Local Coverage for STILL STACE
It’s been lovely seeing a few articles and having a few interviews with the local news about the release of STILL STACE! (In mere days OH MY HEAAARRRRRTTT.) Have a read, if ya fancy 🙂 Also – order YOUR copy of STILL STACE!
October 14, 2021 – Super nice article in The Chilliwack Progress!
October 10, 2021 – Thanks for the great article, Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News! (And thanks for plugging all three Still Stace launches!)
October 9, 2021 – The lovely Don Lehn interviewed me for the Fraser Valley News about Still Stace releasing very soon! (10 min audio interview below)
Unboxing STILL STACE.
WHOAAAAAAAAA.
I’ve been waiting a LONG time for this day. To open the author copies of MY FREAKING OWN BOOK. That I wrote and drew and how is this real.
It’s a box of literal dreams that I unpacked and my heart is a-BLAZING. Tams and I waited til the kids were in bed, and then did a cheesy photo shoot because I’m gonna SAVOUR every MOMENT of this magical journey I find myself on.
I brought out the original scribbly and beat up hard copy I made two years ago, (originally titled “Dear Younger (Gay) Me”) held together with clips. Also my kids coloured all over it (bonus). This Version 2.0 is WAY. BETTER. Kudos to Beaming Books for putting out such a beautiful and quality book. They have been such an amazing team to work with, especially my editor Naomi.
I may or may not (MAY) carry around a copy of my own book everywhere I go like it’s my third child CUZ IT KINDA IS. Get ready world, it’s comin’ at ya in less than two weeks. Send me your copy if ya get one!
My queer preaching.
Sometimes I can’t believe the things I get to do. Today was one of those days.
I’ve been working with my friends at The Bridge Church in Abbotsford, BC for a few months as they moved toward becoming an officially affirming church. They invited me to be the guest speaker for this service, and it was a truly moving time. They have posted the video online, which is posted below. I also linked my text from my (queer) “sermon” below that.
Sheesh, I never thought I’d be an artist that sometimes does queer preaching BUT I AM HERE FOR IT!
Oct 3, 2021 – Because of Love from The Bridge, Abbotsford on Vimeo.
At the end of the service, I shared a Blessing that I had written for this community on this special day. Thanks to the team at The Bridge for putting it into beautiful graphics!
Read my full manuscript here: “Because of love, a service of welcome and affirmation.”
Love for “Still Stace”.
Six weeks from this Tuesday, Still Stace will be out into the world.
It feels like a dream slowly coming true. (It IS!) I’ve been working quietly in my office for what feels like a LONG time, and now it’s slowly getting into people’s hands. WHOA. I’m trying to savour each exciting thing that happens – like these amazing endorsements, and even a Kirkus review! Excuse me while I dance out my excitement in my office by myself. 😀 I am SO grateful.
Paintings for “Rhyme Time Town”
I almost never get to post my animation design work, because it is typically tied up in NDA’s.
I’m so happy I can share a few of the MANY backgrounds I painted for the DreamWorks production “Rhyme Time Town” (airing on Netflix)! I have worked in animation for over ten years, and this was probably my favourite property to paint on. Every background was like a new children’s book illustration! Catch all the beautiful episodes on Netflix! Especially if you have toddlers. I love my job 🙂
(BG Design by Rod Filbrandt, BG Paint by me)
MsFits Podcast
I had a really great time, thanks to my friends at The MsFits podcast, for this awesome conversation! I really value the space to talk about this journey with others who are alongside me. If you want to hear about faith and being gay, and how that fits together, have a listen! Also available on other platforms wherever you listen to your podcasts!
From the podcast summary: Did you tune into this week’s new episode with @chomiaks? We were so lucky to have her on the show with us, to have her share her own journey of fully accepting herself, and how that has shaped her own faith journey and even the art she produces for work!@chomiaks will be releasing her book “Still Stace” this October, so stay on the lookout! We hope you enjoy this touching episode. New episodes every Wednesday 5 AM PDT/8 AM PDT.
Rainbow flags at church.
Something big happened recently.
And the fact that it fell on my birthday, was just one of those moments I felt God smile on my life – so I smiled back.
