For the past six years I have been preparing for this
moment. I have been in training. I have been in the trenches. It has been a
real life boot camp in every sense of the word through out all of my day-to-day
experiences.
Finally, I have arrived to a point where I am being called
to take the next step! A step towards completion!
Rejection is the word I am meditating on today!
Fear of rejection is the very thing that has often paralyzed
me. It has kept me from going after the very thing I want. Over the past few
years I have received my share of rejection letters so when you receive the
opposite sometimes it can be hard to believe. When you receive that acceptance
letter your life changes. You come to understand … rephrase… I come to
understand that perhaps those things that I believed I wanted for myself weren’t
for my highest and greatest good. That what is meant for me will be mine. My
destiny!
All that is meant for me… always arrives right on time!
Before leaving for Cuba I decided that this would be the
year that I completed my historical fiction novel: The Daughters of the
Revolution (which I have been working on since October, 2006).
I decided that I would no longer wait to sit with the
characters from my novel and allow them to finish telling me their stories.
So, before my trip I decided that I would try for a writing
residency at the University of California, Berkeley.
My intention was NOT to “want it” badly!
My intention was to “GO FOR IT and GET IT” and work hard
once I received it!
When I didn’t hear back by the date they said they would
notify all applicants I was sure I wasn’t selected.
My trip to Cuba was an amazing experience. I traveled to
Matanzas, Santiago de Cuba, and Habana. I connected with a community of
intellectuals. Even the most humble people were incredibly well versed on all
subjects: human rights, homophobia, education, health care, politics, music,
art and literature. My trip to Cuba was filled with so much beauty ~ truly a
spiritual experience!
Once the trip ended it was back to real life…
And there it was… sitting in my inbox an email regarding my
application.
I have received these kinds of emails before, “Thank you for
your submission, we received countless applications and after careful
consideration we regret that we are unable to offer you a space…try again next
year!”
NOT THIS TIME!
This time it felt different. This time I took a deep breath
and hit open email…
Then I read:
“I am pleased to inform you that you have been
ACCEPTED!!!!!!”
I have been accepted. Not only does this mean that I have been offered a space, but that a panel decided that my story is one that is important! I cannot express how incredibly joy-filled, grateful,
humbled and excited I am all at the same time.
This is my moment~
This the place~
This is where the story the DOTR takes form in a completely
different way… with focused intention, direction and determination.
I am so grateful to the NYC Latina Writers Group for being
the space that I founded and which FOUND me. It was the safe space where I
conceived this novel and this is the year my baby will be born!
This is the story I WAS BORN to write! I have always known this!
We are ALL called to do something spectacular with our
lives.
I was called to write!
I was born to write!
I am here to serve and I have always understood the great
responsibility that comes with that!
I was called to serve through my writing… to serve stories
of women with so much beauty, power and strength.
I was called to give birth to stories that would change
history and the stories we pass down to our children. And I am calling YOU to
help me get there!
In order for me to secure my space at VONA I must pay a $100
deposit by TODAY, May 16th (which I do not have).
In addition to the deposit, I am having a fundraiser to come
up with the total cost of attending the writing workshop. The cost for the VONA
Writing Workshop is $1350.00, as well as my airfare, which is an additional
$500.
I must raise $1,950.00 by June 6th. I am calling
out to the universe and my community to help me get there.
Daughters of the Revolution ~ Donation levels:
$500 ~ Valencia: (2) one-on-one writing sessions – total of
four hours, in addition to all of the below. (Transportation must be provided)
$250 ~ Natalia: (1) one-on-one writing sessions – total of
four hours, in addition to all of the below. (Transportation must be provided)
$100 ~ Elena: Skype call with author~ in addition to all of
the below.
$ 50 ~ Xiomara:
Signed copy of Finding Your Force a Journey to Love ~ in addition to all of the
below.
$ 25 ~
Lucrecia: hand written note from author ~ in addition to all of the
below.
$ 10 ~ Lupe: PDF
Version of Finding Your Force a Journey to Love ~ in addition to below.
$ 1 ~
Ofelia: your name included in the acknowledgements of published novel
Daughters of the Revolution.
Help Alicia get to VONA 2012~
If you’ve read my work or seen me perform you understand how
passionate I am about writing. You understand how important this is to me. You understand
that ALL that I write is a gift given to me that is to be shared with the
world. Please spread the word far and wide and help me get to VONA.
With so much LOVE, PEACE and GRATITUDE!
Alicia
Who are the Daughters of the Revolution? THEY ARE THE WOMEN
YOU NEVER SEE COMING!
