Happy Holidays! 🍂☕🍂

Hey everyone!

My name is Maeve Riley, and I'm the new newsletter writer and newest official member of the Carolina Muse team! I am so excited to join this wonderful team of creatives, and hope I can give y'all some fun content to feast on like we did our Thanksgiving meals. 🦃🍰🍁

Since our last newsletter, there are a few news updates:

Our volume I, issue I submission deadline is TONIGHT: Tuesday, November 30th at midnight (submission guidelines found here)
We're also selling very reasonably-priced ads for this issue😋 Reach out to carolinamuse.arts@gmail.com with all inquiries.
Starting December 1st, we will be selling Holiday Grams! You can buy poems, art pieces, or songs for loved ones or yourself! Donations are optional and will go to a children's literacy program in North Carolina
Don't forget, we have the perfect stocking stuffers: STICKERS!
- Purchase one for $3, and each additional sticker is just $1!
- If you submit any time between now and November 30th, you get one FREE sticker of your choice (please add your preferred sticker & shipping address to your email submission).

It's giving Sad Girl Autumn

(because obviously we all measure time as increments of "All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version)" now).

Taylor Swifts' Red (Taylor's Version) has taken the country by storm, with her "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" ringing in at the longest #1 song in history, topping Don McLean's beloved "American Pie."

Clearly, Ms. Swift knows her audience well, re-releasing her famous break-up album right as seasonal depression & holiday stress comes knocking on our doors. And, of course, Adele, queen of heartbreak anthems, has quickly followed suit with her new album release, 30.

However, as we scream sing Taylor's new vaulted song lyrics, we have to remember that the changing of the seasons and the stresses that come with returning home for the holidays is no joke.

Seasonal Affective Depression (S.A.D.) is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health as a "type of depression characterized by its recurrent seasonal pattern, with symptoms lasting about 4 to 5 months per year," with symptoms starting in the late fall or early winter and go away during the spring and summer. And, of course, as it does every year, Daylight Savings knocked us all on our seats, as the sun sets at 4:30 now🙄

On top of the changing of the seasons, we're faced with the difficult, intricate relationships that come with every family. Though we remain grateful for all we have in this season of giving, it's often challenging to navigate the layered histories of family. For those that have moved out of their parents home, they can feel the stress of feeling like a child again after having gained independence. For many, the holidays can bring on substantial financial stress. And there are many people who are struggling with the loss of loved ones, in which the holidays' focus on family brings their grief to the forefront of their minds.

While we're so excited for the approaching holidays here at Carolina Muse, we want to stress to our readers & creators that prioritizing mental health and taking care of ourselves is of the utmost importance this holiday season ❤️

If you are struggling, or if you want to educate yourself, please utilize these awesome mental health resources:

❣️ SAMHSA National Helpline: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

❣️ American Psychological Association (APA) Psychologist Locator:

https://locator.apa.org/?_ga=1.122738379.1939913089.1455299072

❣️ BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com/

❣️ North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' Adult

Mental Health Services: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/mental-health-developmental-disabilities-and-substance-abuse/adult-mental-health-services

❣️ Calm App: https://www.calm.com/

NC Events 🍂

November 26th & 27th; December 4th, 11th, 12th, 18th, 19th, 5pm-9pm, Christmas with the Kringles → This Ramseur, NC event features Christmas hayrides & light show, visits with Santa & Mrs. Claus, reindeer food creation station, Christmas cookie decorating, letters to Santa & hot cocoa!
November 30th, Elon University Festival of Lights/ Luminaries → This free Elon, NC lighting festival brings good music, good cheer, and good cider & hot cocoa.

SC Events 🍁

December 3rd, 8am-5pm, Art Up Studios First Friday → Held the first Friday evening of each month, this Greenville, SC gallery crawl is a "fun, social chance to unwind and visit the artists who call Hampton Station home."
November 26- January 2, 4pm-9pm, Nights of a Thousand Candles 2021 → In this holiday lights event in Murrell's Inlet, SC, see the Brookgreen Gardens "come to life amid the soft glow of more than 2,800 hand-lit candles and countless sparkling lights. Walk the garden pathways with a warm cup of cider, cocoa, or wine. Hear the sounds of holiday music, carolers singing, and celebrate the season with family and friends!"
Adults: $30, Children: $15