1.
I Like Your Chickpeas — illustration and recipe by Betsy Freeman
From the Community
Betsy Freeman is an illustrator and Substack writer of B. Free Creative, a weekly newsletter to inspire an after-work creative practice.
I first encountered Betsy’s work this week. She emailed me with the most well-written and thoughtful ‘reach-out emails’ - a rarity in my life. It sounds like a small thing, and it is… but in a sea of terrible and inconsiderate communication, it was a genuine moment of connection with another human being.
And this is also one of the things that I love about the Substack community. It’s writers and creators, wanting to write, create and connect with others.
Here is Betsy’s post featuring the illustration above. It also comes with a delicious looking recipe, and a downloadable PDF for printing. 😋
On that note, thank you for being part of the Co-Create Community 🖤.
2.
Many Praying — Encroachment - a poem by Celeste Guzmán Mendoza
From the Internet
Note: I include below the podcast from Poem-A-Day for you to *listen* to the poem - it’s worth doing that in conjunction with reading :).
Man Praying - Encroachment
Some deaths take the slow turn in the light from dusk to night.
My father takes his time is trying to befriend him.
When he goes with it he will go.
He will trust death as a friend near the end of his life.
There were not many late nights he did his drinking at home.
And worked one job for 50 years he didn’t gamble or cheat.
Was home for dinner every night he listened to us talk in silence.
Now death walks by his side of the bed sinks, his body
Weighs the mattress down the hall it breaks into a sprint.
I witness it encroach step by step he eases into lethargy.
Hair and skin looking so thin was he always so thin?
A creaking sound walks around the house I hear the weight of delirium.
He can’t sleep with the noise of him gasping echoes.
When he awakes he dreams his father yelling, Get Up.
Someone’s at the door knocking.
You can buy her collection here :).
3.
Doula and Partnership - an idea from us.
From Somewhere Else
DEFINITION OF DOULA
a woman*, typically without formal obstetric training, who is employed to provide guidance and support to a pregnant woman during labour.
a woman* employed to provide guidance and support to the mother of a newborn baby.
What does this have to do with anything?!
I see projects as kind of like babies. Conceived from an idea, that got merged with something that fit it at the right time, giving it a material reality.
When we’re launching a creative project, it’s kind of like giving birth.
Through all the projects and businesses I’ve worked on, what I see as a consistent indicator of success is partnership. You are mother* to your project, and you need a doula to guide and support you through the sticky patches of labour and the moments in your baby’s early life where you simply don’t know what you’re doing.
*I don’t mean to be gender definitive. I trust you see the metaphor.
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@cocreate_space
Couldn't be more complimented. Thank you!