In this issue: Not an Essay
CREATIVE CORNER
- Substack Made Easy - what’s next
WELLNESS
- Abracadabra!
- The Creative Community Work-Together is back!
- Coaching practice reopens soon!
- New, improved Coaching web page!
ACTIVISM
- Real-Life Activism
NEW YORK CITY
- Life in the City of Dreams
QUOTE
Marcus Aurelius
Photo above of the Wonder Wheel at Coney Island by Susan Willens for AP
July 30, 2026
Instead of opening with an essay this month, I invite you to explore the Newsletter’s sections below, where I’ve included a little more commentary than usual. (And don’t forget to click on the links to find all the treasures!) I’ll start off sharing about some new offerings: a workshop called Abracadabra!, a weekly work-together (starts Monday!), and the re-opening of my private coaching practice. Next up are some incredible women employing their brilliant writing in the service of activism on Substack and elsewhere, sometimes at great risk to themselves. Here’s to courageous women! And finally I’ll tell you—or remind you— about the wonderful things New York offers in the summer, as well as the upcoming Fall Season.
It’s only 96 days until the midterm elections, three months until perhaps the most important election we’ve ever faced as a nation. Whether our country descends fully into fascism and whether we lose our democracy depends on this one election. It’s our last chance. And we know that those who are intent on destroying and taking over our country will use every illegal and unethical means possible to overturn our votes. They’ve already begun. The only way to beat them is to vote in huge, huge numbers. Please, vote.
Check to be sure you’re still registered here: Check Your Voter Registration Status - Vote.org. Don’t assume that if you were previously registered, you still are. And call or write your Congressional representatives to voice your opposition to the SAVE Act, which will disenfranchise SO many voters. For example, I changed my name 40 years ago, and my citizenship and right to vote would be questioned if the Act passes. Most people cannot obtain certified birth certificates and name-change judgments or documents without great cost and time (photocopies cannot be used), and many cannot obtain them at all because the documents were from a time before digitization or for other reasons. This means that many citizens of this country will be prevented from voting if the SAVE Act passes, including me. Even if you are still registered, go to the polls with any documentation that might be helpful if your status is challenged. And if you are not allowed to vote, ask for a provisional ballot and a receipt (that is your legal right).
Hmm. I said I wasn’t going to write an essay. So … on to the Creative Corner!
Substack was still rather new when I started writing the Tips at SUBSTACK MADE EASY, and it’s made quite a few improvements over the last couple of years. Starting next month, I’ll review and edit each Tip to reflect changes in Substack since I first wrote them.
Substack Made Easy: Introduction
Note: These Tips won’t be available forever, so do take a look now as I revise them.
Also? If you’re a Substacker, please don’t concern yourself with subscribes and unsubscribes. Seriously, don’t do that to yourself. Substack is doing some weird stuff to some accounts, even really huge accounts (in case you thought it was just you), and in the real world, it means nothing. In the words of a former teacher, “let the dogs bark”! In other words, it’s all just meaningless noise. Keep doing your thing, and the rest of us will appreciate it! I read so many wonderful writers, photographers, poets, musicians, journalists, and miscellaneous creatives on Substack. Let’s encourage each other and ignore the nonsense!
Join me in ABRACADABRA!, a workshop like no other. Break free of limitations and create full out! You’ll have plenty of support along the way. If you still haven’t made the dream that’s closest to your heart a reality, or if your goals seem to take forever to achieve or seem just out of reach … this 12-week workshop will help you begin to unlock the key to get what you want. Based on a strategy that’s both practical and seemingly magical, Abracadabra! will enrich your life.
Investment: $240 · Starts: September 7 · Registration closes: September 4
Time investment: an hour or two a week; it’s up to you
Schedule: works with any schedule and almost anywhere in the world
Geared towards: creatives, including professionals in the performing and other creative arts, as well as hobbyists. It’s also ideal for helpers—therapists, coaches, and teachers—who want a place to do their own work.
Note: If you’ve done the workshop previously, you can repeat it for a very special price. And if you want to do this workshop, but the cost is a financial hardship, drop me a line.
Over the 12 weeks of the workshop you get:
🪄 personal coaching from me and access to me for questions and support;
🪄 12 guided email lessons with action prompts;
🪄 12 weekly check-ins by you to catch me up on what transpired for you;
🪄 6 live group video calls for camaraderie and shared momentum;
🪄 a community of fellow magicians(!) sharing the journey with you;
🪄 your own copy of the book Abracadabra! A Manual for Making Dreams Come True; and
🪄 a deeply discounted rate for retaking the course in the future.
This has been a glorious ride and I’ve enjoyed every bit of it. During the workshop my big intention was realized when I was accepted by an exciting New York City arts alliance to be part of a group art show. I will very happily share the workshop as I truly believe real magic happens here.
~ Jiro Tcholakian, painter and photographer
Don’t wait! Let the magic begin… Register now→
THEY’RE BACK! Join us at our one-hour weekly WORK-TOGETHERS every Monday at 2:00 pm US Eastern (11:00 am CA/BC, 7:00 pm London). Working alone but within an intentional group space is surprisingly supportive and highly productive!
