stacey chomiak
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.
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!!)
Speaking in two places at once!
Thanks to pre-recording my messages, I was able to speak at two churches today! (Thanks technology!)
The first was at Harcourt Memorial United Church in Guelph, Ontario, for their Affirming Sunday Service! With everything going on, it felt most appropriate to share about the challenge of balancing both grief & joy. My message is about 12 mins long, starting at 14:37 on the below video. Feel free to enjoy their entire beautiful service, though!
They also asked me to write a blessing for them, as part of being the guest speaker. I thought I would share the text of that here too. (It’s at the end of my message.)
May you feel warmly supported
When you relax into grief
May you wrap your arms around yourself
In loving kindness
Knowing you have been doing your best
And you have been trying so very hard
May you envision our Mother or Father God,
Wrapping their all encompassing arms around you
In your pain, in your sorrow, and in your joy
May you have the courage to feel the pain
To really feel it
But in doing so, also be filled from a deep well of hope
In life’s endless possibilities, in the triumph of love
In the beauty of the small moments
In each deep healing breath
And may you feel God’s love gently pursuing you
Shining warmly upon youLike the fresh morning sun
May you place your hand on your heart, and feel the soft, strong beats
And know you are not alone
And you are loved.
The second was sharing my message at my home church Open Door Church here in Maple Ridge, BC. I was so excited and honoured that they invited me to share on the first Sunday in Pride month! I originally recorded this message in Nov 2020 for a conference where I got un-invited, and it was wonderful to finally share it with my own beloved community. We gathered on our Facebook page to be together live, and here is the archived service in its’ entirety. (They read Rainbow Boy near the beginning too, which was so fun to watch! Thanks ODC friends!)
Oscar Poster Designs 2021
I just concluded my Oscar poster design series for this year by watching the Best Picture winner last night, “Nomadland”. Oof, that film will stick with me for a while. What an amazing reminder of the beauty and fragility of life. My other favs out of the ones I watched were “Soul” (animation, obv), and “My Octopus Teacher”. Watch them, I mean it! Here’s my eight designs for this year.
See ya next Oscar season!
COVER REVEAL – “Still Stace”
Friends!!
I am SO EXCITED to finally share the updated and official cover for my YA illustrated memoir, “Still Stace”!! I feel like I have been sitting on this for years! (It’s been a few weeks. I no longer understand time post-quarantine.)
Beaming Books is publishing my book on October 19th, 2021. It is available everywhere for pre-order, (click here fellow Canadians!) but please try to order from local bookstores wherever possible! I still honestly can’t process that this will be an actual freaking hard cover book in mere months.
The younger me who I wrote & drew this for is positively overflowing with excitement, and she won’t stop high-fiving me. (AND I AM HERE FOR IT.) When this releases in October, I will probably have the biggest vulnerability hangover of my life. But if it helps one person to feel less alone, it will all be worth it.
Massive thanks to my small but mighty circle of supporters, cheerers, laughers, criers, huggers, walkers, venters, texters, Zoomers…. and of course my incredible wife Tams, who is undoubtedly one of the strongest driving forces behind me being able to (and having the courage to) get this accomplished. What a SURREAL DREAM come TRUE.
Please share this with anyone who may need it! I’m so grateful for everyone who has helped or encouraged me along this road. None of you will be forgotten, I promise. Countdown to October 19th!!
Out In Faith – March 19-21, 2021
Updated March 22, 2021 – What a great time with friends this was! Definitely the closest thing to being all together, and I can’t wait for when we can be together physically again! Here’s a screencap from my keynote, and the art piece I created for the weekend – inspired by my many bike rides in the mountains. 🙂
Out in Faith time lapse art from Stacey Chomiak on Vimeo.
Friends! This is gonna be an awesome event with my friends at OutChristian! Lookit that lineup!! I’m really excited to be a part of it, and I’m gonna do a special piece of art just for this event. I’ll be speaking on Friday, March 19th, but come join us for the full weekend of awesome speakers and amazing connection!! I promise you it will NOT be just another Zoom meeting. 😀
“Shipwreck Over Safety” Podcast
Earlier in January, I taped an episode of the podcast “Shipwreck Over Safety” with Dallas Verity & Blair Roberts. We had a great conversation about art, deconstructing our faith and sexuality. If that interests you, give it a listen! Available below, and also on Spotify & Apple podcasts.
