Marni’s Second Book: Co-Creativity

This is not another book on Women's Leadership or Feminine Power, nor a book addressed to women exclusively.  Rather, at the nexus of these conversations and that on men and masculinity, Co-Creativity advances all three to create the next conversation between men and women. Speaking to men and women not as separate gendered groups, but together as individual leaders of our internal, relational, and professional lives, co-creativity is the integration of the masculine and feminine within every human being.  This is the essence of holistic growth and leadership.

Co-Creativity: A Map to Holistic Leadership and Relationship brings together the aspects of the feminine and masculine--interpersonally, organizationally, and culturally--that is a defining call of our time.  It shows their interdependent polarity and offers a “third way” beyond popular focuses on women’s leadership and feminine power and pitting them against their masculine counterparts.  This "third way" brings the whole being into leadership, both internally and in collaborations. This co-creative approach transcends the either/or of feminine versus masculine, or male versus female. It is the vision, nourishing practice, and call to lead with greater skills in co-creative power.

I wrote my first book, published by Palgrave Macmillan in October 2011, over the course of ten years. The university support, from salary to small grants that allowed me to field my work at conferences with professional readers and editors, was essential to completing and landing it with a global cross-markets publisher. My family and call to live and work more holistically compelled my leaving my SUNY professorship; you can read about that here, here and here; and about my multi-faceted leadership development work, on my website and here. This book is both pillar of this work, and plank to bridge it to the next phase of bringing it to the world.

Issuing this giant work on Co-Creativity requires devoted focus, for which I have had to step away from all business development related to my consulting and coaching practices. Writing a book is like childbirth: from developmental emergence to the labor pains to squeeze it through, the writing, editing, and presentation require support. It has become painfully clear that I need a midwife—a professional developmental editor--and a doula—a research assistant—to actually get this baby through the birth canal. I also need the background technical assistance to share “ultrasound” glimpses of her along the way, through my blog, website, and social media, so to introduce this creative work and practice with you and the world.

In short, I don’t have ten years this time. I don’t even have ten months.  I need financial backing.

Fiscal details:
Developmental Editor: $3,900
Research Assistant:  $1,000
Tech support (website updates, blog & social media): $1,500
Legal fees (Trademark protection): $1,300
Total Project Goal: $7,700

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If my work and vision inspires you, or if you simply wish to support a hungry artist and mother in all senses of the word, thank you for any support you can give.

Finally, whether you’re called to directly contribute to my campaign or not, I would be most grateful for your forwarding this to your friends or family who may be similarly inspired.

With love and blessing,

Marni

This is the place
and I am here, the mermaid whose dark hair
streams black, the merman in his armored body
We circle silently
about the wreck
we dive into the hold.
I am she: I am he
We are, I am, you are

                   ~from “Diving into the Wreck,” by Adrienne Rich