You can purchase a monthly ticket which is good for all work-togethers in that calendar month. So if you get your ticket now, you can join us starting next Monday, August 3. If you purchase it after that date, you can join us starting the first Monday in September (the 7th). Note: There are 5 Mondays in August!
* Purchase your monthly ticket here: Creative Community Work-Together – 1 Month.
Creatives in any genre or medium are invited. If you’d like to work on your writing, music, acting sides, painting, clown makeup, video production, photo editing, or any other form of creative expression, this is the place to be! Get your ticket now→
NEWS! My private coaching practice will open again on September 7! I’m letting you know in advance so you can be thinking about whether you’d like some skillful and compassionate support in moving forward with your creative and wellness pursuits in the fall season. I’m offering a special price in both September and October (only) for an introductory month of coaching at $125 instead of $150 (or 3 months at $300). I’ve upgraded my coaching packages to include a half-hour video chat twice a month and a weekly check-in, along with unlimited email interactions. We all need a little support now and then, yes?
Click here to participate: COACHING PACKAGES.
Although I recommend working together for three months as the ideal starting point if you want to make real progress–something I’ve learned through working with people over the years–the one-month option will let you get some real traction and see if you like working with me. You can try either option by going to the COACHING page on my website and registering. I do have to limit the number of private clients, so don’t wait too long to sign up!
NEW! Speaking of the COACHING page, I’ve updated it! A lot! “I stand for transformation: A stepping into the shoes of who we’re meant to be, transcending the programming pushed down on us, accepting our true destiny, embracing and expressing the vibrant human form of lifeforce we really are. My coaching promotes self-actualization, manifesting of goals, and creative freedom.” ... keep reading ....
Check out the revamped page here: HOLISTIC COACHING.
In future Newsletters I plan to spotlight one or two Substack female journalists or politicians who are giving their all to save our democracy. Because I just noticed that this Newsletter is getting pretty long, today I’ll just post this Substack essay by a woman I like to read. Salwa Mbarouk says that her publication, Quietly Becoming, contains “[p]ersonal essays and cultural commentary — on society, identity, money, sex, mental health, and everything in between.” In her own quiet way, she says a lot, sharing about her daily life in a lovely, simple voice that many of us can relate to.
Subscribe: Quietly Becoming - Salwa - Substack
Follow: https://substack.com/@salwanotes
You don’t own me - by Salwa at Quietly Becoming
New York City—home to rip currents, red-alert smoke pollution, sharks, fires, building collapses, flash floods, Legionnaires’ disease, the Tall Ships Parade, the Knicks, a Madison Square Garden wedding, the World Cup, and tornados. And that’s just the past month! I love New York! Seriously: I love New York.
Because we also have a Mayor that’s transforming the city into a compassionate, decent place to live. Violent crime is way down. And summer is incredible here. Explore the Best Summer Music Festivals 2026 in NYC, Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City, NYC Mayor’s Office-Summer in NYC, and NY1’s Guide to City Beaches, Pools and Summer Events.
The fall seasons begin in a little over a month (September being the opening of Fall Season for all of the arts), and this is the time to plan and buy your tickets. New York Fashion Week is coming up, an incredible season on Broadway is soon to begin (see also Broadway.com and Broadway.org), an interesting season at The Metropolitan Opera opens soon, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is offering an exciting new season of exhibits, Alvin Ailey‘s season never disappoints, The Joyce Theater is always unique, ABT (American Ballet Theater) is quite busy, and MoMA always has something interesting cooking. I’m mentioning these now because if you wait six weeks till the season begins, you might not get the tickets you want, if you can get them at all.
But even if you can’t, New York City is home to hundreds of small art galleries, well-known local opera companies, prominent local dance companies, vibrant theater companies, cabaret shows, open mics for up-and-comers, and so much more. Just because you haven’t heard the name doesn’t mean it isn’t fabulous or unique. Guaranteed there’s more to enjoy in your own neighborhood, perhaps places and things you might not have been aware of. Do some exploring while the weather’s nice!
Whether you live here or you’re visiting, please don’t fail to make one of our gorgeous and activity-filled parks part of your life or your visit (helpful hint: they all have restrooms!). If you go to one of our beautiful beaches, though, stick to those which have a lifeguard present, as rip currents and sharks are quite a problem this year. (Voice of experience here: Rip Currents, Speedos and Mosquitoes.) Learn more here: 17 Best Beaches Near NYC to Visit Now For Fun In The Sun.
New York City has some amazing parks! Enormous, sprawling Central Park is my favorite place on earth (I’m fortunate to live a block away!), and each segment is different in terrain and function (see also Your Official Guide to Central Park). Bryant Park in Midtown offers something for everyone, from built-in chess tables, to tall trees, a reading room, skating, evening movies on the giant lawn, juggling, yoga, Broadway performances, and more. Check out these other parks: Find A NYC Park, Riverside Park Conservancy, and Summer on the Hudson. There are small community parks throughout the city, so you can always find a place of respite. Enjoy a New York Summer!
Grieve, fight, dance, repeat!
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