Support Writers!

Support Writers!

  • Long Island City, NY
  • Art
43%

Raised

$4,265

of $10,000 | raised by 62 people

Top Donation $500

Private

Created May 2nd, 2022
by Catherine LaSota
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Support Writers!

Help the Resort support more writers!

Hi! I'm Catherine LaSota, and as I turn 44 and enter my 45th year, I'm asking for a gift for the people I care most about supporting: my community of writers at the Resort.

Over the past two years, I have built the Resort from scratch, with the goal of supporting writers, especially writers from marginalized communities, to get their stories out into the world -- I believe that when we grow the number of storytellers among us and broaden the publishing landscape, our conversations are enriched, and we all benefit. The Resort offers resources, space, and mentorship to demystify the writing process and to bring joy to the often difficult and lonely creative pursuit of writing, to make sure that anyone who feels the longing to write is helped along in their practice.

My commitment to the Resort is deep -- it brings together skills I've developed over decades, in group facilitation, social justice, art, management, writing, and more, to create a project that feels in alignment with my life's purpose, and this brings me so much joy!

We've been through a lot. In February 2020, we signed a commercial lease to create a gathering and event space for writers. We all know what happened the next month. Despite the many challenges of Covid, the Resort was able to pivot its business model from a co-working writing space in Queens, NYC to a robust online community supporting writers around the world, in the form of virtual memberships, workshops on Zoom, feedback and accountability programs, and unique mentorship opportunities. Many of our services are open to writers at no cost.

I am so proud of all that we have done so far, and I've loved witnessing the amazing progress of our Resort members as they build their lives as writers, get words on the page, publish their work, win awards and residencies, and cheer each other on. We've been able to support writers with fellowships and dedicated support for LBGTQ+ BIPOC writers, too. Many of our members have started identifying themselves as writers for the first time through the confidence that their Resort experiences have provided to them, and the reverberations in their lives and their own communities is so powerful and positive. It's wonderful!

I believe in the Resort so strongly, that at the end of 2021, I left my full-time job to focus exclusively on building the Resort, to grow our impact and create space for more writers to thrive.

I've happily offered a lot of great free resources and support for Resort writers over the past couple of years – including our Happy Half Hour author talks, our weekly Cabana Chats podcast, regular newsletters with roundups of opportunities for writers, and so much more – but I also need to attend to the business needs of the Resort to grow the community and ensure its sustainability. I want to build a long and healthy life for our community and help as many writers as possible, to offer more workshops, one-on-one support, and even group retreats to nourish our members' writing lives.

This is where I ask for your support: Will you consider supporting the growth of the Resort writing community? I'd be so grateful.

Any and all donations will go a long, long way.

THANK YOU! I'm so excited to dive into middle age and the decades to come, building this beautiful Resort community of writers, with your generous help!

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