I’m grateful for the small, steady strides I’ve made to grow my writing career and community in the past few weeks. I’ve also come to grips with the truth that it simply isn’t feasible for me to cover weekly highlights on this platform. Instead of standing on its own, I’m moving “The Grey Rose Garden” to my monthly newsletter The Grey Way, where it will grow as a column dedicated to sharing my latest discoveries from around the web. Come join me there!
Issue 1: Blooming with Grace
Things to Read, Watch and Do to Cultivate Compassion, Release Shame & Celebrate the Painful Wonder of Being Human
Almost 8 months into COVID, I’m turning 38-years-old. I still have cancer. I’m still writing my way through SOVEREIGN: Recovery Poems—a project which took on a whole new dimension in the wake of COVID-19. I’m also still making the pivot from operating a musical instrument company with my now ex-husband to writing full-time.
Money’s tight. Health’s uncertain. On the macro level, the upcoming election and the dawning of the new US civil rights era have me re-thinking what it means to be an American. On the micro level, my mother’s struggle with dementia (combined with my family’s response to this struggle) has me re-framing much of my childhood.
The result is the familiar and welcome blend of pain, wonder, gratitude and sorrow that I’ve come to associate with being human. This potent collection of emotions also acts as fertilizer for the type of hope that grows within the difficult, shadowy and uncertain moments of our lives—the sort of moments this weekly newsletter celebrates.
In preparation for launching The Grey Rose Garden in earnest, I drew a card: Grace.
I couldn’t help but smile.
First, Grace is the name of my new compassionate and flexible landlord. She enabled me and my children to move into a safe and welcoming Atlanta neighborhood last week despite me not traditionally qualifying for other rentals in the area.
Second, Grace is the name of the student who’s been most helpful to my daughter during her first month of hybrid middle school.
Finally, grace is an essential component of hope blooming in the dark. It’s the choice to move forward with care and diplomacy in a manner that removes obstacles rather than erects them. It’s something we need to show others as well as ourselves.
I wish you all grace this week. As you move through each moment, here is some inspiration for sharing grace with me, with yourself and with our world.
Pictured above: “Grace” from The Vintage Wisdom Oracle by Victoria Moseley.
Some Recent Creations:
Write Naked: A Poem about Ink, Tar & Soul, BAMF Mag
Writer’s Alchemy: A Short Poem, A Few Words
Don’t Call Me a Hippie in 2020: Or I Just Might Put a Spell on You, The Bad Influence
Every Time a Statue Falls, Our Story Changes, Ninja Writers Pub
The Seed, Issue 2: Vote Your Voice on Cannabis
Some Recent Discoveries:
It Shouldn’t Have Come Down to Her: Rebecca Traister, The Cut
I Quit Dieting at 400+ Pounds: Shannon Ashley, Honestly Yours
Foreign Bodies, Issue 18: We can all break the cycle of shame and trauma.
What are Universal Human Rights?
Click to watch this instructive video I found recently & shared with my kids.
Content of The Grey Rose Garden is free, but tips via Venmo or PayPal are always welcome and needed. Curious about the other projects I’m developing? Head over to The Grey Way and sign up to stay in touch. Interested in owning one of the last instruments my company will ever make? Take a listen to this video by Kelly Richey, and email kellilynngrey@gmail.com.
Note: Today I transferred all my newsletters from Constant Contact to Substack. My apologies for content which is repeated. Next week we will have a fresh start! Meanwhile, here are 8 steps I’ve used to keep going when I feel stuck within Life’s cycle of ebb and flow.
By Kelli Lynn Grey
I move my body. Dancing to 90s alternative, Lana Del Ray & a new genre of viking music helps me the most. So does going outside and walking through the pines to the Marathon station next door. So does vacuuming and rolling around on the floor with my children.
