That Place You Love: Gimme Truth Zine
Round-Up on Confidence; Next-Up Adornment; Welcome Subscribers
Today is my birthday…
And the greatest gift I could get is a story from you!
That Place You Love’s weekly posts are 3-minute “flash” essays on a theme followed by a prompt to write & share. There’s no pay or pledge wall. No crosstalk or analysis. It’s easy to go back and read, reflect & respond on earlier posts, too.
According to the stats, That Place You Love is read across 10 US states and 6 countries with 300+ subscribers. I know a lot of people in a lot of places, but there are many new subscribers who I don’t know… and that’s super exciting!
A sincere welcome to new subscribers!
The goal of this project & how it works…
You are invited to write about truth, lies, and the difference between them, to flex your writing muscles and refine your BS radar. I’m going old school and calling TPYL a Zine (a noncommercial often homemade or online publication usually devoted to specialized and often unconventional subject matter.)
TPYL had a compelling turn out for the third Episode: Confidence
I wrote about body confidence as a liability while nude modeling at The Art Students League plus a bonus insight into life drawing.
Carole D wrote about her childhood agility and confidence that led to broken bones & wounded pride.
Intact Animal wrote about his sports better’s confidence and the mistake of laying down a large chunk of cash against his grandfather’s basketball legacy.
Pascale shared how the inner voice of confidence, a necessary ingredient in long distance running, changes shape up to the finish line.
Zig wrote about early confidence burnout and abdicating the senior class presidency to save her instant-espresso jittery soul.
New subscriber Susan wins my heart with a Lester Bangs quote on her profile.
She shared a post in Credibility about being a women’s health care provider (“Be nice to your vagina!”) and how stepping away from that role allowed her to explore the power of curiosity and listening before dispensing advice.
Take a moment to READ & HEART these writers & SHARE your own CONFIDENCE AS LIABILITY story in the comments.
Next Up: Adornment
On Monday, I’ll write about Adornment through the lens of truth and see what I come up with as a prompt. I’m from a beauty business family, which means I might lean towards hair… but I never know for sure until I sit down to write.
What does Adornment (ornamentation) signify to you?
Subscriber Housekeeping
If you would like to continue receiving flash (3 mins) creative nonfiction writing & prompts about truth, lies, and the gray area in between, do nothing.
If you know someone who would enjoy being nudged into writing in a comment-free all-are-welcomed zone, pass this along for them to subscribe.
If your inbox is overburdened and you just can’t take one more newsletter, deactivate or unsubscribe below.
I won’t take it personally. Honest.
More to come on Monday….
Have a great weekend.
Sincerely, for real.
Michelle
For you birthday I would like to share a beautiful documentary about Leonard Cohen and his beautiful song "Hallelujah." While the film explores his life, it also reveals his evolution in the Hallelujah song lyrics from religious -> love and sex. There are over a hundred verses! While I could listen to that beautiful song on a loop, I have also been meditating on his introspection, humanity, flaws, artistry and productivity. I was so moved by all the enormous crowd's response to the song in graceful communion with him, each other, and the world...Hallelujah!
Finally, for your birthday I would love to share a quote from Mr Cohen:
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in
Happy Birthday Michelle!
Happy Birthday, Meesh! Your friendship has been a gift that keeps giving. Much love. xo