A vertical stack of records, with a set of old school headphones leaning against them. Photo credit — “Blocks” on Unsplash.   Coach Kim here, to talk to you about rhythm. Sometimes I hear writing compared to exercise, especially a marathon. I’m not a fan of that analogy because I’m never going to run a marathon (don’t want to) and so it makes me feel like writing’s never going to happen either.  Now… if I could dance a marathon, that I might consider. What I can do, reliably and often, is listen to music. I can be moved by rhythm, sway to a song, and pull out a full-on c ..read more

  A bonfire in a metal fire pit, with blurry green woods in the background. Photo credit: Roya Ann Miller.   Hello Wonder. A couple of years ago, Britt said to me, “When I make it to 10 years at Firefly, I want a party.” I loved that gusto and I held her words close to my heart. When we started creeping up on her anniversary, we started to brainstorm. This is what we came up with. Dusk in a big city park. A bonfire for our community. An invitation for all of us to pause and celebrate accomplishments, small and large. Truth: The word “accomplishment” makes me squirm. It always feels ..read more

  Me, a white, fair-haired 2-ish year old with short bangs and an odd, fuzzy outfit with a high waist and a snug pink hood. I have a spent corn cob in my hand and a confused look on my face. My suave older brother looks on in the background.   What comes to mind when you think about yourself at your most awkward? For me, it’s that picture right there. That look, like I have no idea what the world is. That tea towel, tied around my neck like the biggest bib on earth. I can’t look at this photo and not know that I have grown. Every day, we grow. Sometimes stronger, sometimes softer, a ..read more

  A chunky white candle sits beside the book “Keep Going” by Austin Kleon. There is a warm-hued table runner and a blurry winter scene out the window in the background. This was taken at our last Winterfire retreat.   Last week, I woke up with a small tug, clear as a sunbeam. It was the urge to write. It had been a while since I’d felt it. This winter has been a mess of stresses, and I’ve been racing around with my little bucket, trying to put out fires and convince myself that I can make things okay. But then one afternoon everything stopped short. It started when my partner Ian pu ..read more

  A V-shape of geese flying against a whitish grey sky. Photo credit Josh Massey on Unsplash.   Last weekend I was driving home from our Winterfire retreat, and my ears filled with honking geese, a sound that always softens me. Then I looked up and saw V after V of them flying, ragged and determined, across the pale sky, and I realized — it’s February. This isn’t right. My heart gasped with the image of their bare legs picking through snow and ice in the forecast. Meanwhile, all around me, people kept driving. Sometimes I get so frustrated that everyone doesn’t care about the same t ..read more

  A workshop table covered in images, flowers, a mug of pens, and a harvest coloured table runner.   Rest your eyes! You can listen to this newsletter instead of reading it. Off the top: Spring Writing Workshops are open for registration! Click here to check them all out: Spring writing workshops As a kid, I loved playing hide and seek. I loved the breathless joy of being tucked out of sight, behind a curtain or under a bed, ears pricked for footsteps. I loved the sheer aliveness of being suspended between invisible and visible, waiting for the sudden reveal.   Lately I’ve been ..read more

  A tiny heart, hand drawn, on white painted wall, black paint peeling back around it.   Rest your eyes! You can listen to this newsletter instead of reading it. Begin here: I’ve got nothing. I had big ideas about sending you a banger of a newsletter this January. I started the year with an unexpected swell of inspiration and drive. I even chunked it out into doable pieces: Monday: Expand ideas, land on one. Tuesday: Work out the idea — notes, voice memos, free writing. Wednesday: Rough draft … And so on. But Monday, my dog was sick and my inbox was acting like an active vol ..read more

  Two colourful piles of books on a warm wood table top. Taken at our old studio by Shannon Litt.   Rest your eyes! You can listen to this newsletter instead of reading it. News Up Front: Registration starts today for the brand new Writer’s Book Club! We’re fantastically excited. This is sliding scale and all are welcome. Sign up for the book club here. Even though I won’t send it right away, I’m writing you this early on January 1st, while the whole world — or so it seems — is still sleeping. Earlier this morning, there was a fresh slick of ice on the sidewalks, making my dog walk ..read more

  Three mason jar candles, at various levels of used-up-ness, on a yellow table cloth with a dark sky and some far-away lights in the background. (A pic by Shannon Litt, from our studio goodbye party 2 years ago.)   You can listen to this newsletter instead of reading it. Click the long black rectangle above these words. Here we are, on the darkest of the year. According to my weather app, the sun will rise today at 7:48am, shortly after this arrives in your inboxes, and will set at 4:43pm. Eight hours and fifty-five minutes of daylight. But, you don’t need me to tell you that this ..read more

  A little candle in a little lantern, being lit with a wooden match.   You can listen to this newsletter instead of reading it. Click the long black rectangle above these words. Hello Sweet One. Our fresh slate of Winter Writing Workshops opens for registration today. We love this list. We love these groups. If you think there may be something for you in here, we invite you to do a little exploring, and reach out if you have any questions. Winter workshops galore While I’ve got you, do you need to exhale? We are all holding so much right now. There’s the war in Gaza, and the trauma ..read more