the beautiful worst

4.27.21 vol. 7 - issue 4

Lately I've been thinking about stillness and creativity. Why is it, when I'm stuck on a story, it resolves itself when I step away from the writing desk and go on a walk or a long drive or take a shower? It feels counterintuitive for a small pause to offer enough perspective to find the missing piece of a story. As we re-open--with springtime and the change of season, with the vaccine and a new stage of the pandemic--I've been reflecting on the stillness of the last year. It often felt like, even if I physically wasn't going anywhere, there was no shortage of activity with ideas and art and emotional support and political calls to action we've exchanged online. Living, working, creating, and socializing on the internet, with limited options for places to physically go, has reminded me that consuming or sharing art isn't the natural opposite of making art, and won't always restore the working artist. That balm is stillness, the pause where the pieces fit together. Navigating "what's next" has me assessing what I want to keep from the last year, what I'm ready to welcome back into my art and life, and what needs to be discarded. Stillness is something I want to keep carrying. This issue of The Beautiful Worst is sent in the spirit of stillness with art, poetry, resources, and a question for you: how do you incorporate stillness into your creative practice? xo.Katie

#StopAsianHate Fundraiser Update

Last month, the proceeds from my e-single Kung Fu Lessons was donated to the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum in the #StopAsianHate Reader Fundraiser. With your support, we sold 98 e-books, rounded up by two, for a $300 donation. If you didn't get a chance to contribute to the fundraiser, it's not too late to support organizations fighting for the AAPI community:

Here are also a few articles on fighting violence against Asian-Americans and ways readers can fight racism. Let's keep showing up for each other, so we can keep moving forward together.

What You Can Do To Fight Violence and Racism Against Asian-Americans

Anti-Asian Violence Resources

Anti-Racism for Readers

"The Quiet World" by Jeffrey McDaniel

"The Mountain" by Laura Ding-Edwards

Alessandra Olanow

Resources and Articles of Interest

We Need Your Art by Amie McNee

Creators on Instagram are probably familiar with Amie McNee's handwritten notes of encouragement. A few weekends ago, I spent some time working through the prompts in her We Need Your Art collection and reflecting on (and breaking through) some of my creative blocks. McNee's workbooks are written in the same vein as Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic or You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero, but led by a peer who understands the pressures and challenges of making art and running a creative business as a millennial.

True Heartist

True Heartist offers art-centered wellness programs and guided meditation classes. Led by Valerie Monique, a certified meditation teacher, True Heartist's offerings support artists in connecting with their inner selves and cultivating creativity.

Pellet Ice Is The Good Ice by Helen Rosner

I have a penchant for online articles that celebrate the beauty in the ordinary. New Yorker writer Helen Rosner joyfully offers cultural commentary that is as irreverent and funny as it is incisive. My favorite article (and possibly my favorite thing I've read so far this year) is the Annal's of Gastronomy's, "Pellet Ice Is the Good Ice."

Your Turn!

A few months ago, I asked readers, "What inspires you? How do you find or create inspiration during these quiet winter months?"

"I embrace the quiet. It helps with my meditation and through meditation, I find focus." - Paula D.

Next month's question: How do you incorporate stillness into your creative practice?

Reply to this email with your advice to zine readers and I'll share it in the next issue of The Beautiful Worst!

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