What do you plan to do with your wild and precious voice?

Celebrating the rise of US (and a hundred posts for brave creatives)

Dear Brave Soul, we’re here to feed our hearts with delicious foods for the spirit, so we can sing the truth of what matters most. In other words, let’s show up for what we love. Today, we celebrate what’s arising now, my hundredth post (!) And ponder a question for your heart.

Q: What do you plan to do with your one wild and precious voice?

Here’s my answer, with a song for our sponsor, Mama Earth…
I sing from my heart, to celebrate this moment, on Earth, with you, and all creation.
I aim for compassion, including for myself as I sort out this job of being human.
I reflect your beauty (and quirks!) Because seeing your fullness feeds us both.

It’s Easter/Passover/Ostara/Spring: Time to celebrate our rising up…

Blooming blossoms on Wildcat Canyon overlooking San Francisco

What’s rising up in you today? (like a blossom from the weeds)

Hope rises anew. It’s Easter Sunday, a day devoted to rebirth and renewal of what’s holy and sacred. We’ve known a dark hundred days in the USA, but some say the tide may be changing.¹ As we celebrate 250 years since the American Revolution, we’re using our voices.

• Over a million marched in the streets on April 5 (again April 19, May 1…)²

• SCOTUS votes unanimously and issues an emergency order.³

• A few prominent Republican voices are finally speaking out.

I’m no political animal, but like our cat Sparky, I sniff the air before I make a move. As daily horrors continue to threaten many lives and livelihoods, can you feel a subtle energy shift? From confusion to clarity. From fear to focus. From denial to determination. We’re getting our collective sh*t together and showing up. May we rise from the ashes and embolden ourselves. BRAVA!

Create art in action that amplifies the world you want to live in.

Protesting is an angry business. It’s easy to get fired up with outrage. We need that fire to motivate action. But let’s not forget to feed the positive, to articulate a forward vision. What do you want most? Human decency. Respect. Economic stability. Etc…

Be a warrior of the heart.

“The sacred warrior conquers the world through gentleness, courage, and self-knowledge. The warrior discovers the basic goodness of human life and radiates that goodness out into the world for the peace and sanity of others.”
~ Chogyam Trungpa, “Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior”

Celebrating 100 Posts on Substack!

As a good girl, I was raised to never toot my own horn. Eff that. As a self-diagnosed ADHD neurospicy creative who’s often abandoned her passion projects when sh*t gets hard, I’m proud of myself! Here are a few highlights.

• I’ve opened my heart on Substack 100 times, posting weekly since Nov 1, 2023. Including many songs, much of my graphic novel, “Meet Your Monkeys,” etc.

• I chose well. Substack is like a cozy, funky cafe with an open mic where brave, creative souls get real, sharing our juicy, vulnerable, deep work. I love it here.

• 450 humans said “yes!” to subscribe to this publication so far. It’s a true honor to be invited into your inbox. 12 brave souls became paid supporters; thank you! (I’m still sorting the best format for gathering in an online ritual; more to come.)

• I built a free library of creative tools to empower your voice, by strengthening your inner resilience. You have the answers within; these tools help you dig.
  

• I want to thank a few brave voices on Substack who light up my days.

  Jeannie Ewing
  shares simple, true, daily moments of real human caring.
  Summer Koester
  writes honest AF, inspiring reflections of their now.
  
  Wild Lion*esses Pride from Jay
  offers insightful, supportive reflections of everyone’s work, and deeply vulnerable truths on a tough path to authentic living.

• Thank you, subscribers! Thank you, followers for trusting my voice, liking, commenting, and restacking my Notes (I post daily in the Substack app — I love sharing the beauty of this world through photos and short snacks of inspiration.)

Celebrating Your Creative Courage

The root of the word courage is ‘cor’ - the Latin word for heart. The word courage meant "To speak one's mind by telling all one's heart.”

🗣️ Your turn: What do you plan to do with your one wild and precious voice?

Thank you for showing UP, being the one and only YOU. 💗 Will you please share with a friend who wants to develop her brave creative voice? More to come!

A multi-passionate former creative director, my work has appeared in Time Magazine, films and television, newspapers, YA fantasy novels, and on west coast stages. My creative tool decks are found in therapy offices & bathrooms across the US. 💗 More at HeartsQuest.com.

1. “…Patriotic Opposition is growing faster…”

2. How to Stay Safe While Protesting

3. “The Supreme Court’s Late-Night Rebuke to Trump Is Extraordinary — that may well mark a turning point in the majority’s approach to this administration” ~ Slate.com