published in Achieving Your Dreams by Maryanne | November 26, 2010 | No Comment
Call for Stories About
Achieving Your Dreams
Maryanne Pope is currently putting the final touches on her second book, Barrier Down; A Tough Love Guide to Why, How and When to Pursue Your Dreams, which will be released in February 2011 – this is not the sequel to A Widow’s Awakening – that comes out in September 2011 
Barrier Removed will be a powerful compilation of some of Maryanne’s inspirational short stories and articles about the importance of achieving dreams, including tangible tips on how to remove barriers – both real and perceived – or view them in a new way.
As an added feature to the book, we are looking for stories from people who have achieved their dreams, are actively working on achieving their dreams, or who are struggling to achieve their dreams – and why. We’re also keen to hear from people who have overcome significant barriers to pursue their passions.
If you have a story to share, please send us a short summary (approx 500 words) about you and your dream. We will be including several of the submitted stories in the Barrier Removed book, so if your story is chosen, we will be in touch!
Everyone who submits a story will have their name entered into a draw to win a copy of A Widow’s Awakening as well as Barrier Removed.
Please send stories via e-mail to: maryanne@pinkgazelle.com by Dec 10th, 2010 with the subject heading “Barrier Removed Story Submission”
Thank you!
Maryanne Pope
published in Synchronicity, Writing by Maryanne | November 9, 2010 | No Comment
Coming Full Circle
What if the moments of the greatest wounding in your life were also places where the Divine crossed your path and the unquenchable dream of your life was born? Imagine seeing a pad of paper lying near you with nothing drawn on the page but a circle that is not closed. Purpose, ultimately, is the drive to close that circle.
- Dawna Markova, I Will Not Die an Unlived Life
I’ve been thinking lately about the concept of coming full circle…what it means to me, why it might be important and what one is to do when a circle is complete.
I figured the best way to explore and articulate my thoughts on this concept would be through the eyes of a special someone who had been watching me from afar: one of my first writing mentors, Shirley.
Shirley didn’t teach me what to write – or how to write. Rather, Shirley simply allowed me to write. And she did this by teaching a workshop on the ‘freefall’ writing method, which is basically just sitting down with pen and paper and jotting down whatever comes to mind…no internal or external editing allowed.
I first met Shirley at the Alexandra Writer’s Centre in Calgary in 1997, after my husband John and I first moved back from BC as newlyweds. When John died from a fall three years later, I did some serious free-falling of my own in the form of scrawling down reams of rambling thoughts, gut-wrenching emotions and a play-by-play recreation of as many horrific moments as I could remember.
Unfortunately, I found it very difficult to turn off the internal editor in those early days – partly because I wanted to get the manuscript done right the first time (hah!) so that I could ‘get on with my life’ and partly because by editing what I was writing, I could pretend that I was somewhat in control of a situation – namely my mental state – that was, in fact, rapidly spiraling out of control. So by telling some future reader why John had died, I remained under the illusion that I actually knew myself.
It wasn’t until the seven-year editing process where professional editors gently guided me through the quagmire of my own words that the essence of the story, the life lessons and the meaning in John’s death were discovered…or created. Or perhaps a bit of both.
When I gave a presentation at the Alexandra Writer’s Centre in November 2009, about the experience of writing my book, A Widow’s Awakening, guess who showed up?
“I loved your book,” Shirley said to me after my presentation. “And I heard you’re giving a creative writing workshop here next weekend?”
I nodded.
Shirley leaned in towards me, beaming. “You’ve come full circle, my friend. You’re carrying on the tradition of sharing what you’ve learned as a writer . . . and that’s what it’s all about.”
I ran around the table and gave her a big hug.
And then, wouldn’t you know it, but it was the very next day that I saw the play – I, Claudia – that would end up changing my life. Six months later, I’d sold my Calgary home and moved to Vancouver Island.
When I look back now at Shirley’s comment, I can’t help but smile. She was right . . . I had come full circle. I’d returned to Calgary a student of writing; thirteen years later, I left again – as a writer and teacher of writing.
I received a lovely e-mail the other day from a woman who took that same writing workshop of mine a year ago. “Thank you for inspiring me,” she wrote. “I’ve been working on my manuscript ever since and am now ready to find an editor. Can you recommend one?”
I leaned back in my chair and smiled. Full circle, indeed.
