Starmoth Press

a diary of words, paper and other ephemeral things

Tag: creative practice

  • water me

    threads of being 

    curl through every cell

    of this body

    arms   chest    heart

    opening like a flower

    crying nectar at the 

         sunrise

    penetration of light

    both

         pleasure and

              pain

  • will you accept this payment

    tended the garden of this mind

    brains weren’t  extraordinary

    I cling to the title:

    gifted

    press the label onto my shirt

    hand lingers above my breast

    delusion

    the tag tied round my toe in the morgue

    it’s all I ever was…until, you know

    I wasn‘t

    plummeting grades, marks don’t matter

    blackout nights, herded by strangers

    bra stuffed with money

    and tear-stained fights

    this body became

    the sacrifice;

    payment on the altar of

    expectation

    color me surprised

    you roll your eyes

    not impressed

    tell me this

    is it enough yet?

  • where do you see reflections of yourself?

    Feet pull me out the door

    And wind runs fingers

    through my hair

    It’s familiar:

    this soft, electric air

    between the storms

    Damp earth sinks beneath me

    I fall into lush moss

    and vibrant greens

    alive with rain

    I see myself here

    reflected back

    by tree roots

    and budding leaves

    There is family here

    in heavy water drops

    and curious bird eyes

  • New this week

    The Tarot Diaries segment on the four of cups is now live. Swipe through the photos for previews of what I dive into 💚

    Read more at Contemplative Creativity

    Below is my sticker design for Care Mail Club. Sign ups are $11 to receive a sticker, zine and original artwork…and sometimes extra goodies 😜 check it out on my ko-fi.

    The sticker shone below was from last month’s club mail. it’s available for $3 on ko-fi.

    The zine I made for The Glitch Witch’s zine quest
    My book is now available for purchase here on Ingram Spark, or you can find it (and the ebook version) on Amazon and B&N.

  • loving gaze

    Where it began: stilt houses

    Skeletal remains emerging

    from algae-green pools

    Awe blooming at heart level

    for faded places, forgotten

    I whisper “thank you for open eyes”

    now I lovingly see

    crooked barns

    crumbling factories

    boarded-up businesses

    debris piles left behind

    wild-torn houses

    places hold people, hold stories…

    and now no one is left

    to tend to these places,

    they were once a flurry of

    motion, aliveness, everyday mundanity

    now no one bothered

    to even tear them down

    burn remains

    memorialize their time here

    honor what was

  • On feeling stuck creatively

    Creativity begets creativity. If you find yourself “stuck,” find another way to get creative…lower the stakes and have fun. It clears the channel.
    “Stuck” is the framework because you’re caught in the loop of expectation and pushing. All it does is crowd you with nonsense. 

    Nothing will flow if you don’t keep the channel open. Creative play is basically inspirational housekeeping.

    My book is now available to purchase

  • early afternoon

    12:34 

    while my daughter screams

    “I’M SO LUCKY”

    she found a quarter on the porch

    I think about 

    rollerblading because

    I don’t remember ever

    deciding to stop

    my son wants to eat a whole

    pizza for lunch

    the porch door is open

    I lay on the couch

    as that’s what I usually do

    I’ve bought so many 

    books and courses

    hoping to learn how to do things

    placing my trust

    in anyone’s hands but

    my own

  • I see it in the pieces and in the whole

    I made this new insert for my travelers notebook from old sketchbook pages
    It feels strange to be working in this cover but on a different type of paper. But I am enjoying the playfulness
    When I look at them completed I don’t recognize where I made certain decisions. And new information comes forward from the wholeness of the piece

  • What are we making today?

    Marks, put down marks. Don’t be precious. Just put pigment on paper. Spray with water if that feels good. Smear colors together with an overused white marker. Draw lines. Scribble. Cute paste glue. More marks. Only stop when your body tells you.

  • Where I find the sacred

    Reading “Ordinary Mysticism” by Mirabai Starr

    I find the presence of the sacred hidden in my aching bones when I have to push myself a little farther past my comfort zone. I am reminded I am alive.

    I find the presence of the sacred as I walk, an obligation, yes…but also a gift. I move on familiar paths and marvel that I came together as this particular collection of cells, at least for now.

    I also feel the sacred flowing through tingling fingers as I create. It is an openness that simply keeps me moving.

    I feel the sacred in the hard moments, but also in the soft. Like asking the kids about how their day was, laying down for a daily nap because I respect this body enough to know rest is vital.

    Although I can feel imperfect on my path, ultimately I believe the sacred meets me in the trying. I am forever in a state of reaching toward the unknowable mystery: my fingers imagine grasping the hem of its cloak…but remember that not knowing is beauty too. I breathe, my chest rises. the day is promising but also cold. I have shelter and warmth and unending love, even if only for this brief moment.

    “Numinous” mini collage

    For more writing on where I meet the sacred, check out my recent essay in Fieldwren Journal: available here

    I just started it, but go grab a copy of “Ordinary Mysticism: Your Life as Sacred Ground” by Mirabai Starr. Let me know what you think.