’s my at-home practice setup.

So practice at home. Ask some knowledgeable friends for advice. And Pinterest is your friend! You don’t have to reinvent the wheel here (and I kind of thought I did, silly me). See what other people have done, and take from their examples pieces that might work for you.

Research, practice, finesse. You got this.

3. Be willing to make mistakes.

I’m a perfectionist. Big time. When I do a thing, I went it to be done perfectly right, and on the first time. 

Yeah, I know how ridiculous that is. Even more ridiculous is that I let fear of imperfection stop me. 

You’re not going to get it right the first time. Certainly not if you’re a beginner, and still not if you’re experienced.

And your goal isn’t to be perfect.

Your goal is to show up, do your best, and learn. 

You have to be willing to make mistakes.

Mistakes aren’t failure. They’re a natural part of the process. So make your mistakes, learn from them, and move forward.

4. Help yourself with a script

This one is for my fellow awkward artists or neurodivergent makers. We’re not great socially, especially on the fly. And for me, especially when I’m battling through imposter syndrome to exchange my creations for money.

I’m bad at talking to customers at fairs.

And I’m not just bad at it. 

I hate it (probably at least in part because it’s difficult for me)! So much.

For my first market of 2022, I sat behind my table and stiffly smiled at everyone who came by, heart hammering in my chest. I’d say, “Good morning, how are you” . . . and then not know what else to say.

As a customer, I personally do not like being chatted with. But I’ve learned that I don’t think this is the norm (thanks, my neurodivergent brain!). 

So I gave myself a little script to use. Not a hard-and-fast, written-down-on-paper deal, although I support you trying that if you think it would help you.

Instead, I decided to mark down some of my items that I’ve been trying to clear out anyway. That way, when people came by my table, I had something extra to talk about. Here’s how it tended to go:

Me: Good morning, how’s it going?

Customer: Fine, and you?

Me: Great, thanks! FYI, prints are 25% off today only. 

Customer: Oh cool, thanks!

Me: Yup! Let me know if you have any questions!

And then the customer would look through the prints, which often led them to linger and look at other items, and sometimes led to a sale. Win! 

Throw yourself a bone, and give yourself something to talk about. Maybe it’s a sale. Maybe it’s an item that you’re only going to offer at THIS sale. Maybe it’s a new set of items. Maybe it’s that all your items are upcycled. 

Whatever it is, find a natural angle and let it carry you through the possible awkwardness of conversation with customers. 

5. Make friends with other vendors.

This one might be just as hard for you as talking to customers. It’s easier for me than customer chat, but not easy. 

But meeting your fellow vendors (a.k.a. networking — ugh I hate that word, do you?) is really important. Not only because there are usually really cool people around you, but because it’ll help you a) build up a network of people you know at local events, which can b) lead you into further opportunities, or at the very least c) help make you less stressed at fairs because you’ll be going into them knowing you won’t be surrounded by strangers.

Start small. Don’t try to make friends with everyone. Start with your neighbors. Or even just one neighbor! Get to know the folks selling at the tables next to yours. 

Don’t know what to ask? Here are my go-to questions (yay for scripts again!):

Hi! How long have you been doing markets?

I love that [insert item they’re selling]. How did you get into making that?

How long have you lived in the area? [Then if they aren’t from the area, ask where they came from and how they got to the area. Share your origin story too!]

[This one works well for holiday events.] Got any plans for the holidays?

And you don’t have to chat the entire fair. Pop in and out. Take social breaks as needed. Ask them if they’ll watch your table so you can take a bathroom break, and offer the same for them. 

Then! Follow them on social media! That way you can stay in touch. And, if you’re awkward like me, socializing on social media is easier than IRL, and you can get to know your new friends even better but with less stress. Win!

6. Bring something to do with your hands.

Don’t just sit through the craft fair bored, especially if customers or sales aren’t coming through as much as you’d like. Bring something to do!

Because I’m making fabric collage and it’s easily portable, I just bring my sewing tote with a work-in-progress or two. That way I have something to do, which passes the time AND helps me with my awkward feelings. Bonus: it stops me from grinning in maniacal, socially awkward silence at customers visiting my table. 

Also, having something to do, especially if it pertains to what you’re selling, can be really engaging for customers to view. It might also be something you bond with other makers over!

7. Don’t undersell yourself.

It can be very tempting to price your items low in the hopes of getting a sale. And the nice thing about local markets is that, because there are fewer fees involved, you can without hurting your income.

But don’t price low to your own detriment.

I’ve seen makers selling items it took them hours and hours and hours to create at prices that don’t even cover their materials, much less their time and skill.

