MID-WINTER REFLECTION Imbolc or Mid-Winter as the seasonal calendar goes, was Thursday, February 2, 2023. As I have made a conscious choice to follow the lead of our infinitely wise leader Mother Nature, this first quarter marker is an opportunity for me to make time to reflect on what has happened during my sabbatical thus… Continue reading SABBATICAL – Mid-Winter Reflection
Sabbatical 2023
"If I could sit here for three months alone, saying the same things, doing the same things, day by day -- then perhaps a few pages would be solidly written in the end.... what one wants for writing is habit." Virginia Woolf (Thanks Charis!) *Settle in. It's a long post, dear friends! A new year… Continue reading Sabbatical 2023
Three Life Changes, a Letter
Dear friends, I have begun an extraordinary career and life shift. I have made three critical choices: I am no longer Poet Laureate. I resigned in mid-September. There was no grand announcement, no press release. In an effort to maintain my creative integrity and explore this very different, very exhilarating new career path, I chose… Continue reading Three Life Changes, a Letter
What if…
I've decided to step away from Facebook. I've also deleted my Twitter accounts. I have kept my Instagram accounts (personal and Gertrude's Writing Room), but I don't know for how long. I've been toiling about getting off social media for years, but with the recent experiences I've been having, I've made myself think more deeply… Continue reading What if…
VANESSA SHIELDS, writer 