Can I Teach Writing?
Joan Didion at her deskHappenings : Writing the personal with yours truly, , and starts THIS SUNDAY at 12pm EST - the perfect place to bring all your questions about writing, newsletters, books, organizing your research notes, how the hell to put it all into practice, and more!
We meet three Sundays in a row (Dec 8, 15, and 22) with two bonus Office Hours / Co-Working days on Wed Dec 11 + 18
Class is recorded if you can’t make it live and two and three part payment plans are available for all - plus two sliding scale and trade spots left
Landscapes is meeting every early morning Mon - Fri at 5:30am EST through Dec 20 and at our regular times Tue/Thu 11-1 EST :)
REQUEST : Past, present, and potential members of Landscapes : I’d love your feedback - I am looking for testimonials and desires for the space :)
Lastly : Friday Office Hours are open in the Monday Monday chat for paid subscribers. Ask a question and me and the community will pop into support you!
Welcome to Yes Yes - my advice column tucked into the Monday Monday newsletter.
I am writing from early morning Landscapes, where Carter’s Christmas tree lights the zoom room and Catherine works on her novel and everyone cozies up with their morning pages. It really is my favorite place to be, amongst others dedicated to the craft of writing.
The world outside my window is covered in feet of snow and June is still sleeping under the covers. The days keep getting shorter and I’m amazed at how early I can go to bed.
Today’s question hits on writing but it also really hits on permission granting. How do I know I am qualified enough to do a thing? How do I know when it is time to step into the role of teacher? Let’s find out!
I am not a therapist and I have no training in advice giving. I am an artist, a writer, and a teacher of creative practice with a devotion to how we live. These are my opinions, my best shot at hope, and what I know from 36 years on the planet. As always, may you hold a gentle spirit while reading, take what you like, and leave the rest. Let’s dive in!
Dear Cody,
My mom received an inheritance when my grandfather died a decade ago. No one in my immediate family has worked a job since, and in some ways I'm happy for them—disability and mental illness would have made consistent work difficult—but in other ways I'm finding it really frustrating. I feel a lot of shame in holding this but I don't think I actually know how to work hard. I myself have only held sporadic part-time gigs for the past decade because my partner was until recently a high-wage earner in tech and my mom has been able to give me a supplemental allowance to support me.
Cut to last year when my partner burned out, hard, in their job and we were forced out of our apartment five months early by our landlords who wanted to sell. I know we both need jobs because we're in debt and we'll be entirely broke in the next two months (what my mom was able to give us all went to the move), but despite a couple of interviews neither of us are landing any work at all.
I don't know what to do! I want to start my own business teaching writing but don't think I'm qualified—what do I know??—and I feel deep shame that, when push comes to shove, I genuinely don't have what it takes to earn my own keep.
Dear reader,
There are so many layers here woven together, it makes sense you’d be in some discomfort and confusion. I also hear in you a clear desire : To start your own business teaching writing.
This brings up all the questions :What makes someone qualified to teach?
Are you qualified to teach writing?
Do you know enough?
Are you ready to teach writing?
Are you ready to start a business?
But I also dare to ask - are these even the right questions to be asking? Under capitalism and institutions we are lead to believe we need a certain kind of training to excel at a certain level, but is this true? Let’s dig in!
