My latest creative meltdown
A story in 5 acts
![Dear Reader, [Act 1: The Inciting Incident] It began like a lot of my creative schemes: an opportunity, a deadline. [My sketch of a computer with an email announcing a Fulbright opportunity in Belfast.]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XAH0!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8aac5548-a32d-45ad-a57e-491953efc35f_2048x2048.jpeg "Dear Reader, [Act 1: The Inciting Incident] It began like a lot of my creative schemes: an opportunity, a deadline. [My sketch of a computer with an email announcing a Fulbright opportunity in Belfast.]")
The thing is: I’ve lectured my about this before, especially female students. I’ve gesticulated and passionately declared it a feminist act to submit their work, apply for the program, ask for letters of support, and put themselves in the arena (as Brene Brown says). And I kept trying to tell myself that when I was stressed out about the Fulbright application. But in the midst of stress and tears, it can be hard to hear myself talk to myself.
Along these lines of mindset and empowerment: I had the honor of having book coach Jennie Nash visit my novel-writing workshop via Zoom this week. We’d used her book, Blueprint for a Novel, as a guide this semester, and her visit was the perfect final class session. She inspired and enthralled my students not only with her expertise about writing and publishing, but with her insights about mindset and WRITING BIG.
It was such a generous and fruitful conversation—with a couple of students receiving invaluable feedback in the hot seat! Afterward the students commented on how much confidence they now have in believing that their voice matters and that they are the CEOs of their writing and lives. Check out Jennie’s Substack, The Art and Business of Book Coaching, and the Substack/podcast, #AmWriting, where Jennie talks about Writing Big.
Holiday Snail Mail
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I’m judging a writing contest! Give yourself the chance to win. :)
The Wolfson Prose Prize is an annual award for a manuscript of fiction or creative nonfiction by an American writer. The prize payment is $500 plus 50 copies. The competition is open for submissions from September 1 through December 31, 2025. Eligible manuscripts include short novels, novellas, story collections, non-academic essay collections, memoirs, and various kinds of creative nonfiction of 20,000-60,000 words. https://wolfsonpress.com/wolfson-prose-prize/
Posts about that Belfast project…
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 an award-winning author of four books including the graphic memoir The Keeper, which was featured in the New York Times Book Review’s Holiday Gift Guide when it came out—and which still makes a good gift! :) I’m a professor of creative writing at Indiana University South Bend, and I live on the VERY SNOWY banks of the St. Joseph River.
-Kelcey
Oh Kelcey! I cried tears of joy and laughter and recognition while reading your five-step process. We artists share this journey of self-doubt and self-discovery! It’s the endemic disease of creativity. If you need another letter, I’m really good at those, having sent many friends on to the winner’s circle as a hype man. I’m naturally hypey, and I could work up a real enthusiasm for extolling your many virtues! Plus I’ve spent time in Belfast, so I know people who know people. Best of luck. As if you need luck! I just hope the application readers can see what a brilliant badass you are.
Good luck!!! Think big and write big!!!