Follow the Deer, again
offering an accompanied experience for going deeper into the quiet of the year
Hello, friends, and welcome, new subscribers! My ADHD brain is a bit scattered and prone to change things, but here in The Purple Vale you can count on reflections on folklore, fairy tales, and the seasons from my little corner of East Tennessee.
Today I am excited to share that my cozy, low-demand virtual writing ‘retreat’, Follow the Deer, is open for sign-ups. Read on for more info.
Why am I sharing this course and what can you expect from it?
To answer, let’s start by going back to a post I shared in April of last year.
Once, in a time of writing stagnation, I engaged in a creative meditation. I went back to that garden on the edge of the woods. I stepped towards the forest queen. She looked at me, a question, an invitation in her eyes. If I was not brave, I was desperate. We traversed cobbled paths and grassy slopes until we left the the cultivated plots behind. We reached the edge of the forest. The doe paused, looked at me again, and opened her mouth wide, showing unnaturally sharp teeth, as if to remind me that she was more than she seemed.
Somehow, I understood she was asking me if I was brave enough to follow her into the unknown.
Read the rest of the post here:
There can be something so life-giving about sinking into our imaginations. There’s something magical about using tiny, ordinary words to create a new story that once only existed in our minds, our memories, our bodies.
As the year draws to a close, I want to offer you a low-demand space where you can work on a project close to your heart, of your choosing, with me.
Follow the Deer is a five-day email course I’m offering next month. On December 2nd through 6th, participants will receive an email each day with a prompt for cozy contemplation, plus personalized goodies from me, all in a downloadable form. On the 6th, we will meet for a virtual one-hour, quiet writing retreat, followed by an optional time for sharing our thoughts. I’ll also include a bonus just for participants.
In my previous post, I’d said I wanted to send snail mail to participants. In the interest of simplicity and streamlining, I’ve decided not to do that this time. Your daily email with have everything you need. Thanks for your understanding.
Follow the Deer a quiet space where we can write, no word count expectations. You can write 100 words a day or 1000. You can write 5000 words one day and 50 the next. I’ll be working on a novel draft, and I’ll share my progress with you, too.
This isn’t just an accountability project or a productivity push. It’s about creating a cozy space for keeping your word to yourself, for spending a little time on the project that means so much to you.
It’s meant to be a low time-demand, because 1) it’s the holiday season and we all have lots to do, and 2) you and your creative projects still deserve a sacred space in the midst of them.
Who is this for?
Anyone creative/writing etc. who would like to participate.
What if I’m not writing a novel or short story?
That’s ok! in Follow the Deer, you can:
~write poems
~journal
~practice the violin
~practice Irish
~pray an old prayer
~take a nap
~anything you’d like to commit to practicing for a brief stretch of time in the final days of 2024.
You don’t have to share your work with me, but I will help hold you accountable.
So remind me exactly what I get if I follow the deer?
~a daily email with personalized, downloadable prompts just for you, a prompt for settling into the season, and a check in that you can reply to, plus
~a bonus cozy story by me that I haven’t shared anywhere else.
~a silent video writing hour on December 6th.
The seasonal prompts can be used as journal prompts. You can take as little or as long as you like with them. You can tuck them away for later, and they only require your thoughts, or if you’d like, a pen and paper or keyboard. They are about creating that quiet, sacred space in ways you can carry with you throughout the winter season (and beyond).
Sounds good, but how do you personalize these things?
By filling out a short questionnaire, you are signing up AND let me know how much personalization you want for this course. It is extremely customizable. It’s gonna be SO much fun. Even though we aren’t meeting ‘in person’ until the final day, think of me as your fairy writing coach and emotional support deer (that’s totally a thing, right?).
If you aren’t sure you want to sign up, you can still check out the form here!
This form will also help me choose a video call time that will work for all of us.
I want to join! How do I sign up? What about payment?!
Hooray! I’m so glad you want to join us. Once you’ve filled out your personalization form (see above), you will receive a brief confirmation email. Within 24 hours, I will email you with my PayPal or Venmo information.
The deadline to join is next Friday, the 22nd (November’s Folklore Friday).
TL-DR:
~5-day email course with prompts, personalized goodies, and a bonus
~December 2nd-6th
~video call on the 6th (possibly here on Substack, TBA)
~sliding scale: $25-$35
~it’s your own cozy cave for working on a project you love
~if you love seasonal rhythms and shifts, quiet, supportive spaces, and low-demand workshops, this is for you!
~sign-ups here, 6 spots total! Minimum of 2 sign ups needed in order to proceed.
See you over the orchard wall, friends!
