Hello all,
Welcome to the 23nd edition of Women Writing! I started this Substack newsletter last September and can’t believe the wonderful responses I’ve received from writers and readers alike. Thank you to all the readers who take a moment out of their busy days to read Women Writing and, of course, thank you to the lovely women who generously give their time to share their writing lives with us. Every week, as I prepare the newsletter for posting, I’m amazed at how interconnected our experiences are as writers, how our struggles are often similar, and how we find joy in the process. It inspires me both as a writer and a book coach. This is work I love and I see how others love it, as well. But I’m particularly interested in the diverse experiences writers have and how they find ways to overcome the struggles they’ve encountered, whether they are day-to-day issues, or more systemic problems. We have so much to learn from each other. Keep doing what you’re doing, inspire others, and find ways to life each other up. We truly are stronger together.
In this week’s feature, we explore Colleen Brown’s relationship to art and writing. Whether you are a reader or a writer (or both!) I hope you find inspiration in Colleen’s experiences.
About the author…
Colleen Brown (Canadian, b. 1965) is an artist, writer, educator, and cultural worker. Known primarily as a sculptor, Brown explores the relationships of objects and materials as a means of thinking through abstraction and social encounters. Brown holds a BFA from Emily Carr University and an MFA from Bard College. She is currently artist-in-residence with the City of Maple Ridge, and has participated in exhibitions and events at Cooper Cole, Toronto; Vancouver Art Gallery, Burrard Art Foundation and The Apartment, Vancouver; Western Gallery, Bellingham; and Hedreen Gallery, Seattle. Brown is the recipient of a 2016 Portfolio Prize. Brown’s book, If you lie down in a field, she will find you there, was released in 2023 by Radiant Press.
“No one else knows they want or need our work before we finish making it. No one is waiting for our work before it exists. All of the initial motivation needs to come from ourselves.”
On a writing routine …
I do not have a routine. I am not sure, but I think one reason I became an artist and culture worker is that I find routine very difficult. I do bits of many different projects each day.
I make a short list of the horrible things I must do each day to survive and do things I like around them. My best writing time is in the morning. Painting or building is in the afternoon. Often, horrible things take over, so I put full writing or art-making days into my calendar. This allows me to store up ideas and supplies and have a clear mind for that entire day.
On writing spaces …
I like to start writing or art projects at Koerner Library at the University of British Columbia. The library has very high ceilings; I might catch an idea from up there. I can pursue any thoughts that come to mind in the catalogue. I also like being surrounded by a bunch of people quietly struggling with their own thoughts. I can keep going just about anywhere if the project is mostly writing. A small space with a window is good. If it is a visual art project, there is a gathering phase, bringing all the stuff together that I will smear over or bang together.
On writing communities …
I work with lots of artists and culture workers in different organizations. Many of them are storytellers and a few of them are writers. Translating what I learn from one medium into another is valuable to me. The creative processes and challenges are similar for artists across art forms. We can support each other regardless of what our final product will be.
On challenges …
Yes. I became a gig worker, so my time is more flexible, which is financially unstable.
Friends and family are often dismissive. When I showed my manuscript to a family member, they said, "This isn't a book, and it isn't true." It's a memoir. This stings but it doesn't stop me because of the good advice I have received.
On the best writing advice …
One of the many great pieces of art-making advice I received was to take pleasure in my work. Lots of art-making and writing is a drag, and that can be what artists and writers talk about. I was cautioned to take pleasure in my work, and the logic of the advice went like this. We are inventors. No one else knows they want or need our work before we finish making it. No one is waiting for our work before it exists. All of the initial motivation needs to come from ourselves. Each artist needs to be the first person who loves/relishes/desires/ their work. To keep going, you need to find the fun bits.
Labouring under generations of Protestantism, I needed to add the step of noticing when I was enjoying doing my work and taking pleasure in the noticing, too.
When I took my first piece of the book to an author to talk about, I was expecting and bracing for a critique. Instead, they described how my writing gave them pleasure.
