I’m starting to really like going to in-person gatherings of writers. It’s not just learning cool things, or meeting people, or networking. It’s identity. For a couple of hours, I’m a writer first. My neurodivergence, my recovery from drug addiction, my parenting challenges, or my physical issues might come up in conversation, but only in terms of how they affect my subject material or writing practices.
That’s precious to me right now. I need these moments at a time when other areas of my life are in crisis and I feel overwhelmed or defeated. Being in a place where I have full permission to embrace my writer/author persona is a welcome vacation from everything else. More importantly, it reminds me of the part of myself that is indestructible. No matter what happens, I remain a person who creates. Even something stops me for a while, that basic truth remains as it remains for all of us.
Lori Lynne Armstrong 