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| Art by JoAnna Schillaci |
When we notified our readers of Tempest: Life Upturned, the theme for our third Mind Key Anthology, we didn’t expect such an overwhelming amount of quality submissions. From art sketches to poetry, short stories to personal essays, it turns out that our readers get it. They understand life’s troubles and are quick to respond to the emotional rawness and the chaos they bring. Life storms rage for a reason, and none of us can take cover from them all. Those clouds can roll in at any given moment, darkening our serene sky and pouring down anguish and confusion.
But, as I sit in front of my computer culling through the many submissions we received, I can’t help but find a common thread. Although Tempest signifies a period of chaos, an uncertain weather event that throws us into a sea of difficulties, many submissions state an enlightening fact: the human race is resilient, despite the storms The artwork and stories shine a spotlight on how weak we can be; yet it is the thing that breaks us that also strengthens us.
The submissions talk about grief over losing a loved one; of a love story that has crumbled to pieces; of storm clouds threatening a beautiful field of flowers; and of hearts corrupted by the storms of life. I find myself in a state of awe, because even though there are stories of heartbreak, there is beauty layered underneath it all. There is wisdom, understanding and acceptance that the old adage of “this too shall pass” is the ultimate truth.
Perhaps this is why life's storms are important. It is through their squally lessons that another aspect of human nature is nurtured—hope. For it is hope that guides us through, a steady compass we can rely on even when our life is turned upside down.
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Danielle:
We had hoped to have Tempest completed and out for printing during the month of October. This is why our November issue was titled “Tempest” as well. But as life would have it, storm after storm blew in and blew us straight off course. The storms, however, brought us someplace amazing.
Mind Key is growing by leaps and bounds. Support and unexpected opportunities are suddenly shining through the clouds. Although we are still culling through the myriad of submissions at a point in time when we thought we’d be holding a finished product, we ended up more pleased with the journey than in the yet-to-be-determined end result. Perhaps we will discover that this neverland where we’ve landed is a place that will make this third anthology more brilliant and successful than the prior two.
So, instead of feeling discouraged in our lack of progress with the book, we are feeling more hopeful for its potential with each moment. Each gust brings us somewhere new and opens up pathways that hadn’t existed. Tempest: Life Upturned has become a symbol of the truth behind the Mind Key mission: In our quest for self-discovery, only the storm can lead us to those places we’ve always believed were possible, but never knew or dreamed we could achieve.
If you are interested in learning more about Tempest: Life Upturned, or potentially submitting a piece of art or writing, please use the upload form at www.mindkey.me/anthology. We will accept new submissions through November 15th for anyone who says they were referred via Mind Key the Blog.
I was hoping to see some idea of when story, article and art selections would turn into a book. However, I understand being overwhelmed by sheer numbers. So I guess I will continue to hold hope for my submitted pieces.
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