There is a queer, trans, disabled witch sitting in front of a baking show, laptop nestled cozily on their outstretched legs. Outside the window, flakes of snow drift almost imperceptibly across the gray sky. The Solstice decorations have been taken down, the tall tree replaced with its squat cousin, devoid of ornaments. The space is refreshed.
The witch is too. These past few weeks have been a big time of change for them. It’s been hard, and at times they’ve been so scared they can barely move. But slowly, the witch is settling into the change. They are recognizing how good it is. They know that they are safe, and they have control over their momentum now.
Hence, Season 0. The start of something new, the period of figuring things out as the future barrels on, uncaring of our preparedness. And this is episode 0– the prologue before the launch, the breath before the leap.
This specific project has been sitting in the back of my head for years. I’ve come very close to launching it on at least 2 different occasions, but always I thought about it too much, got overwhelmed, and returned it to that overcrowded back burner. I’m done holding myself back. Recently, I’ve created more space in my life. I want to fill that space with creation and joy. I want to share my art, the thing I itch for whenever I’m not doing it.
So it’s time to do it. I’m doing it.
Is this a blog? Is it a journal? Is it a creative project? To that, I ask— why is it important to you? If I enjoy writing it, and you enjoy reading it, that’s all I want. Leave the categorizing to academics hunkered in their offices at 2am, trying (and often failing) to catch up on emails.
I don’t know how often I will publish these episodes. Nor do I have a roadmap for them. I’m going to write what my heart wants, then share it with you, as long as it feels good to do so.
As the witch has been writing, the sky has grown slightly darker. The sun will go down soon. But it will rise again tomorrow. For now, rest. Then another push. Then rest. The cycle goes ever on, for the witch and for you, until the unpredictable moment when it halts for eternity.
Until next time, friends.
Ashton Rose 