Being Known — Checking In!

Time to explore — Newsletter #34

Time to explore

On September 10th, we will celebrate Being Known’s 1st Birthday!

I can’t believe it has already been one year in which we have been courageously sharing ourselves from the inside out, one year of being together in authentic, vulnerable explorations, one year of being known as we are in the world!

For me, this has been an incredibly deep journey — but I will leave that for September 10th.

I believe it is good practice to pause and evaluate and explore on any journey: where am I, how did I get here, what works and doesn’t, what needs tweeking, and what is my vision going forward?

I think it’s been going well — growing slowly and steadily. Any faster and I wouldn’t be able to keep up with submissions at all, so this works! Something I need to rethink is the newsletter, for it is extremely time-consuming and I’m not sure that many of you even read it (do you?) Thus I have decided to forego the newsletter for now and see how this goes (will anyone miss it?) I will post the monthly writing prompt on our homepage as I always do, so make sure to check there.

I’d also love for you each to explore your own experience with Being Known — and shoot me any insights, thoughts, and ideas you have — comment below.

I look forward to continued growth and exploration with you all. I hope that you find this the safe space I had wanted to give you — to simply be you.

Thank you for journeying with me.

Being Known’s monthly writing prompt(s)

August writing prompt: Haiku-it!

Still a few days to Haiku-It with us. Share your here and now experiences with us in 17 syllables following a 5–7–5 rhythm. Tag the prompt poem, tag your friends, submit your haiku (or haiku series), and join the fun before August ends!

September writing prompt: Connection.

In this time of uncertainty, fear, and seclusion for many of us still — how are you staying connected with others, with life, and with what’s important to you? Let’s talk connection this month and hopefully, we will all feel a little closer to one another in the process! You know how this works! Tag the prompt, tag your friends, and share your pieces! Look forward to being connected with you all!

Important notes from the editor

• Please follow Medium’s distribution standards on all of your submissions; this includes formatting on titles/subtitles and images.
• Please provide 48-business hours for feedback on your submissions (sometimes more, sometimes less depending on the length of your piece and on life) — be patient with your editors.
• Note that we publish pieces that are at least three minutes long, with the exception of flash fiction and poetry. Submissions over 5 minutes take longer to process.
• We will no longer have a weekly newsletter. I am suspending the Newsletter for now, but do keep supporting your fellow writers. We all win when we lift each other up!

Welcome new writers!

A warm welcome to our new writers this week: S. G. S. Abel, Penelope Mayfield, Pierce McIntyre, Abbey Streett, and Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles — thank you for your courageous willingness to be known with us.

