Finding our Inner Stories
With the help of deadlines, community, and the sudden emergence of Coach K
Some examples of inner stories that were uncovered: The experience of building out a van became a story about leaving home/mom. The experience of studying abroad became a story of finding a new voice/language. The experience of being an OB/GYN revealed an inner story of infertility and grief. The experience of tending a garden became a story about being fed, literally and metaphorically, by nature and community. These are just a few examples. It was a profound week.
Oh, and we killed it at the Studio Hop!!! All the visitors were amazed by the quantity, quality, and beauty of what the class created. 😁 Here’s a snapshot:
Speaking of inner stories
Do you want to find yours? I so enjoyed “coaching” the class and have so much good “training” material to share that I’ve decided to teach a 4-week online workshop this summer for people who want to COMPLETE a visual story (or chapter from a graphic narrative). Details coming soon, but feel free to message me or comment if you want to be sure to get info about it.
[Paid subscribers to this newsletter will get a 10% discount on the class, and are invited to one-hour demo of Procreate (the app I use to write and draw my Substack posts) on Zoom next Saturday 6/28 at 11am ET.]
Speaking of my inner athlete/coach
Did you know that this week is the 53rd anniversary of TITLE IX becoming law? Did you know that my graphic memoir The Keeper: Soccer, Me, and the Law That Changed Women’s Lives is about how I got to be an athlete BECAUSE of Title IX? (And did you that Alison Bechdel called the book “a triumph”???) Did you know I also coached my daughter’s soccer team—which is when it became clear to me how much Title IX had changed the game, literally!
Thanks for reading The Habit of Art by Kelcey Ervick, a Substack Featured Publication (twice!). I love writing and drawing these posts and am grateful to everyone who follows along. I’m the author of four award-winning books and a professor of creative writing at Indiana University South Bend. I live on the banks of the St. Joseph River where I was greeted by a baby bunny this morning.
-Kelcey
As one of the Shakerag students, I will confirm that Kelcey coached, challenged and supported us in our storytelling journey. It was a great experience. I am grateful for the ability to attend and am proud of the work we made.
This was wonderful from all points of view. Btw, I just finished "The Keeper" this morning. I found myself near to tears throughout this book and I don't know why. I get choked up writing this stupid comment and I don't know why. Roger Rabbit would hit himself in the head with a hammer and he said, "I can do stars!" It's the overcoming that is so moving, the not quitting, the keeping on keeping on. My mom's grandma graduated from Penn in 1900, the first woman to do so. My grandma Silvia got the right to vote when she was 25. My grand aunt Pearl was the only woman in Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders and she could shoot and ride better than most of them. You are adding to the roar we all heard from Brandi Chastain.