Summer Fun(gus) 🍄
by newsletter writer Jenna Duxbury
This week, the mushrooms arrived quite literally overnight — orange, white, and brown fungi popping up around our chicken coop & winter garden. I love mushrooms: they’re weird and cute and funky-smelling, and each year, they are the first hint for me that the earth is changing. I heard the first whisper of autumn last Wednesday in a single gold leaf that fell at my feet. Yes, there’s still time to go to the beach this summer, time to stay out late with friends, time to sit on the front porch until the sun goes down. There is still time to get serious about something, and there is still time to play.
But the mushrooms are a lovable yet sobering reality, seeding questions: Am I closer to my dreams now than I was at the start of summer? Or have I wasted too much time? Can time really be wasted, when the same rhythms that rule the mushrooms are the same ones that govern me? And can I, like the wise and graceful earth, accept the cycles of growth & decay without resistance or guilt?
By this point in the year, you will have received little harvests and dividends from wherever you have chosen to invest your time, energy, and resources. Of course, we are often seeing “results” from our actions, but this is a good time of year to take inventory. If you find yourself feeling disappointed or discouraged by what you perceive to be a low yield (especially in your creative life), remember to weigh your own efforts (what you can control) against the circumstances that are beyond your control.
Spores for Thought:
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What signs in nature, culture, or your creative process have you observed lately that indicate change?
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Think back to the spring or the beginning of 2024. Did you identify any goals for your creative process or art? How have you worked toward them this year, and what have you harvested?
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Sometimes we plant seeds from the “lettuce” packet and end up sprouting “snow peas.” Have you received any unexpected gifts from your labors?
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Picture yourself gathered with friends at a bonfire this fall, sharing about all the ups & downs you’ve faced this year and what you’ve accomplished… or left undone. What do you want to be able to name? Decide what projects or pieces you want to nurture for the rest of this year.
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It’s okay to let projects go. If you find yourself feeling burdened by a sense of obligation, consider that it might be time to let that vision decay and transform into compost for a future sowing season.
Summer Reading List 📚
Have you peeped our latest issue?
Carolina Muse Volume IV, Issue II is available to read in digital format on our website. Some unforgettable pieces within these pages that you won’t want to miss:
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Nina Rhoades’ stunning and somewhat hallucinatory painting of an elegant PEARL hovering over the horizon
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Sebastian Ellios’ thought-provoking poem, “until August comes again” (see the interview Sebastian gave in our June newsletter here)
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Yujun Ginn’s exquisite (and crushingly relatable?) short story, “Slow Drown”
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Levi J. Mericle’s award-winning song, “Whiskey Deep” (read Levi’s interview from the June newsletter here)
Limited sale of print copies
We still have some print copies of IV.II and III.III available for purchase! Ordering physical copies are a superb way to support our indie operation. Plus, they look awesome in person.
Tag us on social media with a photo of you showing off your physical copy of IV.II to share the Carolina Muse love!
P.S. We still have some T-shirts available from Arts Jam too! They are light blue and made with soft & sustainable bamboo fabric.
Submit to our next issue by August 15th!
There’s still time to contribute to the next issue of Carolina Muse. We're accepting submissions to volume IV, issue III until midnight on Thursday, August 15th, 2024!
We are now only accepting submissions through Duosuma's submission platform (learn more about how to submit on this platform here). Any materials submitted via email will not be reviewed or considered for publication, so please contact us if you have any questions or need help with Duosuma. Check out the instructional video below by our poetry editor, Amanda Conover, for a step-by-step overview of the process!
🌾 Arts Events in August
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Charlotte, NC - Decomposers Glow: Exhibit at the Museum of York County through November 10th
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Greenville, SC - New Play Festival - August 8th-11th
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Asheville, NC - Against the Grain: American Folk Art and Framing - August 9th
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Raleigh, NC - CaribMask Festival - August 17th
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Charlotte, NC - Charlotte Pride Festival - August 17th-18th
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Asheville, NC - Come to Leicester: Artist Studio Tour - August 17th-18th
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Columbia, SC - South Carolina Black Pride Events - August 18th-25th
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Columbia, SC - Main Street Latin Festival - August 24th
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Charleston, SC - Lowcountry Jazz Festival - August 30th-September 1st
Do you know of a fantastic arts event happening in the Carolinas in August? Tag us on social media and let us know so we can help spread the word!
As always, we appreciate your feedback and are receptive to your thoughts & ideas. Please email us or DM us on social media to share.
Welcome to Our Monthly Musings
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Here's the lowdown: We have creative arts advice for all artistic mediums, local Carolina arts events, and creative inspiration from our talented team. See you next month!
WRITTEN BY
Jenna Duxbury
EDITED BY
Madison Foster