Join us online for the Prompt of the Week, 6-21-25
Surprise yourself with the gifts of your imagination
Join us for the Writing Prompt of the Week, any Saturday noon ET
Click here for the Zoom link. You’ll discover a welcoming, supportive writing community—and a method that will change your approach to writing forever.
Upcoming workshops and retreats
September 9 – November 18: Write What You Don’t Know 10-week Zoom course with Navé
October 7–12: Memoir retreat in Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, with Allegra
November 3–7: “Write Without Limits” in Asheville, NC, with Allegra and Navé
April 2026: “Write Without Limits” in Taos, NM, with Allegra and Navé
Sign up now! Most of these will sell out.
Visit imaginativestorm.com/writing-workshops-retreats to learn more.
Last week’s Exquisite Storm
Last week we were inspired by a photo taken by Susie Shipman. Each writer on the Saturday Zoom contributed a phrase from what they wrote.
GRACE NEEDED Grace needed because of a fall that never really happened. At the intersection of Chutes and Ladders and wrong way down. What new fuel do I use as these feathers grow from my pores? The soft nature scape. Hard scrabble— torn and exposed. What seemed uninhabitable merely required a bit more effort and planning. They were hot and sweaty by the time they almost reached the top. Like a fall from grace went tumbling head over tail. I am painting with my body. Human gifts and divine gifts. Let's continue to work and create together a wonderful world. The wind whips up and Sam says. Listen. The pines are speaking purple. Interview the flat lines. Purple majesty rejects flat lines. The cliffs of memory into a snarled piece of life. Here in the wild, wild west where laws have no holding if the horses are not fed. It's the wrong way down. Unintended. Unintended consequence. The ladder made up of moths pretending to warn you about the cracks. One good afternoon of wet could be enough to fill my water bottle. In the river, all stones are equal. And nature's way will always give you the strength to live the truth. Bumble bees will never work in factories. Dumb unspeaking. Unknowing. Unconscious. It had been a good life. She was all the joy she had ever felt, This, her legacy.
WRITTEN BY Laura Joy Bedford, Arlene Shapiro, Sandi Dittmer, Andi Young, Kathleen Wilson, Arlene Burns, Corinne Crone, Maria Eugenia Ortega, Jane Goldberg, Kelsey Walters, Jenn Cheng, Julie Grass, Genevia Hendry, Maria Wasson, Eve Stern, Zebith Thalden, Susie Shipman, James Navé, Allegra Huston, Marjie Gell.
This week’s podcast
Navé speaks with singer-songwriter Melissa McKinney.
In this episode, musician, educator, and LEAF Global Arts programming director Melissa McKinney shares the remarkable story of how music has shaped every corner of her life.
From running a music school in West Virginia to starting over in Asheville, and her involvement with LEAF Global Arts. Melissa’s journey is one of courage, reinvention, and the power of community. We discuss her daughter’s band, The Change, and how their 2016 performance at LEAF led to a deep involvement with the organization.
Melissa reflects on the challenges of leaving a conservative environment, rediscovering her voice, and building new roots through music and mentorship. She shares stories of Kinsey, a beloved student whose life and song, “Laugh, Love, Live,” continue to inspire children across Buncombe County—and Melissa’s creative path.
We also explore what it means to “step into your power,” honor your voice and lead through authenticity. Tune in for a moving conversation about creativity, healing, and living a life in tune with your deepest values.
If you’d like to make a contribution . . .
. . . to help keep the Imaginative Storm Prompt of the Week going, you can find our “tip jar” in the footer at imaginativestorm.com. If you already support us, thank you!
The Prompt of the Week will remain free to all who want to join us. Please invite your friends!