Firefly Creative Writing

In October, I went to California to attend a creativity retreat. I learned many great ways to open up the creative channel (I am starting to crave those practices I've let float away in the whirlwind of life and coagulate in the bitter cold of winter). I also met many inspiring women. Among them, Chris Kay Fraser felt simultaneously like a forever-known kindred spirit and a long wished-for guide. We bonded over an affinity for fireflies and artful necklaces. I was mesmerized by her voice and turn of phrase when she read a passage from a writing exercise. Not long after our retreat, Chris offered us all a free pass into one of her online courses. The ritual of settling onto my couch with a cup of tea and a journal while her voice guided me through the weekly writing exercises made for an exquisite Saturday morning pattern.

Today, Chris is celebrating the 7th anniversary of Firefly Creative Writing by re-launching her website and revamping her business. She added four writing coaches and a rock-star assistant (who once lived in Minneapolis) and created a bowl-full of new online classes (including The Blog Shop which I'm hoping to take in July) and ways to learn and interact with the Firefly team. In celebration of this grand event, I interviewed Chris so you could get to know her a bit before checking out her offerings, if you're inclined to "discover and deepen your writing voice."

How do you define "writer"?

I’m so glad you asked that, Heather! To me, a writer is someone who has the urge to write and acts on that urge. It’s that simple.

I see people really distancing themselves from that word and it makes me sad. “Well I’m not a real writer…” “Well I’d never call myself a writer…” “I’m not a writer-writer.” It’s like we all came to this collective decision that you need a certain level of publications and commercial success to claim that title. But writing isn’t about commercial success, it’s about wanting to do it and doing it, no matter how messy and private it may be. Y’know?

Last year I made up temporary tattoos that say “writer” in big bold letters, sent them to all my web-class students and challenged them to wear them and send us a picture. It was incredibly touching to see them all. One women put hers on her belly because that’s where her vulnerability resides. One put it on her forehead and wore it loud and proud. A lot of people shyly hid them under their cuffs or behind their collars. Wherever they were, it was just amazingly inspiring to see all these beautiful people claiming the word and stepping into the world that way.

What inspires you?

Oh my goodness, many things! Right away I want to turn that around and ask what inspired you, Heather! That probably says something about me — I get really, really pumped about being part of other people’s creative lives. For a long time I thought that I was probably in denial, and that what I really wanted was to have a deep creative life of my own, but I realize now that I do. It’s just very populated with other people. I think that creative midwifery is its own kind of creativity.

I love to write. I write on napkins and in margins and I write with my students while I’m teaching. These days I write emails and web text galore. I don’t feel like I need to be working on a novel or a book of poems to be a writer. I’m a writer because I have the urge to write and I act on that urge. I don’t force it, I just love it. I think that’s essential to the (or, well, my) process.

 How do you move past obstacles (to your writing goals)?

Well, now that I have said that I don’t force writing, this is a tricky question. I’m a huge believer in stepping back from projects, and in having lots of creative projects going on so that “stepping back” doesn’t mean “stepping out”. Once in my early 20’s I wrote half a short story and then decided that I couldn’t finish until I was in my 40’s. I was serious! I’m 34 now so it’s waiting for me. I’m pretty sure I’ll come back to it, but if I don’t, that’s okay too.

All that softness and allowance aside, I do also love the thrill of a hard deadline. Right now I’m renovating my website and I have told everyone that it will be done by March 1st. It’s a massive undertaking, but now that “the world knows”, you better believe I’m going to deliver! I have just enough pride to make deadlines really work for me.

I have also done the 3-day novel contest twice. It’s a crazy Canadian thing — a bit like the American NANORIMO, where you write a novel over the month of November, but this is seriously a weekend. It’s insane. You can hardly type that fast. But the thrill of it is incredible, and both experiences were hugely rewarding. I self-published my little novel (a novella, really) and made 12 copies for my friends and family one Christmas. It felt good to create something that big.

How do you reward yourself?

I mostly think that creativity IS its own reward, but I’ve been having fun lately “consuming beauty.” The two new coaches I’m training came up with this idea. We were each setting creative homework goals for the month I was talking about how I “really should” do more creative work that’s just for me in the midst of this website launch, and one of them looked at me carefully, tilted her head, and said “You don’t look very happy when you’re talking about that.” It was true! I was bringing my Viking energy to the task of doing personal, creative work and that rarely works.

She asked me, “When was the last time you felt really creatively alive and fulfilled?” I said it was a couple months before when I stole (borrowed) my neighbor’s dog and took him to the woods. I said, “It was amazing, I wasn’t trying to produce something or create something, I was just there consuming beauty.”

And there it was — my homework. Every week I’ve had to find some new, creative way of just consuming beauty, without any thought of producing it. One week I went to the aquarium (without my phone!). One week I went to a folk show on my own. One week I took Doyle-the-dog back up to the forest. It’s been amazing.

What is your favorite word?

Loquacious is a pretty great one, isn’t it? I heard someone say that this week and I couldn’t stop repeating it in my head. I also heard someone call themselves a “ninny” which I thought was pretty fun.

Honestly, there are a lot of words that feel good in my mouth and look good on the page, but it’s really about getting the right one — that’s where the joy is for me. Back to those writing coaches — a while ago we were talking about those old pencils with erasers on the tips. We realized that we all used to chew on those (maybe indicating that there’s an ingredient in them that breeds writing coaches? Or maybe everyone just did that?) and I said, “They were always kinda… mealy.” It felt so good to get that word. Do you remember those erasers? Did you chew them also?

Thank you so much for these questions, Heather! It’s been really fun! I hope you are consuming lots of beauty south of the border, finding the right words and knowing that you are a WRITER. I’m sending you big hugs…

[back to the editor now] Thank you, Chris, for letting me be a part of your celebration. I waited to wrap up this post until I could poke around the new site. It is exquisite! The videos make me feel like I'm right there drinking tea with you (though I've got coffee beside my keyboard). I am so happy for you and inspired to jump into many of your offerings. My new job may have inadvertently turned me into a technical writer so I'm grateful for "Nerdy Firefly" as well as the chances to focus on more creative wordsmithing.

Besides the new website, you can find Chris and Firefly Creative Writing on Facebook and Instagram.