News, news, news

by Lisa A Kramer, in Creativity , Books , Creative Rebellion , Arts and Social Justices , A Writer's Life

I'm back!!!

I know, I know, few people probably even noticed I was gone.
The truth is that these past few years have been challenging for many reasons—personal, professional, and political. I'm not here to talk about all that, though.

I'm here to celebrate that I have found my spark again, and I want to share!

What is "spark," you ask?

It is the energy that I feel when I create, help others, speak out, speak my truth, and fully embrace life.
It is creative force that connects us one to another, and to the world that we live in.
It is the ability to express myself in creative ways, whether through theatre, writing, content creation, or any of many crafts I dabble in.
It is the energy I feel when collaborating with others and sharing my work with the world, regardless of any financial gain.

{Don't worry, this is not a sales pitch for a "rediscover your spark" course; I'm speaking from the heart.}

My Lost Spark

For a long time, as of late, I allowed my spark to fade. I sat in the mire of hopelessness caused by the current chaos and hate that fills the world.

For a long time I didn't even read books. I couldn't write anything except for the occasional line or two in my line-a-day journal. Even now, many days lie empty, as if I didn't exist on those days. Yes, I have depression. Yes, I am in therapy. Yes, I'm working through it.

But my spark had dimmed. A book that I started writing soon after I published Re-Creating the World lay stagnating in the files on my computer. Well, actually, they could be found in a separate drive that I somehow lost when I took a solo escape trip last summer. I had even started writing again on that trip, but those disappeared with the technology that held them.
Toward the end of last year, my publisher notified me that they were dropping the book. While I was disappointed, I saw it as an opportunity. You see, when I first wrote the book, I somehow foreshadowed what was coming with the election of a certain president. The book is even more relevant today, as this country seems determined to strip the rights of women, trans people, and anyone with brown skin or who they consider outside the norm of "appropriate" behavior as defined by the short-sighted selfishness of white (mostly evangelical) men and billionaires. I revised a couple of chapters, finessed the formatting, added a new and more relevant author's note, and republished under a different label, targeting an audience of readers 16 and up.

Now called P.OW.ER: A DYSTOPIAN THRILLER is available in e-versions and at your favorite booksellers. Pop into your favorite independent bookstore and order a copy if you like to own books with awesome covers and a strong female protagonist.

Of course, you can find more details about it here.

Sparking Forward

More Books On the Way

The joy of relaunching that book has now enabled me to go back to my manuscript. I'm hoping to publish the new book in October of this year, but I still have a long way to go, including the editing process. I'm not announcing the title yet, but I can tell you a little bit about the idea here:

Imagine if magic weren't just fantasy but an extension of our abilities that exists in our DNA. It often remains latent but can appear unexpectedly in response to severe hormonal or traumatic events. Everyone's abilities manifest differently, and some are stronger than others. What would happen if unethical people wanted to control that magic and found a way to use the virality of social media to make that happen?

Does that sound intriguing? I hope so. My plan is to tell more stories that take place in the world I'm building, especially the adorable, magical town that keeps growing every day into one that has whimsy but also lives in the real world and balances both. The town of {Shh! It's a secret} is filled with quirky, interesting, and diverse characters (including some really special animals and inanimate objects) that all have their stories. I already have one complete manuscript that I am going to revise to fit into this magical world. I'm hoping to create a series where each book stands alone, but lives in the fictional reality of this magic town.

Whew! That's a lot. But there's more . . .

In the Media

My entire career has been chaotic. I'm used to working on multiple projects at once. I taught at a college level, directed shows, developed programs for children, wrote, etc.

I'm not writing this to say "look how awesome I am," but as an example of how I function when filled with spark.

One tiny spark of creativity leads me to a bonfire of activity. One idea leads to many. So now I'm also trying to build my media presence and dip my toes into other ways of creating. My daughter and I have created a YouTube channel called "When Leemers Talk". Here's the description:

A mother/daughter channel to explore the stories that make us human from a multi-generational perspective. Why LeeMers? 1 - It's connected with our last names. 2 - Lemurs live in matriarchal societies. We are strong women with things to say. 3 - Lemurs are cute, and so are we! âÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ¤ï¸ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ Join us on our adventures through laughter, stories, and who knows what else!

Of course we have a whopping 9 Followers!!!!!!!

A picture of me and a crying/laughing emoji. The text reads laughing at myself. — I speak sarcasm. Laughing at myself

But it's fun and silly, and we are trying different things. We are just starting a series where we celebrate other creators of all types, especially those who use creativity in protest and to spark change in society. Whether we have followers or not, I love creating content that allows me to celebrate the good that is in this world and speak up for a more just, kind, humane place. That's how I want to use my creative power.

I am so grateful to my little family for encouraging me to pursue my dreams after I quit teaching at colleges and universities. Burnout is real. I was stuck in a system that focuses on "money, money, money" rather than the things I value like integrity, kindness, respect, and valuing the work others do. Unfortunately, I also left at a time when it's difficult for anyone to find work. Add into that (hidden) ageism and my education (people either think I'm expensive or they think I'll get bored), and I realized that I have to carve my own path. My family is supporting this choice, even in these tough economic times, because we all believe that doing work that aligns with our dreams and our desire to put good into the world is more valuable than monetary gain.

{Obligatory Call to Capitalism: Please, still buy my books if you are interested. We live in a capitalistic world.}

I'm also struggling to get better at Instagram. Sarah (my fabulous daughter) has placed herself into the role of social media manager for me. Together we came up with a video short campaign for the book, and she recruited a friend who wants to go into filmmaking to help us with it. You can find the first of a series of three videos here, if you are interested. It was so much fun to make!

I'm also starting a new website called Rebellious Creativity, where I can be a little more personal and explore anything I want. I want to keep this website (lisaakramer.com) focused more on books and workshops. Follow me in both places! I'd love to have you.

I think that's all for now. I look forward to reading your thoughts and (gulp!) reviews of P.O.W.ER: A Dystopian Thriller

Lisa A. Kramer