I love school. Always have, always will. I’d hazard a guess that most writers do; after all, what is school if not an excuse to spend hours reading and writing? We may not always appreciate the deadlines and assessments, but let’s be honest, most of us could use a little external pressure when it comes…
Author: Rachel Dempsey
Giving Back versus Giving it Away
In the midst of widespread debates about the national minimum wage and the ethics of unpaid internships, where does the striving writer feature? I’ve been struggling to define my own boundaries as a professional and a volunteer. An eager artist with plenty (too much?) to say, I tend to shout “yes!” to opportunities first and…
Lightbulb Moments at Lighthouse Lit Fest 2021
In early June, I attended Lit Fest, presented by Denver’s Lighthouse Writers Workshop. I’ve participated in several craft workshops as part of the Lit Fest offerings in past summers, but this was the first year I decided to apply for an advanced placement course. While I’ve learned from all of my critique groups and workshops—with…
Self-Care When Writing the Hard Stuff
A few nights ago, my husband and I watched the Frida Kahlo biopic. We both noted a commonality between her story of chronic pain and the lives of many other artists across disciplines: great work as a product of great suffering. I’m not interested in perpetuating the stereotype of the tortured artist and the way…
The Social Dilemma
The Social Dilemma: Better Late than Never? When I told my friends and family I was going to write for a blog, they laughed. As a career performing artist, playwright and director, my aversion to all things tech was no secret. “I embrace the live, the real,” I would snap at anyone who dared suggest…