 A big hello to friends, near and far! This newsletter is a bit of a departure—if you recently signed up, know that this is not my norm 🙂Yesterday I was (giddily!) accepted for a month-long residency in writing at Vermont Studio Center for this September/October. I’ve wanted to go for two decades, and I’m so grateful for this opportunity! And I’ve been using waaaay too many exclamation marks for the last 24 hours! VSC is the largest, international artist residency in the US, and in addition to writing time with full room and board, residents get to connect with fellow artists and visiting faculty across genres. It’s a poet’s dream! Not only that, I’ve always hoped to visit New England in the autumn to see the leaves, so this is like a “two-fer” dream come true! 
That’s the good news. The mixed news is that though I received a grant that covers a small part of the fee to attend, I need to pay the $3000+ balance in exactly two weeks: on August 16. I paid my deposit on faith. I thought; if the dream arrives at your doorstep, you figure out a way to carry it inside! And that’s where I need some help. Usually, I’d have time to apply for a professional development grant (I put myself through undergraduate and graduate studies on grants, scholarships, and fellowships—I’m always willing to do the work!), but since I was awarded a residency near the start of VSC’s academic year, I don’t have the time to go that route. So I’m getting creative and inviting you to help me do something I would normally work out by myself. In fact: maybe part of my lesson in this is learning to ask! And so…here are five different ways you can help: 1) Order from my online gallery Scroll through my art gallery and find a huge range of reproductions from abstract to illustrative, from traditional prints to coffee mugs and pillows. Many of the originals are also available (click on an image to see if it’s for sale). If you’d like one of the originals, email me for a shipping estimate: [email protected] 2) Buy my books I’ve got fiction, poetry, and “children’s books for grownups” on offer! And it’s a bonus if you buy them directly via the links on my webpage. Find books here. 3) Order (lots & lots of!) Take Heart greeting cards I named my greeting card line Take Heart because I love and live the art of encouragement. The image at the opening of this newsletter is from one of the cards, and you can see all 10 designs here: Take Heart Cards. The cards feature a micropoem and watercolor image, are printed in Oregon, hand-embossed with my ae logo, and blank inside for you to spread encouragement in the world. They are great for giving or keeping, mailing or framing. My ordering system is a bit more old-school for these, but here’s the breakdown: ~Any 4 cards for $10 (+ $3 s/h in the US)
~A set of all 10 cards for $25 (+ $5 s/h in the US)
~Two sets of all 10 cards for $47 (+ $7 s/h in the US)
~Three sets of all 10 cards for $65 (+ $10 s/h in the US) For more sets, email me for a shipping quote! To order, you can pay through the secure server at my website, here.
*Be sure to type “cards” in the description field and indicate your desired quantity.
Or you can reply directly to this email with any orders: [email protected] 4) Swing by my art show If you’re in Southern Oregon, join me tomorrow, Friday, from 4-6 pm for my First Friday Art Walk reception at Tail of the Sun (567 Fair Oaks Avenue, Ashland, OR). In addition to the art on sale, I’ll be doing live watercolor painting—come get a favorite word or name on your own bookmark! 5) Donate (aka: create an impromptu community grant for Anna 😉 You can donate directly here (same link as for Take Heart Cards).
*Be sure to indicate “donation” in the description field. Or send a check to: Anna Elkins
PO Box 509
Jacksonville, OR 97530 What world will we create with our words? I’m hoping for a good one. And I’m hoping to do some of that creation at Vermont Studio Center. I’m immensely grateful for any and all support! In delight & love, Anna PS: Fun fact: I used frequent flyer miles and got an airline ticket from Oregon to Vermont for $11.20! I figured that’s a good sign that all things are possible…. | 
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