It’s interesting how much work goes on under the surface of everything that we do. We can be so busy focusing on the peak, the pinnacle, the goal—that we don’t attend to the internal needs and supports required to get there. Imagine our lives as these huge hulking structures. From the outside there are rises and falls, success and losses, obstacles and open doorways. But inside there’s just us. Through it all, we’re the same person maintaining the forward motion and maintaining the equilibrium.

I’ve always monitored my internal state of mind, but often I was doing it so that I could figure out how to keep going—how to keep moving toward the goal. Now, there’s a larger view of self that’s rising up. I’m being pushed to ask: What parts of me have been here all along—like the mountain, steadfast and unwavering. I’m on a quest to see what goals match my internal self, rather than asking how I can train my internal self to meet the goals.

We can be very uncomfortable with ease and balance—and we can find ourselves protecting the parts of ourselves that are most natural and valuable to share. It’s wild—when what we value is attacked, we hide it and bury it deep. And it stays buried, even when we are no longer under attack.

These days, I’m meditating on the Self that’s inside that mountain. What does she want? What gifts does she have to offer? And how do I create protections for her to thrive rather than hide?

I hope you are spending time with the gems and jewels at the core of you.

Onward!

—K.

The image is an oracle card from The Wild Unknown Archetypes deck by Kim Krans.

IN THE MIX

This winter, I’m experimenting with new things, and still on the path with the YA novel. Here’s what’s in the mix:

• YA NOVEL: After months of silence, I’ve heard from the editor that the YA book is DEFINITELY coming out in Summer 2025. The date will not move again (This is the third or fourth launch date this book has had.) The goal is to get the final manuscript to copy edit in April, and to have a completed book in May. (Whispers: But I haven’t gotten my final line edits yet and it’s March, so….)

• PICTURE BOOK: The picture book has been shopped around. There has been some interest but no takers as yet. Some are concerned about the specificity of the time period—it’s a Mardi Gras book. But, as my agent says, it’s so much more than that. She’s waiting to hear from a few more folks. And if we don’t sell it, we’ll do some revisions to shorten it for a few editors who said they’d take a second look at a shorter draft.

• CHAPTER BOOK: My agent wasn’t a fan of the chapter book idea. She said many publishers aren’t buying them because it needs to be a series—which creates the need for a big commitment. The idea for the chapter book was definitely a case of me trying to adjust my insides to meet the external goal of climbing the mountain. It isn’t really something I was driven to do from my heart space, so I’m going to let that idea sit by the wayside.

• MIDDLE GRADE: I had planned to follow-through on my agent’s idea to adapt a YA outline I submitted to her into a middle grade book, but I’ve decided to hold off to see what happens with book 2 of the YA book contract. It’s a two-book deal, and if we decide to go with a new narrative, I’ll just submit this outline that I’ve written, rather than create a new one. (I think that’s what I’m going to do. Lol. We’ll see.)

• CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS: My first collaboration has stalled. Mostly due to me. When I started my novel edits, I quit the collaboration project. I will pick it up soon. The second collaboration project is due to start today! We’ll see how it goes.

• MICROFICTION: The microfiction was published with my art—the first time my art and words are appearing together in print. The Southern Culture journal is beautiful and the Gothic South issue looks wonderful.

• GIFT BOOK: On the topic of letting my inner self dictate my goals. I’m working on a gift book manuscript that is about authenticity. It includes all the ideas I like to think about and the activities I enjoy doing. I have about two or three more writing sessions needed to complete the first draft, which I wrote intuitively guided by three or four topics. Then I’m going to print everything out and edit it into a cohesive whole. Then it’s off to my agent to see what she thinks of this new direction.

• CARD DECKS: I’m also working on two card decks. One is an oracle card deck, that I’m developing loosely and intuitively. The second is a practice deck with activities to connect to ancestral guidance. I don’t know exactly where these projects are going, but I’m leaning into my love for self-development as I develop my new work.