What Happens When You Allow Yourself to be an Artist, A Writer, A Photographer: An Imposter's Journey
The ongoing battle to accept yourself as an artist. Also, news updates, events not to miss, and more.
Oh, You Are a Writer?
We spent last weekend up in Marquette. That’s right, we were back at our home away from home. Our friend and author, Dianna Higgs Stampfler, was speaking at the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA) Spring Conference. We thought we’d come up to show our support as well as check out the conference. You never know, we might meet someone who wants to be on the Life In Michigan podcast.
In the elevator at the Landmark Inn on our way to our room for the weekend, we chatted with the barback who was taking some dinner up to one of the bartenders at the Crow’s Nest, a dandy little cocktail bar at the top of the hotel. The barback asked us what brought us into town, and I told him that we were here for the UPPAA Spring Conference. The young man’s eyebrows shot up, and he exclaimed, “Oh! You are writers?!”
In less than a beat, I replied, “Oh no, I’m not a writer.” Brenda shot me a look and said, “Yes, you are!” I’m sure this kid was flummoxed.
I’m fine with saying I’m a photographer. I grimace inwardly when someone asks if I’m a professional. But a writer? An artist? I struggle to say that out loud.
After checking into our room with a super view of the ore dock in the harbor, we met up with our wonderfully talented friend and baker extraordinaire, Janelle, for a short stroll amongst the beautiful old homes in Marquette before sitting down at the Northland Pub (inside the Landmark Inn). We caught up on happenings since we last saw each other in April. I didn’t even think about being a writer.
On Friday, we drove west to Michigamme, where Brenda did a little shopping, and I snapped a few photos in town. Afterward, we took a fantastic walk along Nestoria Road near Craig Lake State Park. Under a delightfully warm sun, we spotted moose and wolf tracks. The Merlin app assured us there were warblers, grosbeaks, wood thrushes, and flycatchers in the trees, but I only developed a case of “warbler neck” and a couple of photos of some elusive little dudes. I still wasn’t thinking about being an artist.
That changed on Friday evening. The UPPAA hosted a pre-conference mixer at The Crib, an old Victorian-era home transformed into a coffee shop and bar. We grabbed a couple of beverages and spent some time listening to a series of U.P. writers who shared readings from their poetry, short stories, and excerpts from their novels. I couldn’t help but be amazed at the number of artists actively sharing their art with us. I definitely did not feel that I was in the same league, let alone be considered a writer.
The next day brought the start of the UPPAA Spring Conference. Over 100 authors gathered in the Community Room at the Peter White Public Library, which would be the conference’s home. In addition to a general meeting for the association, the conference featured a number of educational sessions covering topics ranging from self-publishing and troubleshooting your plotline to character development and more. Dianna’s session provided a treasure trove of resources for writers doing historical research with real-world examples of how she has used each method in the books and stories she has written.
The sessions provided great insights from seasoned writers, but one of the most impactful parts of the conference was the keynote speaker, Sara Maurer’s story. Her debut novel, A Good Animal, a coming-of-age story set on a rural Michigan sheep farm, was released earlier this year on St. Martin’s Press.
Sara shared the story of how she became an author. While always a writer at heart, much of her life up until now had been spent raising a family and excelling in her career in technical writing. Eventually, the call to write grew stronger and stronger, yet the ferocity of the blank page was daunting.
Step by fateful step, Sara pushed past the weight of the empty page. She honed her skills as a storyteller through workshops and classes where truthful, constructive criticism was paramount rather than the empty words of “This is great!” She used every nugget of feedback given to revise, rewrite, revise, rewrite, and rewrite yet again. She survived the rejection of an early children’s book manuscript as well as the rejection of her debut novel on its first pass to publishing editors. Tenacity, perseverance, and talent led Sara to realize her ambition to become a published author.
Since I was a kid, I’ve loved reading and have dreamed of being a writer. I wrote a couple of things for a high school publication. Yet I wasn’t someone who wrote all the time. I also didn’t journal. While at Eastern Michigan, I took a Creative Writing class and received some punishing feedback from the professor, who told me that I wasn’t a writer and probably never would be one.
I was inspired by Sara and all the other writers at the UPPAA who were embracing their craft and making it their own. However, the question remained: was I really a writer? Don’t I need to put pen to paper, crafting riveting novels or lush poetry to be considered “A Writer”?
Brenda tried to set me straight. She mentioned that on a weekly basis, I’m writing stories for Life In Michigan. I may not think of that as being “A Writer,” but it actually is writing. At a core level, I know that I’m a writer, a photographer, a musician, an artist. But those labels feel foreign. It is as if I haven’t done enough or can’t claim the expertise to assume those titles.
I’m thinking that, at this point, a good writer of personal essays would show how these experiences, the words of others, and their own internal pondering have led them to a profound or fundamental leap. In terms of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, you might say they hit the “Magic Flight” step, where the hero returns with enlightenment.
