A Story of Sharks: June in Review
This week two sharks were spotted in my living room.
It's been a wild few weeks as usual, but I wouldn't have it any other way. (Well, maybe there's a few things I'd tweak, but all in all its been very productive!)
This past weekend I had an opportunity to get my meds + thyroid levels checked inpatient at WPIC (Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, now officially known as Western Psychiatric Hospital of UPMC). Not exactly fun, but every time I do it I always meet the greatest people and learn some cool things.
Imagine my surprise to see 20 of my 365 Writing Prompts published in their CEAT (Creative and Expressive Arts Therapies) journal they hand out to patients. That post was first released at my old website ThinkWritten.com in 2014.
It’s incredibly validating to see my work used in a clinical setting, even if it is soul-crushing that they took it without asking or giving credit or any kind of compensation whatsoever.
This situation is the exact reason I’m transitioning to a completely paid model on June 25th to protect and sustain everything I create.
While at WPIC, I also got the opportunity to make a new piece of art inspired by my CEAT training. Instead of letting the frustration of them using my work stop me, I channeled it straight back into what really matters: creative healing.
I'd love to share more of my process on creating these "Stories Without Words" – and that's where I need your support to continue creating therapeutic resources like these. $5/month from just 100 people can make that happen.
The Shark Sightings
While I could say UPMC was a shark for sniping my content, we actually had 2 very REAL sharks in the house.
I got a Shark robovac! Woo-hoo!
We used to have a Roomba but it was very old and finally died. This Shark, the AV2501s, meets all expectations. I bought it on sale 50% off during Prime Days with the proceeds from a small woodworking website I recently sold and I'm so glad I did!
When you have 9 cats this is essential! Otherwise I'm sweeping the house for 2 hours a day.
The other shark spotted was our resident shark Bonnie. We've had her for the last 5-6 years and she lives in complete harmony with my plekipotomus.
She's practically impossible to photograph as she loves the darkest corner of the tank, but she was giving me a little wave while we set up the robovac in the living room.
In Other Important News: The Pool is Open!
While much of the week was a whirlwind of appointments and finishing up some garden projects and taking care of family, Ray and I finally had a good chance to just have some plain old fun swimming, grilling, and jamming down in his music recording space.
We are also working on a new song that has that old school Alice in Chains meets Our Lady Peace Not Enough vibes. I'm so excited for it. It's a great release for all the frustration and stress the two of us have been through these past 2 years.
Rays been taking drum lessons since last year. While he is no Carter Beauford yet, I think he's pretty darn good!
Next Important Order of Business: The Cats!
Now, I know what you are thinking. Chelle, where are the cat photos? Don't worry, we have lots of those too!
What Else Has Been Cooking?
Behind the scenes, I've been working on some pretty BIG projects that will take quite a time to release properly, but a few that I know I cannot stand to just let sit too long without sharing with the world:
- Write Bad Poetry - this is a book I wrote years ago and never published. It's not about how to write poetry (though you'll learn about that too!) - it's about writing to save your life. It's evolved to something so much bigger than a book, and requires some major heavy lifting web development wise and I’m far too picky about paper quality to get a physical copy in your hands, which is why I've been letting it simmer on the back burner all this time.
- My Own Creative Therapy Techniques - this is something I've developed myself over my lifetime for how I cope with stressful situations, grief, addiction, living with Bipolar I Disorder and more. It's clinical level. I do not have clinical koala-fi-cations yet, but it's something with your support we can work towards and get it into the hands of anyone coping with mental illness. Right now I don't even have the funds to register a trademark. (Buying the shark was vital for my mental health, let me tell you!)
- Paperwhite Project: I am really excited for this one - I've developed systems of being able to take a box of handwritten notes and scraps to turn it into that book or memoir or scrapbook you've always dreamed of writing using AI - with your own words. Your own voice. This is not AI slop. It's incredibly powerful and driven by my own process while coping with the grief of the loss of my beautiful cousin Mandy to cancer in 2016.
Building Something Together
This week was a massive reminder of why I do what I do—and why protecting my creative energy matters. From the art I made at WPIC to the beautiful music Ray and I are recording in the shed, the creativity isn’t stopping.
To get these projects across the finish line, I need your help. I hate asking for help, but I have to. With your financial backing we can turn these projects into a tangible reality to potentially help millions of more people.
When we transition to a paid model here on June 25th, it opens the door for us to create without boundaries. If my work at thinkwritten.com or artjournalist.com has ever inspired you, made you think, or brought a smile to your face (or if you just really love the cat photos!), I’d be incredibly grateful for your support. It's just $5/month.
