Bits and Pieces
I felt a small collective panic going around after the last post. I'll take a moment to add a couple more thoughts about creative companions. First, with only a couple exceptions, the people in my life who are friends of my work live far away, and like most of you I use blogs and flickr and email and the phone to stay in touch. Out of the three women I met with last fall, now I'm only meeting with one of them. These things change and flow.
I'm flexible--I take what I can get, and I'm not picky, in that you don't have to be "a writer" to be my creative friend. If Jen and I weren't having technical issues, we could share work via video chat, or just exchange digital images and files. I've done some really nice phone readings of my new work. But there's something particularly comforting about seeing someone in the flesh, something about being able to look her in the eyes and see she's dead serious when she says you're doing well, that I cherish. Scoop this up if you can, but don't let it trip you up. If an internet creative community is what you have, work it. Find a way to deepen a connection.
Here's a random knitting update. After completing the sweater, I made myself these (toast) and one of these (more yarn is on the way). I am honestly wearing all of them right now--even the one boot. And I feel like magic. For those of you who have been waiting patiently for a Portfolio Project button to display on your own site, I wish I could say your patience paid off with something super beautiful and artsy and fabulous. But this is the Portfolio Project, where we're keeping it fast and dirty and getting our work done without getting lost down rabbit holes, so it seemed fitting that the button turned out like this: 
To embed the button on your own site, copy and paste this code:
<a href="http://jenlee.net/index.php/the-portfolio-project/"><img src="http://jenlee.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/button.jpg" alt="" /></a>.
Many thanks to Justin for building that little cutie for us. The first issue of Voca Femina is live. Go visit! You can read my piece, A Voice, Untamed and submit some work of your own. Finally, a little gift to carry you into the weekend. Here's a piece I wrote about the journey I've been on this last month.