Maryanne Pope is the author of A Widow’s Awakening and the CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions Inc. She also writes play scripts, screenplays, short stories, articles and children’s stories. For details on Maryanne’s writing workshop, Telling the Tale; the Art of Writing and Self-Publishing Creative Non-Fiction, please visit pinkgazelle.com.
published in Life Balance by Maryanne | November 2, 2010 | 4 Comments
Confessions of a Dirty Shoe Dancer
- Veronica Hay, Magazine of People and Possibilities
Several months after I moved to Vancouver Island, I went to my second hip hop dance class in Victoria. Things didn’t go so well. Although the classes had officially started in September, the first class I actually got around to attending was early October.
This meant I missed the first class, which I presume was the one where our teacher would’ve informed the class about the dirty shoe rule:
NO OUTDOOR FOOTWEAR ALLOWED IN THE STUDIO
Alas, no mention of this rule was made in the one class I attended – nor was it posted anywhere. Apparently, however, said rule exists – and I broke it. Big time. Since I’ve been dancing for more than nine years, I should know better.
And I do. In fact, during that one class I did attend, I admit to noticing a small gathering of sand collecting around my feet. However, instead of removing the evidence, I simply dispersed it by spreading it around a bit with my hand – and then hoping for the best.
Well, the best didn’t happen…at least, not for the barefoot African dancers who happened to dance after us. Alas, when I returned the following week, our hip hop teacher reminded us to only wear indoor footwear because, “somebody obviously wore dirty runners last week and the mess left behind was disastrous for the next class.”
Oops. I felt the blood rush to my face.
But instead of confessing, I did the next best thing. I immediately took off my shoes and ran into the bathroom to clean them off, which is where I got to thinking…I really don’t like this dance studio anyway. It’s too far of a drive from where I live in Sidney, the parking is horrendous and although I only took one class, I could tell this much: it’s heavy on choreography and light on skill development.
Now, a professional dancer I am obviously not. However, I did train under Tara Wilson of Pulse Studios in Calgary for years. As far as hip hop teachers go, she was second to none. Tara taught me to feel the dance – not just remember the moves. And the difference is significant.
If I wanted to be on MTV, then yes, choreography is rather important. But I’m over forty! I want to dance for the fun of it versus struggling to remember – and replicate – a staggering amount of complicated dance sequences.
Speaking of being in my fourth decade, what I did next – after leaving the bathroom – is perhaps a tad immature for a woman my age. But boy, did it feel good! I lifted my head (and still scarlet face) high, walked back into the studio, picked up my water bottle and jacket, went into the waiting room, put my dirty shoes back on – and then ran down the three flights of stairs and out the front door.
Hah!
And on the drive home, I got thinking…again. This isn’t just about dirty shoes.
Here’s what I’ve noticed in my hip hop classes over the years: the women in their late teens and early twenties are often very good at quickly remembering and repeating complex dance sequences – but they don’t necessarily exhibit a heck of a lot of passion or authenticity.
And isn’t that a powerful metaphor for how we sometimes live our lives? For in our twenties, we do tend to put a great deal of focus on getting it right – doing what needs to be done and in the right sequence – but not necessarily taking the time to question what we are doing, why we are doing it, whether we’re even enjoying it…and whether or not it’s right for us.
Then, in our thirties, it’s almost as if someone pushes the button on the ipod that makes the music go ridiculously fast – but instead of turning the speed back to normal, we just dance faster and faster in an ever increasing state of busyness…trying to get it all done, in somewhat the right order and without falling to the floor in exhaustion and tears.
It often isn’t until our forties and fifties – or older – that we finally start to slow down, relax and actually feel what we’re doing. This seems to be when we develop the confidence and courage to miss out on a few steps in the sequence and focus instead on doing the steps we love. It’s almost as if we begin to actually hear the music – the rhythms of our lives, bodies, minds, hearts and souls – and live/dance in a way that reflects who we are, versus trying to diligently duplicate what everyone else is doing.
I never did go back to that dance studio. Instead, I found a place to dance closer to home – but it’s not hip hop, instead it’s a dance called “Nia.” I love it, my teacher is fantastic and best of all…we get to dance barefoot
Maryanne Pope is the author of A Widow’s Awakening and the CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions Inc. Maryanne’s next book, Barrier Removed; A Tough Love Guide to Achieving Your Dreams, will be released in Sept 2012.