Dana (pronounced “DAH-nuh”), noun. Sanskrit, Pali, roughly “gift, alms, donation”; voluntary giving of materials, energy, or wisdom (dharma) to others; generosity; regarded as one of the most important Buddhist virtues.
I grew up during the 1980s recession that brought us Ronald Regan and Black Monday. Between 1980 – 1987, my hometown of Elmira, New York hemorrhaged so many jobs our city’s economic crisis made the New York Times. My grandfather lost his job and pension in 1983. My father lost his job in 1985. After my parents’ divorce, he was functionally homeless for the next three years as he searched for steady work. During that same period, my mother, twin brothers, and I frequently lived on a lentil diet or ate dinners at my grandparents’ house.
As I began to think about careers, everyone gave me the same advice. Be practical. Get a safe and steady job. Work for the government. Amass what you can now because one day everything will fall apart.
Creativity felt like an impractical luxury I could not afford.
And yet, creativity called to my soul.
It wasn’t until I experienced a life-threatening bout of Lyme disease that I truly realized creativity was what sustained me and made me whole. As I embraced my creative life, mentors appeared. I received many generous gifts that led me to this job.
Maybe you too feel like creativity is a gift—one you can’t afford.
And yet, maybe creativity also calls to your soul.
While I don’t talk about it much, Dana has always been a part of my life. It’s a core tenant of my values. In 2020, I am going to put those values into practice within my coaching business. This year, I will award four partial scholarships to be used towards a one-hour coaching session or one of the four- or eight-week classes I’ll be teaching through Revising U.
Scholarships will be awarded based on the following criteria:
- Financial need
- Dedication to the craft of writing and potential for success
- A clear plan for how you will use this service to benefit your writing and others
- A commitment to be a good literary citizen and pay this gift forward
Preference will be given to people with significant financial need and those whose stories have been marginalized.
If you believe you would benefit from one of these scholarships, please send an email to lisa.cooper.ellison@gmail.com. In your email, please answer the following questions:
- What financial barriers do you face when accessing writing classes?
- What classes have you taken and/or what experiences have you participated in that demonstrate your commitment to your writing life? What successes have you had?
- How will you use this scholarship to benefit your writing and others?
- How will you serve as a good literary citizen and pay this gift forward?
Questions? Send me an email. I love hearing from you.
Write On, Friends!
Lisa Cooper Elison