November is a time to Breathe!
Hey friends and Make Good community, Rebecca S’manga here, a writer and sometimes facilitator of writing in this and other spaces. And grateful member of this collective.
I was preparing a class last month for Kripalu retreat center’s online writing series I had titled: “The Written Breath.” I didn’t fully know what it meant exactly, but the title came first and I have a habit of trusting inspiration. I also love a poetic mystery.
While exploring ways the breath and the senses are tools for grounding and expanding one’s storytelling, I found a quote by Dr. Maya Angelou. (Or it found me).
Dr. Angelou’s wisdom has shown up for me (and for so many of us), many times, in different ways. But once her spirit (or a version of it, interpreted through me), got me through a tight space.
I was doing a play in Ashland, Oregon and on my day off found myself at a local college for a "conversation" where self proclaimed white supremacist nazis were present and spewing their views. As a holder of multiple identities they abhor, and as a person who loves humanity, equality, and liberation, I was shook.
But the wisdom of Dr. Angelou grounded me so fast. Before I could think, this spirit I admire so much was suddenly anchoring my feet to the ground, making them as heavy as two cement blocks. And there were roots sprouting underneath my now 5 ton feet, anchoring me deep in the ground. My new earth roots made my spine straighter, while the rest of my body relaxed, and made my ears widen.
A voice of She/it said: “You don’t have to be afraid. You don’t have to run or go anywhere. You don’t have to say anything.” It seemed to assure me that I was safe, and implored me to listen. So I did. And in that classroom that day, I heard clearly what the illness of white supremacy sounds like: the fear of not existing.
I heard it and observed feelings like pity, and empathy, and gratitude that I was now sitting there with the absence of that very fear. For the moment anyway. But it had a lasting impression and it’s been an embodied revelation I can return to.
Needless to say, whenever Dr. Angelou and many other Black women writers and revolutionaries “show up,” I listen. I believe we are all descendants of their brilliance and perfectly imperfect human, creative legacies. As their wisdom and experiences reflect and shine light on our own, we more easily carve a path for those after us and those who walk alongside us.
And yet, I had never seen this quote by Dr. Angelou on writing, and specifically on craft.
The morning before my writing class I read:
I try to live what I consider a “poetic existence.”
That means I take responsibility for the air I breathe and the space I take up. I try to be immediate, to be totally present for all my work.
[…]
My responsibility as a writer is to be as good as I can be at my craft. So I study my craft… Learning the craft, understanding what language can do, gaining control of the language, enables one to make people weep, make them laugh, even make them go to war.
You can do this by learning how to HARNESS THE POWER OF THE WORD. So studying my craft is one of my responsibilities. The other is to be as good a human being as I possibly can be so that once I have achieved control of the language, I don’t force my weaknesses on a public who might then pick them up and abuse themselves.”
- Maya Angelou
She was speaking to my puzzle. Shining light on how breathing is a part of writing, and writing is part of living. On how language and words are essential to life; powerful doorways to our feelings and actions. On living a “poetic” existence, not a fearful one, focused solely on survival. On being responsible for my presence on this earth and the road we all walk as writers (or would-be writers). That we are constantly telling or retelling Story (whether we are conscious of it or not), whether it's a novel, a poem, a play, in a classroom, at work, on stage, in a high stakes moment, in conversation with someone you’re in relationship with, or in conversation with yourself in your own head…
Harnessing the power of words, is not only being a good “writer,” it’s being a Good Person.
We “Make” Good, by breathing goodness, by BEing, writing, and speaking goodness. It’s all interconnected and intertwined, and I know I need community to practice my craft.
May we feel the Good company we are in, with our ancestors, each other and ourselves, in this very moment, and into the next.
Breathe well.
I invite you into an exercise:
Take 3 deep breaths.
Finish the sentence: The seasons are changing… (or the season has changed…)
You can interpret this literally or metaphorically, abstractly or hyper realistically.
Write for about 3 minutes each :
from your "hearing"
then your “smell”
then your sense of “taste “
then your “touch”
and lastly from your “sight.”
Explore breathing deeply 3 times before switching the focus of your writing into another sense.
*Bonus: After exploring the 5 senses through “the seasons are changing…” Write from your 6th sense or "intuition," integrating all of the senses, including what you can discern beyond what you can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. Don’t forget to breathe into your body, enjoy, and “see” what's revealed.
