How to take the pressure off feeling inspired

Thank you for being here!

Header illustration by Ludi Leiva.

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Welcome to another month of Notes from Eva. A quick note: thank you thank you thank you! To everyone who keeps supporting this newsletter, whether through shares, replies or paid subscriptions. I appreciate it so so much.

Do you have a question about the creative life that you want answered? Hit REPLY and let me know—for a new audio project I’m working on.

Wishing you a great month, and lots of creative juice for your goals/interests/curiosities.

Keep scrolling for 20+ opportunities for creatives, and this month’s letter.

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🌷 May Deadlines 🌷

💭 Due 5/10: LA County Open Call: Art Consultants Prequalified List (RFSQ)

🎨 Due 5/15: Crafting the Future (CTF) Artist Grants (for BIPOC artists)

🎨 Due 5/15: CTF Los Angeles Artist Residency (for BIPOC Artists)

✍🏼 Due 5/17: Associates of the Boston Public Library Writer-in-Residence

✍🏼 Due 5/19: Anne LaBastille Memorial Writers Residency

✍🏼 Due 5/19: CRAFT 2024 Short Fiction Prize

📸 Due 5/21: The JGS Fellowship for Photography (New York state photographers)

🎨 Due 5/26: Open Call: Art in Odd Places 2024

✍🏼 Due 5/30: C New Critics Award for Emerging Art Critics (Canada-based/Canadian)

🎨 Due 5/31: Eliza Moore Fellowship for Artistic Excellence (for artists developing new works that address plants, gardens, or landscape)

🎨 Due 5/31: Joshua Tree National Park Artist in Residence Program

🎶 Due 5/31: Glendale Arts & Culture FY 2024-2025 Performing Arts Grants (Arizona)

💭 Due 5/31: Oak Spring Garden Foundation Interdisciplinary Residency

✍🏼 Due 5/31: The Center for Fiction / Susan Kamil Emerging Writer Fellowships

😎 June Deadlines 😎

🎨 Due 6/1: Nopoint Atelier Traveling Residency 2024

🎨 Due 6/7: The Disruptors Fellowship (TV writing, for writers of color)

🎨 Due 6/10: Headlands Center for the Arts Artist in Residence

🎨 Due 6/15: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Emerging Artist Award

🎥 Due 6/18: The Ryan Hudak LGBTQ+ Dramatic Writing Award (for queer NY state-based playwright/screenwriter)

🎨 Due 6/30: Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists

✍🏼 Due 6/30: YesYes Books 2024 Pamet River Prize

🏖 July Deadlines 🏖

🎨 Due 7/4: Franklin Furnace Fund – 2024–25 XENO Prize for Artists’ Books

🎨 Due 7/6: The Max Thelen Studio Residency (California artists)

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Last month, I had the huge privilege of traveling to Guatemala, which I hadn’t done since I was aboooooout 15 years old. It felt like visiting for the first time ever, in some ways. My eyes felt so much more open to everything. I asked more questions. I looked more closely. I took lots of photos.

A stunning display of textiles in Sololá.

In some ways, I felt the pressure to write something before I even arrived. I knew that this was going to a be an important trip. I knew that writing is the way I process things. And I naturally love to share those things, especially all the sights I see. I’ve always found joy in writing about even the smallest of sights, and Guatemala offered me so much: tortillerias, hand-painted signs, stunning cloud formations, colorful murals, bold textiles

I recently texted a friend (hi Jessica!) about thinking through the ways in which my writing bleeds into so many parts of my life.

As I’m sure happens to you I’m def like “do I write about this or let it be its own experience?” Does everything need to be written about with the intent that it’ll be read?

As usual, I sought out the wisdom of friends—my chat with Jessica felt affirming. I did take a journal with me to Guatemala but I didn’t write every day. I was soaking it all in, instead.

via GIPHY

I couldn’t help but think about the film “Kiki’s Delivery Service” and how the protagonist, a young witch, struggles to fly on her broom like she used to. One of the themes of the movie touches on artistic inspiration and creating.

Although the movie focuses on learning not to force things—because inspiration often doesn’t come from squeezing too hard—I remembered this thread in the movie because I think it also applies here. Sometimes we feel we have to know exactly how we are going to use creative input (i.e. a major travel event) to create something. Sometimes I try to plan out ahead of time how I might turn an important moment into a piece of writing. It’s because that’s what I love doing. But it also creates pressure that’s not there to begin with.