by Vella Karman | Oct 23, 2024 | Belonging, Bonfires & Stars
I had a really good conversation with a friend recently. She brought up something I’d said that hurt her. You know, a year ago my first response probably would’ve been to tell her that I had been worrying about that since it had come out of my mouth. How I’d...
by Vella Karman | Oct 2, 2024 | Author News, Short Stories
I showed up for class ready for a challenge. I wasn’t disappointed: “Write a short story 1,500 words or less in two hours, based on the prompt pumpkin spice.” I decided to try the spy genre for the first time, inspired by a true story told to me by a...
by Vella Karman | Sep 18, 2024 | aWkwaRd, Belonging
The molting phase triggers when you transfer from living in your family’s mindset and lifestyle to opening up and sharing with friends about core aspects of life. From the outside it looks like a clash of mindsets and immature behavior. These are the friends who...
by Vella Karman | Sep 11, 2024 | aWkwaRd, Belonging, Bonfires & Stars
I figured something out. If you don’t feel safe in friendships, one of the best ways to get that safety is stepping into friendships. I know, it sounds counterintuitive that doing the thing that scares you will take the fear away. But it’s true. You start...
by Vella Karman | Aug 14, 2024 | aWkwaRd, Belonging, Bonfires & Stars, Lone Wolves
My worst fear is really common. It plays across the minds of thousands of people night and day…what if I’m unloveable? This question niggles at the vulnerable parts of our hearts. It stops us from stepping into community. It stems from an anxious fear that tells us we...