Things are a little tense right now.

I went to Must Love Memoir last night, a reading series in NYC, and in the opening, Krystal Marie Orwig said, “Now more than ever, real stories matter.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Stories crack open our understanding of those we’d usually walk past—the grocery clerk with a near-death experience, the quiet neighbor who survived revolutions. They force us to see past our comfortable bubbles, trading shallow assumptions for messy, fascinating truths about what it means to be alive in different shoes.

If you’re feeling dehumanized by the arguments on the national stage, you have the power to use your writing practice to build new connections.

Art rehumanizes us all.

So how do you tap into the power of art right now? Connect with your fellow creatives. When you sign up for The Finishing School for Writers, you’ll gain access to a whole new writing community. The program includes:

• Membership to A Very Important Meeting, my daily co-writing group
• Access to a Slack group full of other writers looking to grow and connect
• A daily accountability partner
• A monthly virtual “open mic night” where you can share your work

Human connection may seem hard to come by right now, but sharing your story and continuing to hone your craft is a surefire way to make finding it a little easier.

May you feel a deeper connection with others,
Paulette