Introducing Miranda Caulkins-Pal: Writer, napper
Miranda and I first met in the early days of Found and Flowered - when I had just launched the paper ephemera subscription back in 2018. She ran a local group for women entrepreneurs where we could find community, learn from each other, and help each other grow. Most of us worked alone, so it was actually pretty meaningful to have a weekly opportunity to connect with kindred spirits and “get out into the world”. And so, I came to know Miranda as a leader, a writer, and a coach - in her business and in life.
It’s been many years since, and neither Miranda nor I still live in the city we met, but she’s always been great about keeping in touch in small ways. When I re-launched Found and Flowered last year, she extended herself as a resource to brainstorm growth and opportunity. I was so touched. And truthfully, I needed that - just 1 person to genuinely care about my new project. We scheduled a zoom, talked for an hour, and it was exactly the refresh I needed.
I’m so excited that Miranda is contributing to the March edition, sharing a piece that poetically reflects on the current political climate. And as always, her focus is on how to help, even if you don’t know where to begin. As she reminds us in her Q+A below, sometimes it just takes one. One person to support a new idea, one person to help a neighbor, one person to make a difference.
For more from Miranda, subscribe to her substack here and take a look at a fun Q+A below!
Q+A with Miranda
Go-to color palette?
I’m a sucker for a low-contrast palette. Give me a few pinks and reds in a few various shades, and I’m yours.
Favorite flower?
Hollyhocks. My grandmother used to grow them on her farm, and my cousins and I would make dolls out of them every summer.
Last book you loved?
Writing Archetypal Character Arcs: The Hero's Journey and Beyond by K. M. Weiland - Maybe not the sexiest answer, but I think this book should be read by everyone, even if you’re not a writer!
A song or type of music on your creativity playlist?
I’ve been listening to a lot of Jacob Banks lately. Ballads or anything that had that slow moving push forward sound to it helps me feel capable.
Creative materials or tools you can’t live without?
I’m a keyboard junkie apparently - piano and laptop.
Favorite type of journal to work in? (and how many journals do you have going right now?)
Oh god, I’ve started a few digital journals and I think I’m now up to like 10 places where I could journal if I wanted….. It’s gotten out of hand.
Easy way you get started?
I’m still learning how to ‘just get started,’ but a nap helps. As soon as I lay down to sleep, I’m full of ideas.
Favorite place to create?
Hotel lobby!
Themes or ideas inspiring you right now?
I’m currently working on a sci-fi novel with a female protagonist written in a more literary, narrative style. So I guess I’m a sci-fi writer inspired by books about emotions and relationships and regular people getting by. And always by the inner complexity of the female experience.
Personal mantra or quote that helps you get started?
It just takes one. This can be a devastating idea as well as encouraging. It’s how I met my husband (It just takes one.), and it’s how I approach my ideas when I feel discouraged or overwhelmed (It just takes one.)... It also means it can just take one megalomaniac at the helm of a powerful nation to wreak havoc on the world. But, yeah, it works both ways.
Creator's Collection
Creator’s Collection Cards are playful creative boosts, each granting a unique “special power” for creative journaling. Draw one whenever you need inspiration, a fresh perspective, or just for fun!
Interested in contributing to the Found and Flowered newspaper? Please reach out to foundandflowered@gmail.com
留言