Holiday Hullabaloo

It’s beginning to look a lot like – Oh, sh*t!

Source: The Opiate

When we began BattleBorn Poetry in 2023, we had big dreams (like, really BIG dreams!). But as we approach the end of 2024, we’re finding ourselves humbled by the challenges of reality. What we initially envisioned for the future of this community stands at odds with what we have come to understand it takes to make those visions come true. 

Frankly, we were trying to run marathons before we’d even learned to walk. 

Now to be clear — we’re not giving up on those initial dreams (not all of them anyways). We’re just…slowing our roll a little. Taking a step back, pausing for a minute, reevaluating. You may have noticed that we skipped last month's blog post, and it was because there were heavy discussions being had about where to take our Battalion moving forward. 

So here are some of the small things you may notice as we pump the brakes on our journey together.

Changes in Social Media 

With the ever changing landscape that is social media, navigating between so many different platforms is an anxiety inducing experience for everyone involved. But for those of us who suffer from social anxiety, various forms of neurodiversity, and a side dose of executive dysfunction — it is especially challenging. 

Due to popular demand (and a personal vendetta against the muskrat), we have decided to add BlueSky to our rolodex of socials. In order to maintain the balance of time spent online and in the meat sphere (that’s a real phrase, you can look it up), we will no longer be active on Facebook and Threads. For the moment, Twitter X is still our main base of operations, but this may change if the majority of our community prefers another platform. 

Voices of Valo(U)r Collection

In our previous blog, we disclosed our plans to release a physical publication this year. We still would love to honour our “Voices of Valo(U)r” by having their outstanding poetry featured in a real anthology they can hold in their hands. Unfortunately, we have run into a few obstacles that have forced us to put a pin in this for the moment. 

What we thought would be a simple and uncomplicated process has turned out to be anything but. There’s a variety of reasons for this, and we’re not going to bore you with the details. Mainly what we realised is, we need a lot more time for this project – partly to get all the things done, but also to figure out what more we can do to provide a better experience for our readers (and ourselves). 

Basically, what this means is that there won’t be a Voices of Valo(U)r publication this year…but there will definitely still be one in the future. 

Source: Quote Fancy

Holiday Hiatus

Keeping in line with our need to better organize the path forward, we will be taking a brief hiatus from hosting the weekly #BornBattleReady prompts until after the holidays. This hiatus will start December 11th, 2024 and we will return by announcing the latest Voice of Valo(U)r and their chosen prompt word on January 11th, 2025. We hope this break will leave us all feeling refreshed and refined for the battles ahead.

One More Thing

This year has been rough on just about everybody. We know, from personal experience, that the end of the year can leave you feeling raw and vulnerable in every way possible  – whether you celebrate the holidays or not. During these challenging times, we want you to remember always, that you are not alone. 

You may think you are nothing more to us than usernames on a screen – faces that we wouldn’t recognise even if we passed you on the street – but you are loved, you are important, and you are missed when you are not around (yes, we really do notice when you don’t join in a battle, or show up in our feed!). 

We can’t fix all that is wrong in your world, or the world in general. But we can, and do, always stand beside you – holding space while walking with you through the dark, reading your every word as you pour your hearts into powerful poetry.

The first battle of next year will be waiting for you, as will all of the fine and fierce warriors of our Battalion – ourselves included!   

Until next year, stay regal AF and see you in 2025 🖤👑🤍