July/August 2023 Newsletter
Creative Projects and Assorted Adventures
Hello internet people! Welcome back to my bimonthly newsletter where I share updates on creative projects and assorted adventures.
To start things off, here’s a photo of a young Great Blue Heron that I saw this summer! When I wasn’t working, I loved getting to practice my wildlife photography.
Writing
In July, I passed 20 query rejections on my middle-grade fantasy novel. It’s a long road trying to break into publishing, but I’m encouraged by the little steps along the way. Although that happened, I also had three different pieces published in three different places, and already have things lined up for publishing this fall.
In Unlocked Daily Readings for Teens, I wrote a devotional on the book of Ezekiel called “Ezekiel: Where Is God?”
https://keysforkidsministries.subspla.sh/rdtjqrk
My personal essay “Hope in Depression” came out on Reclaim Today. It was a difficult piece to write, but working on it helped me process my mental health struggles and opened my eyes to how God continues to restore and bring light out of darkness.
https://reclaimtoday.org/hope-in-depression/
“Young Canadian Christians and Climate Action” was published on Love is Moving! This article on young Canadian Christians and their perspectives on creation care took a long time to write, but I really enjoyed getting to interview young adults from across Canada and learn new things from them.
https://loveismoving.ca/2023/08/02/young-canadian-christians-and-climate-action/
Photography / Filmmaking / Media
Should I just call this section “cameras?” Or perhaps “digital media?”
Anyways, I spent my summer working at Muskoka Bible Centre in the AV department doing cameras, slides, and sound. The team at MBC is so great to work with, and I learned a ton! We also had a department film contest, and getting to film and edit the AV movie was a delight.
Outside of my AV work, I also got to photograph the big Worship Under the Stars concert, play on the worship team, and lead morning nature walks!
Book Recommendations
It was a summer of reading! (And I won three book giveaways this summer, so I have no shortage of new books).
I finished the Harry Potter series for the first time in July -- the worldbuilding is so immersive, the characters are vibrant, and J.K Rowling's writing style is so fun to read (she manages to describe characters in the most accurate and least flattering way possible that often made me laugh). I am still yet to decide on a favourite book, but I think it’s between Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix.
In the nonfiction world, I read “By Bread Alone" by Kendall Vanderslice. It’s a set of beautiful personal essays weaving together themes of bread, baking, communion, and faith. I'd recommend it to Christians who enjoy cooking/baking or want to explore their faith through unique lenses, and I'm really excited to bake some of the recipes in it this fall.
I read many more books, but I’ll end my list at Jonathan Auxier’s Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes. Wow, I forgot how good it is. I could write essays on it (and I have written an essay on his book Sweep!).
That’s all for now. See you later!