I play with fire. My ex-husband once gifted me a small but functional, cast iron cauldron. Its lid and handle make it portable and also perfect for burning slips of paper on which I’ve written down things I need to call in, as well as things I need to release. It does take some skill to do this safely though. If you try it, you alone are liable for the results.
I alter my space. The simple act of shifting something in my environment helps me re-frame obstacles and move through them rather than being blocked by them. Sometimes, I do this by designating shelves or tables as actual altars. I intentionally place photos, stones and art there which grounds me and uplifts my spirits. Other times, I do this by re-organizing the contents of my closets or simply clearing my space. However, my favorite way to do this is by infusing the air with aromas I like by burning incense and diffusing essential oils. The aromas are linked to memory and can instantly shift my state of mind.
I tell myself a story. I like to do this by reading cards and by making intuitive collages. I feel that cards, whether they are a traditional tarot deck or inspirational oracle cards, all represent different archetypes which arise during any human’s experience of life. When I intuitively pull them, I’m able to see my present moment through the lens of the story they tell, and this usually brings me peace. As an alternative to the cards, I also enjoy intuitively cutting words and images out of old magazines and books. Armed with a glue stick, I piece these together into collages. I don’t think much about them as I’m making them. Rather, I study my art when it’s complete and ask myself what story it’s telling me.
I read (or listen to) other people’s stories. This takes me out of my own head, inspires action and reminds me that I am not alone. There is infinite power in sharing our stories.
I write my way through. Writing (whether it’s an essay, news report, poem or private list) always helps me clarify what I actually think and feel. When I’m ready to write about something, I’m ready to face it, and my writing typically provides an action plan. Sometimes, my writing itself is also the action plan because, by selling it, I’m able to continue financing my life.
I connect with plants as medicine. At the time of writing this, I am 37-years-old. I live with a number of chronic mental and physical health conditions, from depression to cancer. While I am not qualified to give any medical advice, I can say that I’m at my best when supplementing regularly with plant-based medicine. I first realized this 10 years ago when the decision to try St. John’s Wort stopped my frequent thoughts of suicide. It is one of my top plant allies. Another major plant ally is cannabis. My other newsletter The Seed is an excellent resource for learning more about how to cultivate a relationship with cannabis now.
I take small steps toward a more financially stable life. I recently have been intrigued by an email campaign launched by Witch Magazine’s founder Carolyn Elliot and financial coach David Burns. Within the campaign, Carolyn and David propose that Money itself is a spiritual entity in a physical form, and they offer a course to help people develop their relationship with money as such. While I did not enroll in the course this time around, I did take their basic advice on how to connect with the spirit of money, and this did lead me to try some apps intended to help me better manage the money in my life. The three I’ve found most helpful are listed below:
Chime (an online bank which rewards direct deposits, instantly kicks a portion of your earnings into savings and eliminates overdraft and returned item fees)
CashApp (an app which makes its simple for both individuals and businesses to receive, spend and invest funds anytime, anywhere)
Root (a car insurance app which rewards good drivers with lower rates)
I think it’s clear that money has vast potential for misuse, abuse and destruction, as well as for sustaining modern life, creating new opportunities and providing the safe foundation from which many of us are then able to heal and thrive. Embracing this paradox, and others like it, is key to blooming in the dark.
Hope Blooms in the Dark
Weekly Art, Insight & Opportunities Created & Curated by Kelli Lynn Grey
Welcome to The Grey Rose Garden by me, Kelli Lynn Grey. I'm a writer & survivor who believes hope blooms in the dark.
The Grey Rose Garden is my way of sharing highlights from my week in writing with you. Subscribers will receive: A weekly letter to subscribers, links to my most notable stories and links to what I have found (and love) by new writers I’ve discovered online. I will also share videos and links to unique opportunities from time to time.
Meanwhile, I also edit The Seed and The Grey Way via Substack. Learn more at www.kellilynngrey.com.
Sign up now so you don’t miss the first issue.
In the meantime, tell your friends!
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