Summary

The Black Bear publication is encouraging its writers to engage in a monthly writing challenge focused on the theme of "pausing" to reflect on life, mental health, and recovery, emphasizing personal stories over listicles or AI-generated content.

Abstract

The February prompt from Black Bear invites writers to embrace the act of pausing and reflecting, particularly during the winter season. This initiative aims to foster consistency in writing and personal growth, with the belief that monthly prompts can lead to habit-forming behaviors that benefit self-improvement. The editor shares a personal anecdote about the significance of birds, especially hummingbirds, in their sobriety journey, highlighting the importance of finding inspiration and meaning in moments of stillness. The publication seeks authentic, raw stories about mental health, addiction recovery, and the challenges faced, encouraging writers to explore their feelings during the winter months and to share their experiences with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and coping strategies. The goal is to create a supportive community that shares struggles and offers comfort, thereby smashing the stigma surrounding these issues.

Opinions

The editor acknowledges a personal struggle with consistency but sees value in pausing to reflect and realign with personal goals.
Monthly challenges/prompts are viewed as a way to inspire writing and establish consistent habits among Black Bear writers.
Personal experiences, particularly with sobriety and mental health, are highly valued and considered more impactful than listicles or AI-generated pieces.
Pausing is seen as an opportunity for positive introspection, even during the challenging winter months, rather than leading to depression.
The editor emphasizes the importance of sharing personal stories to foster understanding and support among readers facing similar challenges.
There is a clear preference for authentic, informative articles that include a personal touch, as opposed to impersonal content like listicles or AI-generated work.
The publication is reopening to new writers, indicating a commitment to expanding their community and diversifying the voices featured in Black Bear.

February Black Bear Prompt: Pausing

During the winter, may we pause and reflect

Birds help me pause and reflect — Photo Credit: Michele Maize

Hi Black Bear writers!

I must admit, I have yet to be consistent like I said I would this year. Instead, I am taking moments to pause and reflect on my life, in order to gain some consistency.

What I want to start doing at Black Bear is getting back to monthly challenges/prompts. Prompts can garner consistency and soon enough, they will become a habit each month.

I have realized creating habits is what works for me when I am on the path of changing and bettering myself. I hope you feel the same as a writer for Black Bear.

Sometimes we need inspiration to write and I think that adding a prompt challenge can help me and hopefully you as writers to craft a special story.

Just thinking of one will get my tables turning each month.

This morning as I looked outside my window pondering, I saw two hummingbirds and I paused.

They looked so happy to be finding a succulent flower in my planter box. Before I knew it, they fluttered away but I still was stuck in a pause. I thought about how birds have been so important in my recovery.

When I first got sober, most days when I would pause and look up, I would see birds flying in a V formation, letting me know that I was going to be okay.

Those birds serve as a reminder that I am worth it and to follow the path of sobriety.

Now, I go watch them at the park and when I am out on walks. I marvel at them when I pause and even lately, I have been bringing my camera along to capture them.

So, Black Bear writers, what happens when you pause?

Pausing during the winter may sound like it will spiral us into depression especially if you live in a very cold climate, but we can always spin things differently.

We can look at the positives of being stuck inside when winter won’t seem to pass. We can take this time to pause, reflect, and dissect our goals and our aspirations.

We can also take this time to pause and think about our mental health journey and write about it. Are we happy? Do we feel content? What can we change in our lives to feel happy and content?

Also, after many might have completely Dry January for the first time, this is a good time to pause and find out what is next on your journey. Please write about that and share it with us.

Please take this prompt of pausing for our mental health and put your unique spin on it.

Tell us about how you feel during the winter months and if pausing is easy for you or if you find it extremely difficult.

Tell us about your experience with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and how you cope during the winter months by pausing.

We want your true, raw stories regarding your mental health, your addiction recovery or past, your sobriety, how you overcame, or how you are still struggling. We love informative articles, too, but I always want something personal woven in.

We don’t like listicles or AI-generated pieces. Please save those for another publication.

We are here to support and share our struggles with each other to smash the stigma and offer comfort to others who might be fighting the same fight.

What have you gained by pausing and reflecting and how has it helped your recovery and/or mental health?

I can’t wait to read your stories this month.

Please refer to our guidelines at Black Bear before you submit a story, if you have not already.

Also, when submitting for the writing prompt/challenge this month, please use the tag “Prompt”.

Black Bear Submission Guidelines—2023

And becoming a writer with our publication

medium.com

Thanks and happy pausing for the month of February. Reflection is so good for our recovery.

We also took a pause from adding new writers but will be accepting them again now. Please look for the form in KiKi Walter’s guidelines story that I linked above if you would like to be added as a writer for Black Bear.