The Fourth Annual Burning of Badjuju!
Don't get the wrong impression. This isn't an act of violence, it's a celebration of overcoming adversity by virtually setting all your doubts, worries and bad karma aflame.
Here's a quick version of the backstory:
Each fall in Santa Fe, New Mexico there's a part of the annual Fiesta called the Burning of Zozobra. Created by artist Will Shuster in 1924, this flaming of the "Old Man Gloom" effigy represents letting go of all your cares, disappointments, and griefs that have accumulated in the past year so you can be free to start anew with a brand new sense of expectation and motivation.
For weeks prior to the event, residents converge on the offices of the Santa Fe Reporter to leave artifacts of their troubles (and for the first time this year, they've even enabled "worries" to be submitted online). The monstrous puppet is then stuffed with these notes, documents, photos, legal papers, and other representations of aggravation and set ablaze before a crowd of thousands.
In 2010, we created our own version of Zozobra for writers, dubbing it "Badjuju."
The event was so popular that Badjuju made an encore appearance in both 2011 and 2012. And hey, here he is back again for a fourth celebration in 2013!
Last year we had some very colorful flames from the variety of bad stuff that was cast into the blaze. There were several "I Suck" Fairies, a generous dose of self-doubt, several major distractions and a few lack of progress "hamster wheels." Some of our contributors from past years have gone on to final in the Golden Heart, complete troublesome manuscripts, and become multi-published authors, so there must be something to this little exorcism of doubt, don't you think?
We invite you to join in the fun and help us stuff our "Old Man Trouble for Writers." Let us know in the comments what you'll stuff into Badjuju before he's set ablaze on Thursday night...and then start the next phase of your writing journey with a renewed sense of hope and expectation.:::Whoosh::: Burn, troubles, burn!
OK, I've got a whole stack of Badjuju stuffing to contribute.
ReplyDeleteThose dratted time goblins who gobble up my writing time. *catches five or six of the slippery little devils and stuffs them inside* The dark cloud of doubt that sometimes hovers over my head. *bags cloud and tosses it in* And a couple of extended power failures. *overhand throw* A random flu bug or two *swats bugs* And last but not least, having to skip RWA Nationals this year. *kicks bundle inside*
*wipes hands* Yup, I think that about covers it for this year.
Here's to burning:
ReplyDeletehealth problems (crossing fingers that the new meds work this time, without major side effects)
family finance issues (still and always, it seems)
bad vibes over a breakup with a publisher (they were very nice, but it still hurts)
self-doubt (a perennial issue)
Thanks for letting me burn stuff. I'm a sucker for a good fire. This game really helps those bad vibes, too - http://tomorrowcorporation.com/littleinferno (I'm a certified pyromaniac. Just ask my kids...)
That looks like an...uh...interesting game, Jaleta. With a definite dystopia future twist. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for adding your fuel to the fire. Looks like we have the makings of a great blaze already.
SELF DOUBT. Every damn year. At least I get to burn it all and start over! Take that, you pesky little pixy!
ReplyDeleteAh, and Self Doubt always makes for such pretty flames! Thanks for tossing in your cares, Sharon.
ReplyDeleteI almost missed it!!! Whew! Wow, I've got a bunch of stuff to throw in:
ReplyDeletefear, self doubt, loss, a some bad reviews (wry grin)
*wiping my hands* thank you, thank you!
Well, I have a truckload of the self-doubt to add, at least half a dozen I suck fairies, the black hole of promotion that eats my writing time, oh, and the extra self-doubt from all that sexism in SF controversy which I would just LOVE to see going up in flames permanently.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool--I mean, hot--tradition. Okay, I'm tossing in procrastination, doubts, and fears.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I forgot: Lack of Focus. (aka, procrastination, ADD, etc.) Poof!
ReplyDeleteDid someone say health problems? Yeah, mine AND my family's! Little demons snuck up on us! Emotional distraction! Negativity! Burn, baby, burn!!
ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone for helping us stuff Badjuju full of worries and woes.
ReplyDeleteGot any last minute troubles to toss in? We're almost ready to light this candle!
Oh, yes - urgent hospital trips for my little monsters - I so want to be done with any more of those. >.<
ReplyDeleteAh, good one, Pippa!
ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone who participated in torching Ol' Writer's Gloom. Watching all your troubles go up in flames is very therapeutic, isn't it?
Now that we've shed all the bad vibes, here's to a very fun and productive year ahead. Hope we have many success stories to report when we celebrate again next year.
Argent's song: Dance in the Smoke comes to mind. Or the literal translation of INRI. Fire Renews All Things? Love's another sort of fire that should consume only the bad.
ReplyDeleteTHANKS for sharing the Burning Badjuju festival!
Love your thoughts, Oren. Thanks for attending our celebration of renewal.
ReplyDelete