From the beginning, Dissonance has been about convening community and sharing experiences, in the hopes of smashing stigmas and bringing to light the all-too-common struggles and challenges many of us face in trying to live healthy, happy, and productive lives. As Dissonance has grown and evolved we've concentrated on building a network, crafting our mission and vision, and launching as a non-profit entity. We are so thrilled with the community that has developed around us and the connections we've made during this time. And now, we are ready to get back to our first love: hosting creative people in conversation with each other.
Everywhere we look, starting the day after Halloween(!), we are inundated with images of happy families, celebratory friendship groups, and romantic couples frolicking in winter wonderlands of merriment and joy. We are invited to countless parties in our work and home lives, and exposed to thousands of images of various types of overindulgence. It can be suffocating and oppressive for those who are lonely, who are dealing with loss or illness, who don't drink or have eating disorders, or who can't navigate a stress-free family situation.
Good news! You're not alone. Please join us for our next event, "Unhappy Holidays", on December 15th at Open Book in Minneapolis, as we look at the challenges presented by the holiday season. We'll get real about how hard this time of year can be, we'll hear from some very creative people about how they cope with the stressors, and we'll be treated to their creative output in the form of song and storytelling.
We'll gather together in a stress-free, supportive environment with people who aren't related, but who can relate.
Our guests include Nora McInerny Purmort, Katy Vernon, and Davina Sowers (of the Vagabonds). Nora is the author of "It's Okay to Laugh (Crying Is Cool Too)" and host of "Terrible, Thanks for Asking". Katy is a Minneapolis-based British singer-songwriter and Dissonance blogger who calls herself a "singer of sad songs on a happy instrument" (the ukelele!). Davina heads up the internationally acclaimed and high energy jazz-blues group Davina and the Vagabonds. The conversation will be facilitated by longtime friend-of-Dissonance and interviewer, David Campbell along with Dissonance board member and psychotherapist, Sarah Souder Johnson.
It's important to us at Dissonance that anyone who wants to attend our events can do so, so we don't charge an admission fee; however, we are a non-profit organization that believes in paying the artists we work with. If you can chip in to attend the event, or make a contribution to Dissonance so we can continue to host events like this, please select that option on the reservation page and pay any amount you can. Every contribution makes a difference and goes directly to overhead costs.
Here is the direct link to the event and ticket page: http://tinyurl.com/UnhappyHolidays
We hope you can join us, and we want to thank our hosts Open Book Minneapolis and Milkweed Books for making this event possible. What better space for an event like this than a bookstore? You can browse their shelves and find inspiration or do some holiday shopping while you're there. NO PRESSURE THOUGH.
I'm so proud to be part of this great community, and I hope you join me and this fantastic group of people in this new format of Dissonance events, and we look forward to many more events in the near future. Stay tuned.
Ali Lozoff is a board member and the marketing chair for Dissonance. Now the Director of the 50th Anniversary at Minnesota Public Radio, Ali has twenty years of experience in the fields of branding and identity, strategic planning, vision and mission work, event and project management, idea development, writing, social networking, partnerships and sponsorships with strong ties to the local arts and culture community. She also enjoys long walks by the lake.