However, I’m here to tell you that I don’t have a pivotal enlightenment on my status as a writer. I suppose I write, therefore I am a writer, and that is enough. I did come away from the UPPAA Spring Conference feeling inspired to keep working. Who knows, maybe I’ll finally get around to writing a book and become overwhelmed with doubts all over again.
Upcoming Events You Won’t Want to Miss
Our events calendar on Life In Michigan is a treasure trove of events we’ve scoured the interwebs to bring to you. There are a ton of great events coming up. From that list, here are a few highlights:
Disco Behemoth with ICK and Domain Master at Shakespeares in Kalamazoo on May 27.
Geoff & Jon’s Record Show takes to the air at the Landmark Inn in Marquette on May 29-31.
Our bestie, Kate Peterson, opens Sonic Lunch music series in downtown Ann Arbor with Lindsay Lou!
Enjoy a weekend packed with Improv at the Yes, Ann Festival on June 25-27
In Other News
We toured one of the most unique houses in Michigan— The Honolulu House Museum in Marshall.
Our improv journey continues with the completion of Improv 201 at Hear.Say Brewing and Theater.
I’ve never been to Houghton-Douglass Falls! Clearly, this needs to be rectified.
Life In Michigan Podcast
An excellent chat with our friend Roo about her Eclipse Yoga, Stand Up Paddleboarding, and more.
Substack Restack Attack
Substack is where it’s at. Check out these other superb publications:
Many thanks to Marty Slagter for sharing this excellent look at the early years of Hank Williams Jr. by Zachariah Malachi
I wasn’t aware of The Jam. Thanks to Theresa Kereakes, I’ve got some insight into some fun punk jams.
Recent photos of Elvis from A Photographer's Newsletter !
I’m not alone (I knew I wasn’t, but needed to say it anyway). Charlie Finch does it again with another great essay. Thankfully, my inner voice isn’t so damn cruel.
Adventures Yet To Print
I’ll be back in the pit at a death metal show later today with Cryptopsy in Pontiac (assuming I get approved). We head up to Hartwick Pines near Grayling for another Michigan Audubon tour in search of the Kirkland’s Warbler. I’m going to guess we’ll have some stories to share from those adventures. Plus, I chatted with Chuck Billy about his new book called Holding My Breath. The podcast on Fans With Bands will be out on Wednesday!
Sunday Sip Flashback
Now that we have a couple of years of Sunday Sips under our belt, I thought it was time to dip into the archives for a Sunday Sip Flashback.
What Are You Reading?
Talk about talented writers! Erik Larson is a master storyteller. In this non-fiction account of the start of the Civil War and the Battle of Fort Sumter, called The Demon of Unrest, he keeps you gripped and engaged. I felt like I was in the meeting rooms, the train cars, on the streets of Charleston, and in the fort with Major Anderson.
Far from a dry historical rehash, Larson uses letters, slave records, government archives, and newspaper articles of the time to weave a narrative that truly comes alive. In particular, Larson shows how the people of the North and the South had no real understanding of one another. The South felt dishonored by the North as a result of being challenged on the issue of slavery. They believed it was their God-given right to enslave other people. Calling that immoral and unjust was an affront to their code of honor. The North had no understanding of this fierce pride within the aristocracy of the South and could not understand their resentment and hate.
I found myself disgusted with the southern aristocrats, and in particular those of Charleston. This book solidified my belief that the Civil War was always about slavery and that “states’ rights” was a way for the South to justify starting a war to protect their wealth, which had been built by the suffering of other human beings. I highly recommend this book as it tells a story that many people should hear.
What Are You Spinning?
I can still remember cruising down the road in the back of my buddy John’s army green Barracuda, getting stoned, and jamming to High ‘n’ Dry by Def Leppard. From the snarling opening chords of “Let It Go” to the muscle car burn-out on “No No No,” this album rips. Even the ballad, “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak”, isn’t too bad. The production on High ‘n’ Dry is raw and intense, with guitars taking center stage. I love the razor-sharp attack and bluesy bite of the solos by Pete Willis. In my mind, Steve Clark is fine, but Pete was the riff lord in Def Leppard.
High ‘n’ Dry is, by far, the best Def Leppard album. After this, it was all downhill. Pyromania and the sappy pop-rock schlock were soon to follow. If you ask me, Pete dodged a bullet by getting canned as the band worked on Pyromania.
Sadly, I only caught one song by this version of the band in concert. They opened for Ozzy Osbourne on the Blizzard Of Ozz tour at Pine Knob. We got in just in time to catch the last song of their set before they rolled off stage. Oh well, I can still say I saw them when they were awesome, and I have this bad-ass album to spin today.
That’s A Wrap
As my buddy Sturgill once said:
“Keep your head out of the clouds
And remember to be kind
And just stay in school
Stay off the drugs
And keep between the lines.”
Thank you for reading. Seriously, thank you! I hope your week is excellent! Don’t forget to kick out the jams!
Now, here is your moment of zen:
You are most certainly a writer. I read your pieces and it makes me feel comfortable. Like being in a friend’s kitchen talking about home. That’s not easy to do.
I love your writing Chuck, and your photography.