Hello from The Bright Side
Writing, publishing, community, and creativity
Welcome to The Bright Side! I’m Laura Stanfill, a debut novelist and the publisher of Forest Avenue Press.
In 2020, I lost my best grade-school friend to COVID and another friend to cancer. My deep grief led me to reconnect with my sense of play—making art, going barefoot, reading in the hammock. This newsletter will offer useful publishing information, as I embark on my first-time author life while shepherding my Forest Avenue authors through the process. But I also hope to fill it with small joys, bright colors, and tales of everyday magic.
What does it mean to live a creative life? What could that look like? As the pandemic eases, and we begin picking up some of our old habits and activities, I’m going to keep circling these questions. I don’t want to go back to the way I was before, overcompensating for my neurodivergence, saying yes all the time, seeking perfection. So here is an opportunity. To hold on to this abundant, interior life, even as the shell of isolation cracks open and we have more opportunities to gather safely in person. That’s the bright side I see right now. The reason for this newsletter.
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