I am writing this backwards. I read the initial prompt from the folks of LetsReverb on Twitter and you know what? I read it/experienced it… wrong.
I somehow got we were supposed to report in on our newness rather than say “Hey, here is something new I WILL try!” In fact, my most important newness in July comes from my community commitment along with building upon what I was working on in the recent past.
(photo - creative commons license courtesy of 
By US NAVY IMAGERY and Flickr.com)
One of the most exciting new developments is I was asked to be on the Leadership Committee of my local school district as a result of my work on the Community Advisory Committee for our local SELPA (otherwise known as the Special Education Local Plan Area.)
If this all sounds foreign, it means I will be increasing my role in the local school district as an active participant and advisor as a parent-stakeholder.
I am taking this invitation as an honor of highest importance. I am thrilled to be asked.
When I started “fighting” my local educational professionals, it got me nowhere and made me only enemies. Working from inside ~ this has made an enormous difference in Samuel’s education and helps me to work on behalf of all children.
On the creative side: I have continued to develop themes I started in my “Silent All These Years” art. I have been making inchie-sized art based on the SATY plus Women’s Literature inchies to go along with the Women’s Literature houses I make. For the first time I am understanding – personally and profoundly – what “body of work” means.
Marion Boddy-Evans defines it like this: “A body of work is the term used to describe the collection of paintings an artist has done that are typical of their style, approach, or techniques.”
My art this Summer has all been related to words, language and women.
My art has been mixed media. I focus on combining my photography along with literature by women primarily of the 19th Century along with literature/images that is reflective of “everywoman.” It is not digitally created, it is old fashioned in its layered approach.
I see this as a metaphor which some people may get and some people may not, at all, and this is what it is… nothing more, nothing less. It just is.
I also won my second Story Slam (The Porch Storytelling Throw Down at the Bakersfield Museum of Art). I participated in the Bakotopia Open Mic, performing a poem making fun of poetry slams and poetry in general. I overheard one women, slightly drunk, say, “I have never heard poetry like that before”… which is one of my primary points… poetry is not always what one may think it is.
As always, a lot of newness.
A lot of stretching and growing and loving at least a smidge of something in each moment.
In August, I will try to outdo my new-for-July. I also know since school is starting in the third week and I have a wedding the fourth week and then, come right as September opens, Katherine will leave for school, I need to be realistic about how much I can accomplish outwardly.
It may be more like the first trimester of pregnancy ~ a lot of invisible wonderfulness is going on.
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© 2011
Julie Jordan Scott
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