On the worst writing advice …
There needs to be more killer in your book. I went through months of second guessing myself, talking to lawyers, yelling in my room, and then did what I knew I would do from the start. I ignored it.
On advice from personal experiences …
Leverage.
Artists, women who are artists in particular, need to hold many roles in their lives. Make these roles support each other. Make labour in one area create an opportunity in another as much as possible. An academic CV has three basic sections. The first is the research and publications part. The second part is teaching and mentoring and the third part is service to the academic/science or art community. Service is always the section that gets short shift in an academic CV. Include this in your writer's CV and include it in the way you think about your job as a writer. For example, when I am writing a grant to support another artist's work I am not making art but I am doing part of my job as an artist. I am serving the art community. Of course, I am also learning about writing a grant and I am going to use that knowledge in the next grant I write for myself.
And for women who are just starting to write I would say this. In visual art, novice artists tend to want each work to be completely finished; women, in particular, have this tendency. I encourage all of my students to try and work more provisionally. I suggest making silly experiments and making some scraps of things.
Colleen’s online spaces …
How is your New Year’s Resolution to write your book this year going?
I recently read an article that people fall off the proverbial wagon after only two weeks of starting a new goal. In fact, the second Friday in January is called ‘Quitter’s Day.” Well, it’s six weeks into the year and a good time to reassess. Just because you haven’t met your targets, or even picked up your pen, doesn’t mean you can’t start to tackle your goal. I don’t believe in all or nothing thinking. Instead, it’s a good time to take small steps towards your goal, like doing research, taking notes, writing short scenes, joining a writing community, or taking a class.
Most of the writers I work with struggle to sit down to write. Their lives get in the way and they find lots of excuses to avoid writing, even though they love it. Working in a group setting is a great way to have accountability and encouragement. If you’re serious about exploring your idea for a novel or memoir, consider joining my Spring Session—a 12-week writing program starting in April. We meet weekly for 90 minutes via Zoom, you set weekly goals for yourself, and complete writing tasks centred around your book idea. I provide individual feedback on your writing tasks, and you are surrounded by a group of like-minded individuals in a supportive community. Learn more at www.liisakovalabookcoach.com.
I think this program could benefit you, but don’t take my word for it. Here’s what a few clients had to say:
“I have a vision of growing my literary interests. Until I took this class I felt like I had no clear destination ... I was simply writing. My vision is more than that now” (Annette V.).
“Liisa sees to the heart of your work. She identifies problems, congratulates you on your strengths, and, most importantly, pushes both you and your writing to the next level” (Matt D.)
“To call this past six weeks book coaching is right, but the time spent has been so much more than that … There is the offer to change your course and know that it's okay. I am grateful for the past six weeks and all I have gathered” (Vera C.).
Teacher alert!
I’ll be at the Reading for the Love of it Conference in Toronto on February 22-23. Stop by and enter a draw for copies of Surviving Stutthof: My Father’s Memories Behind the Death Gate and Sisu’s Winter War, as well as study guides for both books, and other swag. Both books are appropriate for high school students (and I’m available for author talks and writing workshops!). Ask me how I wrote four books while working as a teacher. It is possible.
Don’t forget to download a free copy of my workbook, Beyond the Blackboard: Empowering Teachers to Write Fiction. You have all the skills you need to learn how to write that book already.
Happy writing!
Women Writing is a weekly newsletter featuring women who are doing the difficult work of writing. If you enjoyed reading the newsletter, please share it with a fellow writer. Let’s inspire each other!
Yes!! I really appreciate this perspective! “One of the many great pieces of art-making advice I received was to take pleasure in my work. Lots of art-making and writing is a drag, and that can be what artists and writers talk about. I was cautioned to take pleasure in my work, and the logic of the advice went like this. We are inventors. No one else knows they want or need our work before we finish making it. No one is waiting for our work before it exists. All of the initial motivation needs to come from ourselves. Each artist needs to be the first person who loves/relishes/desires/ their work. To keep going, you need to find the fun bits.”