CHRIS WELLS
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"...the highly structured format means that tons of writing gets done, so that when the workshop is over you can barely recognize your work, it's grown so much."

Yellow Leaves, Green Heart

10/28/2014

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Tuesday afternoon in the woods. I'm sitting in the cottage watching the yellow leaves fall outside the window. There are SO MANY SQUIRRELS on, around, under, within our house - and, they are madly preparing for winter. It's funny, their sounds go away in summer but, come fall, they are BACK, gathering the nuts, planning, cleaning - I'm not gonna make some parallel between them and myself. I just enjoy them - living with animals, creatures, the woods - it's a good antidote to what can be the hard-edged life of the artist; with its perpetual problem solving, constant processing, self-doubt, ambitions, visions, connection making - it's nice to think about being more animal headed: driven by instinct, the seasons, the weather, play! That sense of play - maybe that's what all animals share. PLAY.

We had a raucous and beautiful gathering of The Secret City on Sunday. The theme was THE UNKNOWN - it was an opening up in many ways, of our community, ideas, curating...things are constantly expanding.

I'm working on strategic planning stuff - and, expanding our organization. At the same time, I'm putting together more writing workshops. I really love doing them - have one in NY next month and one in LA the following.

In the meantime, this autumn day calls for a nap, I think. Maybe that's how I will resort to animal life today - a nap, while there's still light in the sky. The sound of creatures in the walls and on the roof.


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Back to the Woods

10/20/2014

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Wow - what a month it's been since I made this new, sweet little personal website! We kicked off the season of The Secret City, then I led a WRITING LIFE workshop in NYC, then we were out to LA for Secret City LA - we had a little snafu getting home [left the car keys in LA -- ouch] and finally made it back here to Woodstock late Friday night. Took the weekend to get situated: sleep, home-cooked meals, staring out the windows at the beautiful foliage, reading, watching Transparent and, more sleep. Ok! Now it's Monday and the to-do list is HUGE. First things first, I'm advertising my upcoming writing workshops so that's what I'll be up to today - as well as getting the service ready for this Sunday, the theme is THE UNKNOWN! I'm thrilled about it - I've handed all the curating over to other people and can't wait to see what they come up with. Oh, Bobby's birthday is this weekend, too - and we're going to make plans for that. I also want to check in with Jeremy, our SC music director and my dear pal and collaborator, about putting together a few music shows this fall/winter. They'll be benefits for The Secret City - one in LA, one in NYC. I'm excited to sing with a band and make glorious music. I miss that - I miss acting, too - I was thinking about that a lot over the weekend. I love The Secret City and believe in it, wholeheartedly - and, I'd love to do a nice, juicy play with wonderful folks in a great setting. I miss being in rehearsal room with people. Maybe saying this is a sort of intention-setting - do you believe in that? By saying things, you're setting an intention, and setting things in motion? Creating future outcomes? Sometimes I believe that. I also believe that amazing things fall out of the sky and land in our lives and we are richer for them - and, blessed by that element of surprise. We never know what's going to happen, do we? All I can say for sure right now is that I'm going to fix a nice, big, steamy bowl of oatmeal with nuts and berries and maple sugar, then sit in my sweet little kitchen, watch the leaves fall and enjoy. Heaven on earth.
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    Chris Wells leads dynamic, life-changing writing workshops.

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