Make sure that your prices cover your materials, your time (decide on a price per hour spent making your items if it helps), your years of skill, and any other costs such as your market entrance fee, gas, food for the market, signage, etc. And then make sure you’re taking home a little extra (or a lot extra!) for profit. If you sell only at-cost, you will burnout.

Don’t undersell yourself. You and your art deserve better than that.

8. Bring more cash than you think (and other money advice).

This is a super practical straightforward one. Bring cash! More than you think you’ll need. At a recommendation from an experienced friend, I bring fifty dollars worth of one-dollar bills, and fifty dollars worth of five-dollar bills. I haven’t ever gone through my whole stash, but it’s a comfort knowing I have enough should I need it.

More helpful advice from this friend was to price everything in whole numbers, either denominations of five or ten. Even if your online shop has things priced at $19.99, for example, round it up to $20 for in-person markets. You don’t want to have to deal with coins.

I also have my Venmo and PayPal QR codes displayed on my table so folks can pay with their phones, and I can take cards too with my Square card swiper. 

Feeling far more confident (and silly) after getting a few craft fairs under my belt.

There you have it — my main takeaways from getting back into local markets in 2022 and going into 2023! As I said above, I was SO SCARED to start selling locally, but my confidence has quickly increased. I’m excited to see where I’m at in another year. 

If you sell at local markets, what’s your number one piece of advice?

And if you’re new to selling at local markets, or want to get into it, what’s a question you have that I didn’t answer? Throw it in the comments and I’ll try my best to help!

First time we’re meeting? Click here to subscribe my newsletter & receive a coupon code for 25% off in my Etsy shop!

Want more? Connect with me on Instagram , or join our free soul circle on Facebook .

Want to close out the year mindfully and creatively? Welcome the new one with hope and groundedness?

I have a FREE (and very gentle) writing and creativity challenge to help you do just that.

Introducing the…Reflect & Renew Writing ChallengeWhat it’s all about:

Writing. We love it. We need it. We don’t always have time for it. Especially during the winter holidays.

Here’s how it works: I’ve provided nine intriguing prompts to spark your poetry/fiction/journaling/pick-your-favorite-writing-flavor.

And you write (or otherwise creative) on those, one at a time, over the course of December and January, as you are able, with zero guilt if we can’t quite swing all of it.

Are you in? Let’s do this thing:

1. First, enter your email to receive the nine prompts delivered to your inbox daily, starting immediately upon subscription (don’t worry, it’s free!):

Join the writing challenge

Subscribe to have the prompts for our current writing & creativity challenge delivered straight to your inbox!

Check this box to agree to receive your prompts as well as occasional news and updates.

Subscribe Loading... Thank you!

You have successfully joined the writing challenge! Your first prompt will hit your inbox immediately, and every twenty-four hours after that until you've received all the prompts from this challenge.

Happy creating! Remember, you can use these prompts to write, paint, cook, dance -- whatever format is calling you!

If you'd like to connect with other folks participating in the challenge, use and follow the tag #sheofthewildwrites on social media.

Thanks for being here. I can't wait to see what you create!

With gratitude,

Elizabeth Wilder

www.sheofthewild.com

2. Write (or create in your preferred format) to one prompt at a time, in your own timeframe, through December and January.

3. OPTIONAL - Share on social media using the #sheofthewildwrites hashtag so you can connect with fellow She of the Wild challenge participants.

4. OPTIONAL - And! If you want some more fun and support, come join our free She of the Wild creativity circle on ye olde Facebookes. We have a great introverted time not talking to each other very much.

We start as soon as it strikes your fancy! Enter your info above to receive your first prompt in your inbox right away.

Want to close out the year mindfully and creatively? Welcome the new one with hope and groundedness?

I have a FREE (and very gentle) writing and creativity challenge to help you do just that.

Introducing the…Reflect & Renew Writing ChallengeWhat it’s all about:

Writing. We love it. We need it. We don’t always have time for it. Especially during the winter holidays.

Here’s how it works: I’ve provided nine intriguing prompts to spark your poetry/fiction/journaling/pick-your-favorite-writing-flavor.

And you write (or otherwise creative) on those, one at a time, over the course of December and January, as you are able, with zero guilt if we can’t quite swing all of it.

Are you in? Let’s do this thing:

1. First, enter your email to receive the nine prompts delivered to your inbox daily, starting immediately upon subscription (don’t worry, it’s free!):

Join the writing challenge

Subscribe to have the prompts for our current writing & creativity challenge delivered straight to your inbox!

Check this box to agree to receive your prompts as well as occasional news and updates.