Thank you existing writers

Thank you to all who ongoingly contribute to the collective story that is — Being Known: Tina L. Smith, Gayle Kurtzer-Meyers, Sarene B. Arias, Aimée Gramblin, Carolyn Riker, Kate Mackay, Geetika Sethi, Vixen Lea, Paula Light, Suntonu Bhadra, Quy Ma, Deena Thomson, Doug Ecks, Gal Mux, Sydney Duke Richey, Rob Janicke, Steph Jouppien, Rica Keenum, Caitlin Vestal, The4thQuadrant, A Simple Writer, Deeksha Agrawal, Nia Simone McLeod, Penofgold, Emily Jennings, Nicole Linke, Rabia Zulfqar, Anwesha Mishra, Connie Song, Eva Rotolo, Edward S. Majian, April Callaway, Sarah L. Harvey, JD Greyson, Shreya Deodhar, Sтepн Tнoмpѕoɴ, Mia Verita, Efron Koen, MFA, MA, Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她), Sarah J. Baker, Aceline Lavanya, Haikuster, Shubham Goel, Lisa Gastaldo, Emily Hargrove, Cheshire Chaton, Junaid Jamshed, Poetry Lover’s Companion, Paul Mulliner, Heather Jauquet, Jupiter Grant, Gillian Lesley Scott, Denee Francese-Smith, KB, Mihai Baluta-Cujba, Debasmita Chatterjee, Gianfranco Vigneri, Deborah Weir, Amy Pierovich, Rebecca Ruth Gould, Elan Cassandra, Rowen Veratome, Josie Elbiry, stacy becker, Brinda Koushik, Paul H. Harder II, Brad Creech, Caroline Mellor, Heather M. Shrum, Melinda Heyer, Courtney Denning (she/her), Jodi Rempel, Gretchen Lee Bourquin, Jois G., Raegan Hedley, Anna Woods, Jamie Russo, Mark Tulin, Michael Datz, Ruby Thomas, Leslie Anderson, SHRM-SCP, Bingz Huang, Rachel Reid, Joellen Goth, Amber B., Debbie Weiss, Kahli Bree Adams 🖋️, Rambling Rose, Edward Riley, Dave Logan, Shae De Pass, Ivan Yong Wei Kit, Nombuso Makhubu, Kajeetha Sarvananthan, Maria Garcia, Shawn Day, Silvia Poldaru, MA, Psych Write, Rute Barros, Rachel Maree, Hilda Carroll, Yana Bostongirl, Randy Shingler, Élan-Writer, Michelle Lovett, Humaira Iqbal, Connie Ottmann, Frankie Garcia.Maja Savic, Deb Wood, Kate Warrington, Julia Marsiglio, Emily Ann, Heather C Holmes, Mimi Bordeaux, Ashley Nicole, Ritambhara Khemani, M. Dal-Wray, Debora Chifunda, Rowen Quinn, Enne Baker, and Nathanael, Ramblings Anon, angelism, David Friend, Daphni Sawyer, Aeishwarya Baviskar, Sh*t Happens — Lost Girl Travel and Samantha Lazar, Jeremy McKay, A.M. Radulescu, Steve Campbell, Georgia Jauslin, Graveheart Neel, Glassgirl, Lennie Varvarides, Sahil Patel, Lamar Dull, and Nathan L. Senter, Prasanniya, Zeenat Merchant Syal, M. Glad Poetry, Elizabeth Barnesco, Giulietta Passarelli, Anthony Eichberger, Manisha, Hannah Kewley, Sheetal Prakash, Jaylee Reign, Rosy Gee, Sean F Corbin, Vilma Reynoso, Sarah Mui, Paul Mansfield, Elizabeth Willsea, and Naomi Leila. Anthony David Vernon, Smillew Rahcuef, Michael Hollifield, Alison Jacobson, Ginger Tran, Y.M. Saegusa, Sarah Beshr, Skyla Jade Blake, Liane White, SMACKINCOHEN, Bryce Godfrey, Dazzling Shene, Priyam Samantray, Priya Tandon, George Cloake, Celine Lai, David Graham, Carol Townend, Jade Willow, Edwina Toulmin, Beatrice Causey, B.R. Sheno, Ankit Priyadarshi, Mag Moreno, Margarette Mathias, Daniel R. Fincher, Amanda Wilson, Jonathan Townend, and America Zed, Dennett, Beth Byfield, Alicia Rust, Francesca Fowler, Sarah McInnes, Joy Lin, Lara Manetta, Eurielle, Sadie Seroxcat, Erin O’Connell, Julia Winsa, Nick, and CARMEN F MICSA, Sara Taylor Mermelstein, Fiza Ameen, Cristina Marie Pagan, Brigitte Bebey, Dr. Preeti Singh, RAINNA, Kyomi O’Connor, Anne Chisom, Jacqueline A, Destiny S. Harris, Heather Thompson, Divina Grey, Mitchell Peterson, Jimmy Misner Jr., Mary Jo Campbell, Tejuka, Quinten Dol, and K.Kumar.

The numbers

• 222 writers
• 542 followers

Thank you for your courageous sharing. I am excited to grow together!

Chosen for distribution by Medium

• On Rewind, by Galit Birk, PhD

Writing prompt responses (Haiku-it!)

• I’ll Never Forget, by Jimmy Misner Jr.
• Small Yet Mighty, by Galit Birk, PhD
• Sultry Waters, by Dennett
• Without Direction, by Daniel R. Fincher
• Mindfulness, by Randy Shingler
• Dream, by Ruby Thomas
• The Wolf Within, by Galit Birk, PhD
• Summer’s Golden Edges, by Carolyn Riker
• Heart Song, by Giulietta Passarelli
• Bottomless Loneliness, by Mary Jo Campbell
• Choosing Stillness, by Haikuster
• The Power of Photos: A Haiku, by B.R. Shenoy
• When the Words Don’t Flow, and On Rewind, by Galit Birk, PhD
• Trouble-Free, by Giulietta Passarelli

Thank you all

I am excited to continue to grow and to make magic together in our writing and in our lives. Continue leaping out of your comfort zone, drop the perfection illusion, love yourself, live fully, dare greatly, and live the life you imagine with presence and gratitude!

I see you, and I am grateful for your courage and willingness to be known.

With Gratitude, Galit Birk, PhD — your editor