July 25 was our first in-person church service at Open Door Church since Covid, and that was (CUE TEARS) emotional enough.
It was also a faith milestone for me.
Our pastor Bradley asked me to be the one to hang the rainbow flag on our building, as part of our becoming an official affirming church. (
)
I wasn’t prepared for the feelings that flooded my body as I (unsteadily) climbed the ladder(s) to hang this flag. All my years of feeling rejected from church and knowing that I would never truly be welcome.
Wow. What this means to me. To my faith. To my family. To my LGBTQ Christian community.
What this means especially to those who gave up hope desperately wanting to see this beacon in their night.
I want to sit with this.
I want to let it slowly sink to the bottom of my soul like a heavy rock laden with gratefulness.
I want the dust that it kicks up to be my continual reminder that good change is alive and well.
Never give up, my friends. You are SO loved.
Still Stace BOOK LAUNCH!
Hollllly hanna montanaaaaaaa am I ever excited to post about this!
Friday, Oct 22nd!
Fort Langley, BC!
IN PERSON!
(Following all current safety guidelines, of course – see bottom of this post.)
OneTWU has organized this launch, and independent bookstore Wendel’s in Fort Langley is the book sponsor. Purchase a ticket here, and then either bring your pre-ordered copy of STILL STACE for me to sign OR buy a copy at the launch, and I will sign it up for ya. I will be sharpening my Sharpies–wait…. I’ll be ready! We are planning some fun giveaways too!
Please share this far and wide, buy a ticket, and please come! (Here is the Facebook public event as well.) I would love, love, LOVE to see your face. In real life. Seriously, WHAT a concept.
Info from the event page:
As a non-profit keen on supporting LGBTQIA2S+ students at Trinity Western, and building bridges across political stances on hot-button issue, Stacey is an important voice in the conversation. Still to this day, “Gay Christian” is an oxymoron, but Stacey’s life-story speaks to how for her and many others those terms are inseparable.
EVENT LOW-DOWN:
6:45pm Doors Open
7:00pm Stacey will share followed by a short artist talk back.
Light refreshments will be available.
Signed books will be available for sale at the event. In order to help us order the correct number of books, please indicate your interest in purchasing a book at the event by clicking the add-on that says: “Pledge to Purchase “Still Stace” @ Event”.
**PLEASE NOTE: All Provincial Health Officer orders will be strictly adhered to. In the event where lower capacity is required, tickets will be honoured on a first-come-first-serve basis. In the event that is not safe to gather, the event will move to zoom. Ticket holders will be sent a zoom link. Red, Yellow, and Green stickers will be provided to all attendees to show their social distancing comfort levels. Guests who violate any event rules or refuse to respect individual comfort levels with social distancing will be asked to leave immediately.
(Stay tuned for another launch in my (now local) Chilliwack! Details to come….)
An LGBTQ podcast & interview.
Just catching up on some places I have been speaking lately! Keep an eye on my Speaking page to see all the latest chats. These last couple were so much fun! Stay tuned for more 🙂
Sunday, June 27, 2021 – (Langley, BC) – I had a great conversation with Rev. Ryan Tristin Chapman at United Church of Langley (in person, what a treat!) and it aired for their service on YouTube on June 27th at 10:30 AM PST. Video is available below. (Our conversation is about 23 mins, starting at 22:59)
Sunday, June 30, 2021 – Nancy Shadlock, host of The Coming Out Chronicles, invited me on her great podcast! Go subscribe where all great podcasts are available, and have a listen!
“Stacey Chomiak takes us through her story of growing up closeted in the Evangelical church. Living in a not-so-supportive environment and the struggles of not having someone to talk to, Stacey talks about how exactly that changed and why. Today Stacey is creating books that help others not feel alone in that storyline. Her soon-to-be-released young adult visual novel is going to offer hope and inspiration to many that currently feel alone and like outcasts in their families and churches.”
My books! Pride recommended reading!
Wowzers! A huge thank you to Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) for putting both “Rainbow Boy” (Picture Books category) & “Still Stace: My Gay Christian Coming-of-Age Story” (Young Adult category) on their recommended reading list for Pride month 2021! (Four months today until Still Stace comes out!!)
