Feeding the lake
a look back at January
Hi, readers of the intangibles! I’m writer and educator Allison Kirkland, and this publication explores creativity, discipline and difference. Thanks for being a part of this community.
Registration for the March Writing Circle closes on February 26th. There are 5 spots left. Grab one!
Dear writers and readers,
In January I was honored to be asked to be a grant panelist for the Durham Arts Council Emerging Artist Grant, which means that I had the opportunity to read all of the literature grant applications, give my input as to which applications I’d recommend to move forward to the next stage, and then be “in the room where it happens” (Hamilton reference!) as the awardees were finalized.
I was awarded an Emerging Artist Grant back in 2022, so it was rewarding to be able to give back in this way, and be involved in this really sacred process of reading people’s work. Being a grant panelist is also a learning opportunity. I was given the opportunity to listen as the other grant panelists discussed the applications — awards are granted in the categories of craft, performance, dance, etc — and I learned a lot about what it takes to craft a strong application, and also what to consider when it comes to choosing which grants would be approved for funding.
It is so vulnerable to gather one’s work for an application and ask for funds to support a creative dream, and I was energized by the talent and commitment that I saw in the applications, and humbled by the enormity of the task, knowing that not everybody was going to be awarded. I left the experience feeling re-committed to my own work and thinking about other ways I could support the writers in my local community.
I also had the honor of presenting a talk at the Up to Date Club in early January. I’m that rare extrovert-writer that loves to chat and be with other people, so it was a joy to stop staring at my laptop for an afternoon and instead talk to others about art. I read from a few of my essays, talked about why I love the art of creative nonfiction and personal writing, and got to answer a lot of really great questions.
They asked me what I’d tell my younger writer self when it comes to my creativity and my writing. What a great question! There are so many things I would tell her, but most importantly I would tell her to express herself, above all, sooner rather than later. That her voice is valid and necessary, even if she’ll never be as talented as Ernest Hemingway or Toni Morrison.
It’s like that Jean Rhys quote: “All of writing is a huge lake. There are great rivers that feed the lake, like Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, and there are trickles, like Jean Rhys. I don't matter. The lake matters. You must keep feeding the lake.”
March is set to be another month where I’ll have lots of opportunities to be immersed in my creativity. Thanks to a grant I received from the Durham Arts Council, I’m attending The AWP Conference & Bookfair for the very first time. AWP (The Association of Writing and Writing Programs) is the largest gathering of writers, teachers and industry professionals in the United States, and it happens once a year. This year it’s in Baltimore.
While I’m there I’ll be attending seminars and talks, going to readings, hopefully networking and browsing the giant bookfair, which displays basically every literary magazine and small publisher known to man. I am both terrified and excited for this huge professional development opportunity, and I’m hoping to meet some of my literary internet friends — writers and editors whose work I’ve been following online for years, but have yet to meet in person.
Fellow writers, I’d love to hear any tips and tricks you have when it comes to attending AWP. What should I pack? What is not-to-be-missed?
Writing Prompt:
Each month I offer a creative writing prompt for my paid subscribers. These writing prompts can be used by dancers, visual artists, or anyone with a creative practice.
Don’t watch this video until you’re ready to write — the element of surprise is key when you’re working with a writing prompt. Before you watch this video, here are some things to prep: