Dear Warriors is Gaining Purpose and Wholeness!

Owen, the Writing Muse

Over the last month, essays have been edited, added and dropped. More art has come in, bringing renewed excitement, potential, and the need to consider these new messages, knitting them into a purposeful whole with my words.

That's the coolest thing I'm feeling right now: purpose and a sense of wholeness. 
I confess that those feelings have been in short supply of late. The "Funk" that I wrote of in one essay in Dear Warriors has taken hold of me. I struggle to believe if you or anyone else relates, but deep inside, I know there are those who do. I've seen it. Read it. Heard it. Felt it.

We need to feel like we're not alone. That we all have purpose. And we are all whole, even if battered.

With Dear Warriors, I'm seeking to connect us with T1D (Diabetic Warriors) to our own selves and to all people (Warriors). I also seek to show how all people themselves relate to, and need, us with T1D.  They do!! To those who are helping me with art, personal insights, encouragement and simple presence: you and your skills are part of the resources that this Warrior needs to get through this particular battle she's fighting. You are my fellow Warriors. Dearly appreciated.

Warriors need each other.

I received a drawing today that marks the second to last slot I need to fill in the book. It fits perfectly in one of those empty holes. The essay directly connected to it, "Feeding the Soul", doesn't even need editing to reflect what this young artist presented- it's that close. But, I will add some connecting thoughts because we are now just that: truly connected. We're sharing our selves. That's the surge that keeps me going and breaks The Funk's power. That's what tells me I'm either onto something huge, or I'm simply tapping into universal truths out there and should just hold on for the ride. Either is good enough for me. I must stay out on the field as that Diabetic Warrior to the end of this mission.

Speaking of completing this mission, if you or someone you know would like to submit art- there's still time! Deadline is July 31, 2018. More information can be found in my introductory blog post, Type 1 Art Requested!.

I'm looking forward to the time in the future where I'll have a few advance copies of Dear Warriors for review. If you'd like to be included in that run (all contributing artists will get an electronic copy for their review prior to final publication, so no need to ask for this) please email me at dearwarriors2018@gmail.com with the subject heading "Advance Copy Review" with your address and contact information. 

Introducing Dear Warriors

I wanted to share the introduction to my Work in Progress, Dear Warriors: A Guided Journal to Support & Inspire T1Ds and Their Warrior Allies, set to publish by October 14, in time for November's Diabetes Awareness Month and World Diabetes Day on November 14. 

Do you or someone you know have any art the expresses your unique experience as a person with T1D? I am welcoming art for consideration in the book's illustrations until July 31. Please see Collaborations are Awesome for more information.

Introduction: Why “Warriors”?

Having type 1 diabetes (T1D) can be alienating and exhausting. I think that’s why the term “warrior” has been used in recent years to describe us. It's supposed to make us feel stronger.

I really resisted accepting and using that term as I wrote this book. “Warrior” is used by so many and the baggage of its meaning is getting heavier and heavier as the years go by. Take a moment to list things you think of when you hear the term. From a negative perspective, you may picture:

• ·        Hostility and confrontation
• ·        Exhaustion and isolation
• ·        Grit and misery
• ·        Massive weaponry
• ·        Win or die

That’s not the whole story.

As a former master gardener and someone who worked in botany once upon a time, I’m much more inclined to harmonious nature themes. Think puffy clouds and cute chipmunks. Among my brainstorming notes for this book’s outline, is a tree I drew as a representation of what a human is. We, like trees, are composed of several parts (more on that later), and we interact with our environments. For trees, that’s water, sun, air and the ground they find themselves. For us, our “environments” are the things and opportunities we have around us. As I sat with the idea, I realized that in both cases, if there’s a bunch of individuals together (trees create forests and people create communities), they also have positive and negative interactions with each other.

Trees fight for space in a forest. People fight for space in a community.

That last thought is what convinced me to use the term “Diabetic Warriors”. “Fighting for” is a vague phrase, often related to survival and winning, with the visuals I’ve listed. “Fighting for” can also mean “struggling for”, and that adds more depth to our life picture.

We are all struggling for something. That’s what life is. However, the struggle or fight does not have to be the completely devastating guerilla warfare we sometimes believe (and experience). There are benefits in living in the forest. There can be honor on that battlefield of life.

With this book, I hope to bring back the emphasis of honor when it comes to “Warriors”, especially, Diabetic Warriors. By honorable, I mean: able to be respected and to behave with respect. I want us to have images of:

• ·        Teamwork and trust
• ·        Collaboration and sharing
• ·        Intense effort and joy
• ·        Resourcefulness and creative thinking
• ·        Alliance-building and shared experiences

Please take this opportunity to write down your own words on what you think describe the honorable Warrior of today. To me, honorable Warriors…

With that, I welcome you as a fellow Warrior- part of my tribe and forest!  Although our details differ, we are a band united by some common threads, including type 1 diabetes, thus we are not only Warriors, we are Diabetic Warriors. Diabetes touches us or someone we hold dear.

Catch that last word? My book titles include the salutation “Dear” for a reason. Corny as it sounds, we’re dear to someone. You’re probably dear to many, but you are dear, at the very minimum, to one very important person: yourself. A second goal of the book is to prove we are united and dear in any number of other ways. Ways that can offer us strength and light.

Our dearness matters. Our relationship to others matters. This Warrior idea is a universal one and I want to help build our connections with other people- other Warriors. We’re together, including people without the need for insulin. We all benefit by living that truth. To present this argument, I’ve relied on other minds and life stories for support. There are images I’ve included from a range of people with T1D and voices of those with diabetes and those without. I believe all of it helps build the narrative that our forest, our army, is bigger than we usually allow it, or believe it, to be.

My last goal in Dear Warriors is to challenge us to stretch. We are something today. We can be something else tomorrow, if we try. I’ll ask questions to both you and myself. I’ve set aside space for you to write down your reactions, your past, your hopes and your plans. You’ll see my prompts in bold as I’ve done in this introduction. I want Dear Warriors to be a working space for growth and acceptance, so that the book you hold becomes specific to you.

In summary, we’re all Warriors.  

When I refer to “DW”s in this book, it stands for 2 things:

Diabetic Warriors:

Honorable people,

who just happen to also have the added twist of type 1 diabetes.

Dear Warriors:

Honorable people, T1D or otherwise,

who are held dear by themselves and others.

Life's A Marathon!

I finished the first draft of Dear Warriors in September. Here it is, April 9, and I just assembled Version 3.0!

The weather is practically the same as it was back in September. Other than that, a ton of stuff has changed both in this manuscript and in my life. That's the way of the world, isn't it? 

I've added a CGM into my life and met some more amazing people. I'm seeing all sorts of cool art and amazing stories of lives touched by diabetes. I'm also working out with a friend and hoping to check something off our bucket lists together this year: running a legit 5K.

Life's a marathon, especially with T1D. We can do it together. 

If you or someone you love has some 2-dimension art they'd like to send my way for possible inclusion in Dear Warriors, I would love to check it out. Please see here for details. Submission deadline is July 31, 2018.

Onward!

Collaborations are Awesome- How about YOU?

I am deep into revisions to Dear Warriors. The sources for change are many: other bloggers, responses from writing and diabetes professionals, family members, associates and my own fidgety mind. It's challenging, frustrating and rewarding. There's a massive world of thoughts out there, and when you jump in to try to flesh out your own take, it's a wild, and at times, scary ride.

Years ago, I would have given up by now. 

Personal fears of worth and abilities would have gotten the better of me.

What used to scare me- the masses of humanity- now encourages me. The fact that my social media isn't crammed with nastiness is probably proof that I'm not reaching many people, but the ones who I am connecting with have offered me great help and advice. That includes InsulinNation, which has posted 3 early excerpts and a shout-out for art from fellow people with type 1 diabetes. 

Which brings me to this post and image. I drew this image as I thought about the most recent excerpt, Independence. The message in both is this: we're linked together by some common hopes, dreams & concerns. I love connecting imagery with stories. That was how I created my first book, Dear Teachers. As you can see by this and my blog cover art, I clearly need help on some more creative and stirring visuals!!!

I need YOU and your art!

Do you have type 1 diabetes? Have you drawn or otherwise created visuals you feel represent you? I'd love to see your printable artistry. I'm betting it will make me edit my words even more, and my goal is to include at least 10 guest artist images as part of the introductions to the various sections of the book.

You can email me at dearwarriors2018@gmail.com. Please include:

Artist name
Artist preferred contact info
Artist age
Artist age at diagnosis
The title of the piece

A short description of your piece and inspiration

Subject matter is up to you. As long as I can draw a connection to my book, the working titles of which are included here, I will gladly consider them.

For more details, please see the first post on this blog: Type 1 Art Requested.