Subscribe Loading... Thank you!

You have successfully joined the writing challenge! Your first prompt will hit your inbox immediately, and every twenty-four hours after that until you've received all the prompts from this challenge.

Happy creating! Remember, you can use these prompts to write, paint, cook, dance -- whatever format is calling you!

If you'd like to connect with other folks participating in the challenge, use and follow the tag #sheofthewildwrites on social media.

Thanks for being here. I can't wait to see what you create!

With gratitude,

Elizabeth Wilder

www.sheofthewild.com

2. Write (or create in your preferred format) to one prompt at a time, in your own timeframe, through December and January.

3. OPTIONAL - Share on social media using the #sheofthewildwrites hashtag so you can connect with fellow She of the Wild challenge participants.

4. OPTIONAL - And! If you want some more fun and support, come join our free She of the Wild creativity circle on ye olde Facebookes. We have a great introverted time not talking to each other very much.

We start as soon as it strikes your fancy! Enter your info above to receive your first prompt right away.

my new poetry book, I Promised I Tried , is out now!it will blow the top of your head off, Emily Dickinson-style.

my new book is here! It's been a year and a half in the making, and I'm feeling All the Things (TM):

excited. 

terrified. 

exhilarated. 

trying not to think about it too much. 

thinking about this and only this. 

like I said...all the things.

let me just say right now that I am so proud of this book. so proud. it runs the full gamut of emotions, from curiosity to anger and grief to courage and, ultimately, to love.

if I'm feeling All the Feelings today, this book contains a lot of those Feelings. capital F.

but, while feelings can be uncomfortable, feeling them is the key. if we repress them, they turn to poison, but felt, they are a key to healing and freedom. and these days, there are SO many things for us to feel process, and heal.

I hope that this book is a key, or a map to a key.

I hope that this book helps you feel the things that need to be felt and, in doing so, moves you toward healing and wholeness.

I hope that this book encourages you, that it makes you feel less alone.

I hope this book gives you hope. we all are in desperate need of more hope these days.

I Promise I Tried is chaos and calm, quiet and calamity. it’s what happened when I tried to write a book of happy poetry. this came out instead.

it is, I suppose, the book I needed to write. and now, I hope that it gets to be the book you needed to read.

regardless, thank you for being on this journey with me. thank you for reading/liking/commenting/sharing/following/patron-ing/subscribing to my work and, in doing so, encouraging me to create more of it. I could not have done it without you. thank you.

I Promise I Tried is out now in paperback, Kindle, and Kindle Unlimited. I hope it meets you where you're at, and gives you what your sweet but tired soul is craving. I Promise I TriedPoetry for Losing & Finding YourselfOut now!

Are you struggling to feel connected to your truest self in these profoundly disconnecting times? This book is for you…

I Promise I Tried is a searingly passionate poetry collection exploring the power of telling the whole truth in hard times. These words will stoke your audacity to not just survive but thrive in the tension between hope and grief, curiosity and fear, and love and loss. 

These poems carry you on a healing journey through the minefields and miracles of being a human living with a heart thrown wide open.

In addition to the book’s four sections that delve into curiosity, grief, courage, and love, enjoy poems that examine themes of motherhood, mental health, current events, and creativity.

Part revelation, part celebration, and wholly penned with power, this exhilarating and encouraging collection will tend your wounds, fire up your fearlessness, and leave you cheering for the endurance of love.

read I Promise I Tried

First time we’re meeting? Click here to subscribe my newsletter & receive a FREE copy of Ordinary Miracles, my short but mighty collection of poetry:

Want more? Connect with me on Instagram , TikTok , or join our free soul circle on Facebook .

Free poetry bookFor a limited time, you can download Night Cycles, my premiere poetry collection, for free!

Night Cycles is a lyrical collection of poems about life's deepest questions & brightest moments, all spun out under the wandering moon. Do you dare to step into the vulnerable black whose name is your own?

awaken. revel in the heat of your own flames. feel the drum beat throbbing in your gut, the searing nearness of the sacred fires, the slap of your bared soles against earth as you dance in the ash and embers of your own waking.

you were made for the light, for spirit and sinew, for the uncertain dark, for hands holding hands holding hands.

the song begins. you are not alone.

Nab it on amazon US!

First time we’re meeting? Click here to subscribe my newsletter & receive a FREE copy of Ordinary Miracles, my short but mighty collection of poetry:

Want more? Connect with me on Instagram , or join our free soul circle on Facebook .

Friends, I have a new poetry book coming out very soon. And you can get an exclusive signed paperback copy of it!

