Spell casting

There’s inherent power in the stories we tell about our lives, how we describe our past and how we imagine our future.

Love passionately. Do justice. Be radical.

I still remember this earnest invocation offered to the graduating class of 2008 from North Park University (I graduated class of 2009). I’ve since made it a blueprint for my life. Three simple (and often very challenging) adages for how I want to “human” in this strange and marvelous world.

Words are magic. Spells we weave over our lives, intentionally or not. It’s why I believe giving “one’s word” is something we still take very seriously. A sacred contract we make with ourselves and others.

There’s inherent power in the stories we tell about our lives, how we describe our past and how we imagine our future. 

Years ago, just after I bought my current house (when it was still empty of furniture and needed A LOT of work), I was single and working with a life coach/shaman who suggested I hold a marriage ceremony where I “wed” myself. She even asked me to write vows, commitments I wanted to keep just for me. 

Writing those vows was an empowering, beautiful experience. It made me realize how so much of what I wanted from a partner, I could actually give myself. It created a foundation from which to add someone else into my life without losing myself in the process. 

Lately, I have been playing with writing an “Artist Manifesto,” an idea I got from the Thrive Together Network and a Creative Morning field trip hosted by Rachel Ropeik. You, dear subscriber, get to see my first draft, an unedited version that’s still in process.