Hi Friends,
The Victory of Running is a virtual hub that supports all levels of the civically curious to take in-person action. And 2026 is a federal election year, which means that no matter where you live, you will have the chance to vote for a person running for U.S. Congress. Depending on your state, you might also have the chance to vote for someone running for U.S. Senate. Of course, there will be a host of town, city, county, and state elections too. This is all to say it could be a busy and important campaign season, so how can you keep focused on the gravity and importance of the campaign season while also taking care of yourself?
How about by making time to connect with yourself? Connecting with your purpose and mission, with the values and reasons you decided to be civically engaged. Connecting with the passion that inspires you to take care of your family, friends, and neighbors. And most importantly, connect with yourself!
The busyness of the season might mean you aren’t making time for yourself, but as you get pulled in so many directions over the coming months, I would encourage you to schedule time for yourself, your family, and your friends. Yes, we can connect through civic engagement, but it is also important to make time for the other parts of life.
That is why my friend Jessica David from Good Work Working for LLC and Wholly Human, and I are partnering to do a small-group practice of The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron. Described as “a revolutionary program for personal renewal,” The Artist’s Way is a 12-week guided journey to open creativity, flow, and self-discovery.
Over the years many people have recommended this book to both of us and we decided to give it a go this summer and invite you to join us. We are delighted to welcome anyone who is interested in the self-discovery journey and to making new connections. This will be a virtual offering. Jessica and I are based in Rhode Island, and we look forward to having people join from wherever they live.
We’ll start the first week of June and go through the week of August 24 and we invite you to join us! We’re asking everyone to commit to about two hours a week:
- Reading the book along with the group (generally one chapter each week)
- Trying out the practices
- Making as many of the weekly virtual check-ins as possible
- Sharing and learning together!
We’re committed to making it fun, unique, supportive, and (the best kinds of) challenging! If you’re interested, please sign up here by May 15.
About Your Hosts:
Jessica: Jessica David’s mission is to build community in all of the ways: community capacity, wealth, resilience, and connections. Through Good Worth Working For LLC, she supports stewards of community and agents of transformation. She co-founded Local Return to build community wealth and the Rhode Island Community Investment Cooperative, home to Rhode Island’s first-ever community investment fund. Jessica is wrapping up her Master of Divinity degree at Harvard Divinity School this spring. Wholly Human is where she practices finding wholeness and holiness. Bringing people together to ask questions, hold hard things, and experience moments is her favorite thing. (Well, in addition to her two best pups, Odysseus and Moxie. And Bruce Springsteen.)
Jordan: Jordan Banick has worked on federal, state, and local campaigns, served as a congressional staffer, owned a small business, and worked in health policy, advocacy, and outreach. Her political creativity expanded in co-founding The Womxn Project, an art and activism organization working to advance reproductive freedom in Rhode Island. As a late reader and first-born child and grandchild, she can now see how growing up in conversation in rural Western Washington State shaped her work. She founded The Victory of Running loves listening to stories and experiences, discovering meaningful connections in the most hidden nooks, and is best supporting, encouraging, and empowering people to use their lived experiences and personal stories to advance civic change. When not thinking about creating community and connection, she spends time with her dog, cat, and two daughters.