I remove my new corkboard from its packaging, inhaling the fresh scent of the wood frame that encircles its spongy core. I hang it on the wall over my desk and run my fingertips over its ragged surface. I gently cover its tan backdrop with acceptance letters, rejections and editor’s notes. It produces a colorful display of black ink on white, pink, and pale yellow paper, a picturesque chronicle of my work thus far. Some notes are handwritten, some are typed, and some are carbon copies of a standard memo. They are all infinitely polite, thanking me for my work and they all have something to teach me. They are my inspiration and my motivation; when I sit down to begin a new project, my corkboard is a reminder of how far I’ve come, and of the journey that lies ahead.
Corkboards
Published by J.G. Chayko
J.G. Chayko is a writer, actress and international arthritis advocate living on the beautiful west coast of British Columbia. She has published poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. She is the author of the blogs The Old Lady in My Bones, based on her experience living with Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Corkboards and Coffeehouses, essays on her writing life. Her work has been featured in Canadian Stories, Arthritis Digest UK, Health Central, and Pain Free Living Magazine. She is a contributing writer to the book “Real Life Diaries: Living with Rheumatic Disease”. She is currently studying with the Writers Studio Program and working on a novel. View all posts by J.G. Chayko
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