…until tomorrow, when I close pre-orders on signed paperbacks. After that, it will be available only on Amazon and from your local bookseller or library. 

In the past, I’ve kept signed paperback copies of my books in my Etsy shop indefinitely. However, it’s expensive both financially and in time and energy to do this for just a handful of books a year.

This time around, I’m trying to be more efficient by offering a one-time pre-order period so I can order, sign, and ship all the books in one go. 

All that to say:

It’s your last chance for the foreseeable future (and maybe forever) to get a signed copy of I Promise I Tried, my newest poetry collection.This book is full of soul and spice, written to bring you both catharsis and hope. Personally, I think it’s my best book yet. I am so thrilled to share it with you. get your signed copy! I Promise I TriedPoetry for Losing & Finding YourselfAvailable to pre-order now

I Promise I Tried is a searingly passionate poetry collection exploring the power of telling the whole truth in hard times. These words will stoke your audacity to not just survive but thrive in the tension between hope and grief, curiosity and fear, and love and loss. 

These poems carry you on a healing journey through the minefields and miracles of being a human living with a heart thrown wide open.

In addition to the book’s four sections that delve into curiosity, grief, courage, and love, enjoy poems that examine themes of motherhood, mental health, current events, and creativity.

Part revelation, part celebration, and wholly penned with power, this exhilarating and encouraging collection will tend your wounds, fire up your fearlessness, and leave you cheering for the endurance of love.

I Promise I Tried releases on Amazon December 13, 2022.

You can reserve your exclusive signed paperback edition HERE.Preorder your Kindle ebook edition HERE.

First time we’re meeting? Click here to subscribe my newsletter & receive a FREE copy of Ordinary Miracles, my short but mighty collection of poetry:

Want more? Connect with me on Instagram , TikTok , or join our free soul circle on Facebook .

A brand new original painting by Elizabeth Wilder, titled She Contains Multitudes

The most fun — and most difficult — part of gift-giving, especially around the holidays, is finding unique, one-of-a-kind gifts with meaning. Gifts with heart and soul. Gifts that, in spite of the cliche, really do keep on giving.

That’s partly why I do what I do. Why I create art. Because artwork and all things handmade are instant keepsakes, unique and irreplaceable, and is imbued with deeply personal and specific meaning.

And! I just did a mega art shop update, adding a ton of new offerings to my Etsy shop! Keep reading to find out what’s new, and to be inspired with unique gift-giving ideas…

If you’ve been following along with my Etsy shop, you may have noticed lots of activity I’ve been busily adding a TON of new items, most notably blank greeting cards, new fabric art hoops, and even some stickers!

The addition I’m most excited about are the blank notecards.

I’ve been wanting to offer blank greeting cards featuring my art for a while — years! —  but wasn’t sure how to get it done affordably. But recently I worked it out! I ordered archival quality photographic prints of my pieces from a print shop, then used glue dots to affix them to sturdy white cardstock. Each card comes paired with an envelope in a cello sleeve.

The best part? The prints are removable — which means that after you use the card, the recipient can remove the print and frame it.

Not only are the cards utilitarian, but each card is a little gift in itself!

This pleases me greatly. :)

I’ve also been hard at work stitching more fabric landscapes and cute little holiday hoops. I have two adorable 3” Santa hoops that can be hung on the wall or displayed on an easel on a table — or I can add a ribbon and turn them into an ornament for you!

My favorite of the hoops is this shimmery, sparkly, elegant winter scene. Looking at this, I can practically hear the snow falling in that muted way it does on quiet nights. Those pearls were a bit of a beast to stitch on, but it was well-worth it. I love how they turned out. 

An extra fun new addition to the shop is this pack of stickers! Each sticker is a reproduction of one of my tiny art magnets (coming soon unless I sell out of them at local markets!). They each feature an encouraging — and potentially sassy AF — saying. 

And! All domestic US orders now come with complimentary free shipping! You can optionally upgrade to Priority Shipping if you desire to have some cool art in your hands faster. :) 

Want me to ship an order to a loved one? I can do that too, and include a little gift note with it.

Just send me a message with what you’re looking for along with your order. Unfortunately, I cannot offer gift wrapping at this time…but if you’ve ever ordered from me before, you know my packages are always fun to open. :)

Okay! I think that’s about it from me! Get thee to the art shop to see all the new things waiting there for you and your gift-giving needs (or hey, treat yourself, it’s all good!):

to the art shop!

Get 25% off any one art shop order by subscribing to the She of the Wild newsletter list HERE .

First time we’re meeting? Click here to subscribe my newsletter & receive a FREE copy of Ordinary Miracles, my short but mighty collection of poetry: