Rhi Axtell – Writer

Image: me, looking majestic, standing on a hill overlooking the sea in Brittany

“What have you been up to recently, Richard?”

The question was asked yesterday in a Zoom meeting*. It’s a dangerous question to ask me at the moment because I have been up to so much, the answer could spiral off into a multi-hour explanation of my life choices at the moment.

*Zoom meeting sounds far too official. It was more of a Zoom chat. Zoom catch-up. Zoomy times.

My response was interesting too. I said, “Oh I’ve been non-stop, trying to keep myself distracted and busy, you know?”

Everyone in the Zoom chat/meeting nodded.

This of course raises the question of what I have been trying to keep myself distracted from? But that’s a different blog post altogether. Today, I just wanted to list what I have been up to, as an explanation as to why this blog has been getting a bit dusty recently.

Also to brag. I do love to brag.

So here we go! Ahem.

Death Stuff

You thought I had stopped being all about death? Nope!

I have been undertaking an intensive Community Death Educator course run by the Sacred Circle Death Doula school.

This twice-a-week-for-twelve-weeks course has me loading up Zoom to discuss topics like cleaning dead bodies, celebrating the recently dead, how to be a light-touch facilitator, different types of burial options…

It has been (and still is) a challenging, intense, emotional journey – and I’m loving it. It is endlessly interesting.

Also, I’m running my first Death Cafe next week!* What will happen? What will we talk about? I’m excited to find out.

*Well, I’m borrowing a Death Cafe from my friend Lisa while she is on holiday, but it still counts!

Writing Stuff

Two weekends ago, I was at the writing retreat based in Tŷ Newydd in North Wales doing a Poetry and Performance course run by the utterly mind-blowingly-fantastic Joelle Taylor.

Am I a performance poet now?

Uhhh… Maybe?

The weekend was such an intense experience* – really asking us to reach down into our dark places and pull out our authentic, poetic voices. Not the easiest thing to do in two days, but some of my fellow writers absolutely managed to. There was a lot of tears, a lot of wine, and far too much sunshine.

*am I using the word ‘intense’ too much?

Another flash fiction of mine which will be published at the end of August too in Flash Fiction Magazine. Very excited to share that one when I can!

Other stuff

The reason I was having a Zoomy chat yesterday was because I will be running a workshop titled Speaking out about gender – exploration through writing with Barbara Bloomfield and Dr Jeannie Wright at this year’s Creative Bridges conference.

It’s been really interesting seeing people react when I tell people that I will be running a session on Gender. The reactions range from horror to surprise that I would put myself in such a difficult situation. But I think adults can have a conversation about Gender without tearing each other apart, right?

(Watch this space, I guess!)

I’m currently rehearsing for a new play – the Concept Players are putting on Sense and Sensibility in Penarth, Wales in September. Two nights a week are taken up with me talking all fancy as the villainous John Willoughby. Can’t wait to see what costume I will be wearing. It will no doubt be epic.

Also, I have recently completed my Level 2 Counselling training and will be starting my Level 3 in September! I am wildly excited and can’t wait to see where this journey will take me next.

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So yeah, it’s been a busy couple of months. A lot is happening and I’m really excited to be part of it.

I’m also completely shattered a lot of the time, which is why this blog hasn’t been getting as much love as it should. Hopefully I can find a bit more space soon to keep exploring slowness in this busy busy world.

See you next time.