author copies arrived yesterday!
When I began to tell Jen Lee about a few practices I wanted to share with the world that I couldn't find containers for, within minutes, she deeply understood why these practices needed to be shared and why I kept bumping up against the certainty that they didn't fit in a traditional ecourse or traditional book.
So we began brainstorming in phone calls and emails and texts.
Then, sitting on her bed when I visited last August, the idea was born to have each piece of this project be presented to you like a series of gifts you would open when you most need them. A home retreat kit that isn't just about one day of retreating from the everyday but is instead about integrating practices into your daily life so that you feel deeply seen and heard by the one person who knows you best: You.
At some point during the few days I visited, she turned to me and said, "I'm pretty sure this project is called The Gift of This Moment."
Yes.
And after we recorded the stories and I shared a few poems with her, it became clear that The Gift of This Moment was indeed the title of this project. And really the name of almost all the work and writing I have been sharing at this blog I titled "be present, be here" almost seven years ago.
Yesterday, Jen wrote a deeply honest and beautiful piece called "What Happens When Artists Rule?" about why she is producing work and how much she believes in putting this work into the world. Here is an excerpt (it also gives you a peek into the secret code name I use for most of the work I am putting into the world):
There's a school of thought that says when making and then selling something, people don't care about how or why you make it the way you do--they just want you to answer the question,What's in it for me? It's likely true for some people, probably a personality thing, but I am a values-oriented person and I can't imagine I'm alone in this. The how and the why matter immensely to me--it's why I buy organic and free range and free roaming food and support farms with humane practices. I pay more money for these items, and not just for their superior flavor and nutritional content. There is a kind of work in the world I believe in supporting, other values-oriented people I believe in sustaining.
Maybe this is why each time a new release draws near, I'm always compelled to pull the curtain back and let you see a glimpse of how we do things and why we do them that way. The curious among us can read on.
Almost everything we make has official and unofficial titles. For instance, something that might be called, say, The Gift of This Moment may have an unofficial or working title like, How to Feel Less Fucked Up and Alone. Maybe we'd sell more if we just stuck with those unofficial titles, I don't know, but I do know that they help us keep our eye of the ball during the making. To remember what we're up to and why.
Yes, yes, YES! I am so grateful for the ways Jen has gently held these pieces (and me) through this project and how she has always deeply believed and pushed me to own that this work needs to be in the world and in your hands. We officially launch next week, and I am so glad you are on the journey with me as it unfolds.
Continue reading the rest of Jen's post.
Find out more about The Gift of This Moment.