As always, let the writing take you where it takes you. You can also apply this exercise to something you’re currently working on to infuse it with more presence and life.
MAKE GOOD NEWS:
I’ve been teaching a short class offering here at Make Good! It’s our first time exploring a community offering online which is extended to all people as a broader invitation to expand our tent and connect. It’s called “Writing into our Dissent.” Last week was a phenomenal exploration into writing creatively and musically through rage, anger, disappointment, and related emotions. Inspired by the work of June Jordan, Part 2 is THIS MONDAY at 6:30 - 8:30 pm est. It’s on zoom, donation based. We hope you’ll join us. SIGN UP
Do you like Broadway shows and amazing theater about women and freedom? Then our PlayMates initiative is for you! We will attend a sponsored free or reduced group rate performance and create art inspired by the show.
Our upcoming show is “Liberation” on Broadway– an incredible play by Bess Wohl, directed by Whitney White. The tentative date is this Friday, November 21st at 7pm - tickets for our group are free through the generosity of the Kaleidoscope Dreams Foundation and The Harriet Tubman Effect’s Lantern Program.
Would you like to join us? Please fill out this form and join us for a zoom meeting on Sunday, December 7th from 4pm-6pm to discuss the play and share work. Of particular relevance to Make Good is the conversation around Black women and our role in the feminist movement. Tickets are limited and this form closes on Tuesday, November 18th, 2025 at 5pm.
Information about Liberation:
1970s, Ohio. Lizzie gathers a group of women to talk about changing their lives, and the world. What follows is a necessary, messy, and bitingly funny exploration of what it means to be free, and to be a woman. In LIBERATION, Lizzie’s daughter steps into her mother’s memory—into the unfinished revolution she once helped ignite—and searches the past to find the answer for herself.
Please be advised that this production contains adult language and nudity. The show also uses herbal cigarettes and haze effects. LIBERATION has mature themes and nudity. Parental/guardian guidance is recommended to consider what is suitable.
Do the Write Thing
at The Dream Center in Harlem
For folks who identify as Black women in the New York area, please join us for the last in person gathering of 2025. Our free writing circle on the first Saturdays of the month is from 10:30am-1230pm, at The Dream Center in Harlem. We write, share, and build community. Come Saturday Dec 6th for the last “Do the Write Thing” of this year!
Pre-register here: SIGN UP
December 2nd is a BIG DAY!
Hold onto your hats…We are launching our Substack!
A veritable wonderland of content from this collective and our friends and followers. Featuring current writing, pieces from our summer retreat on Martha’s Vineyard, the “Bake Off” community writing event, and more! https://substack.com/@themakegoodproject
December 2nd is also: Giving Tuesday!
Please consider supporting our endeavors as we continue to grow. We use every penny of your donations to fund our programs and make them low-cost to free for the communities we serve. invest in Black women writers as we write into our Liberation: we honor stories from the past and dreams of the future.
Upcoming for 2026:
THE MAKE GOOD RETREAT
Martha’s Vineyard — Vineyard Arts Project
Theme: Legacy
Next summer, The Make Good Retreat returns to Martha’s Vineyard, gathering sixteen Black women artists for a week of rest, creation, and reflection. The theme will be: Legacy. Exploring what we preserve, what we pass on, and how our stories endure.
Participants will write, dream, and collaborate through workshops, shared meals, and deep creative rest—continuing our commitment to collective storytelling and care.
Looking for ways to support? Sponsor our retreat!
Presenting Sponsor — $35,000
Sole underwriter; name and logo on all retreat materials; a private storytelling workshop for a group of your choosing (your company; friends); recognition in all post-retreat communications.
Community Circle Sponsor — $10,000
Support for meals, transportation, and shared creative materials; logo placement and recognition in event program.
Legacy Builder Sponsor — $5,000
Support for participant scholarships; name listed on materials and website.
For more information email: hello@themakegoodproject.com
Join us weekdays from 5-6am at Write Club for some cameras-off/brains-on silent accountability while early morning art-making. Register here
Follow us on IG: @makegoodproject
To make a general inquiry about how you can partner with us email us: hello@themakegoodproject.com
Let’s Make Good together in 2025!
the MAKE GOOD PROJECT, INC
a 501(c)(3) organization
The Make Good Project, NY, NY, USA
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