j. Aarde has gone by her last name since kindergarten which took place in Lacey, WA. She has spent most of her life between Lacey, Ocean Shores, and mainly, Tacoma. She is a mother to one adult son, one golden puppy, two orange kitties, and three baby chicks.

She is a small business owner, a dancer, a rock-hounder, a home-maker, a care-taker, and an idea-maker. She has always enjoyed participating in the arts and the philosophy of life. She is a published writer with a weekly advice column in the Weekly Volcano. She is (and might always be) 5 credits away from obtaining her Bachelor Degree with UWT IAS with a focus on Self & Society.

She is currently working on her memoir which explores the reassignment of values after being shaped by a religiously defined worldview (cult), & childhood of peddling, as well as a children’s book series. You can follow her on Instagram at aarde_writes or by picking up the Weekly Volcano and thumbing to the Wellness section.

Marlene Stewart is a fourth generation Stewart from the Pacific Northwest. Her mother and grandfather told her she owned Mount Rainier and she believed them. She was the last child born of Suzanne and Clayton Stewart. She has four siblings Linett, Vicky, Douglas, and Rose, all of whom are “Good Earth Stewards.” 

Marlene has always felt a pull to earth and flowers and water. A vegetable garden has been included in most of her yards. Nature has a beauty which is unparalleled, never needing a filter. 

Married young, Marlene has three grown children she adores. Her first career path was a sign painter and muralist, which she did with her artist mother. One of her first murals was Ivan the Gorilla's cage at the World Famous B & I Store. 

Her first published book is a culmination of four years of dating after her divorce. Called “Date Lines”. The poems seemed to present themselves spontaneously, almost emerging too fast to write down. Her second book called “The Good Earth Stewards” was a collaboration with her mother. With themes of hope, sharing, compassion and togetherness. Now this latest book called,” No Mask Between Them” is an edgy children's book born out of an unsettling nightmare, with themes which hit extremely close to home being a “Latchkey Kid” from the age of ten.

Meredith is a yoga teacher who advocates for mental health and addiction recovery. Her mission is to break stigma through compassion. She teaches from a foundation of patience, presence, and non-judgment.

She discovered yoga in 2018 during a period of disconnection while working as a civil engineer—a career that never quite fit. Leaving that path was a turning point. Through yoga, Meredith began to reconnect with her body, practice self-acceptance, and experience a deeper sense of belonging.

Meredith believes it’s never too late to change direction. She is passionate about helping others do the same by sharing her story. As a new writer, she’s exploring different styles and finding her voice, with the hope of inspiring others and reminding them they’re not alone—recovery is possible.

Dawn is a 37-year veteran English and History teacher. Since retirement, she has wandered the harbor and beaches in the small town where she grew up. Dawn also hikes the Olympics and Mount Rainier National Park, in awe of the beautiful vistas. And she has time now to enjoy writing. Dawn has been published in Creative Colloquy: Collected Stories; Voices of Tacoma: A Gathering of Poets Anthology; and A Gathering of Poets Analogue Poems. She will be published in the Western Washington Poetry Network Anthology: Surviving Interesting Times, in August. Dawn is a regular reader at Creative Colloquy's open mic. nights 

Janet Hubbard is a recently retired educator who worked with all ages of students. She has been drawn to books and writing since childhood. As a child she had to be dragged away from her favorite pursuits for dinner. Being raised in a military family the travel bug bit her early, and hung on all her life 

  In the mid-eighties she studied Scientific Communication at Clark Community College. The school literary magazine published a piece of her prose about her middle years in Gig Harbor. Writing remained a passion as she journaled through her summer vacation trips during her working years.  Currently she recites poetry for Creative Colloquy in Tacoma.

Janet lives with her husband and Siamese cat in the Hilltop where they plot their escape to the Isle of Pico in the Azore island chain.

Candice is a veteran teacher of nearly 20 years, a mother to two grown children, and grammy to the smartest grandbaby. She is a Pacific Northwest native and enjoys time spent in or near the water or mountains year round (sunny and stormy days alike).  Candice is curious about all things mundane and fantastical. She spends much of her time listening, observing, and wondering about all of it and nothing at all.

Jessica grew up in the south Puget Sound area. After living and traveling elsewhere she always returns, drawn back by the evergreen mountains and sea. She’s had work published in Halfway Down the Stairs and The Weekly Volcano. When she isn’t writing her novel and otherwise living life, she can be found volunteering or saying “hi” to your dog. You can find her on Instagram @writersroomtacoma.

PHILOSPHY

Being successful in life starts with taking a leadership role in your life.

Karen’s perseverance, determination, and a family legacy motivate her to reject being another high school dropout and led her to becoming a college graduate with a doctorate degree.  One of Karen’s favorite sayings is from poet laureate Maya Angelou and says, I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Signature Strengths: 

WOO, positivity, Adaptability, Communication, empathy

BIOGRAPHY

DR. KAREN J. BOLTON is a retired tenured college professor, and is currently an elected School Board Director.

She is the recipient of: 

2018 YWCA Woman of Achievement Award for Education, 

2018 Award of Excellence in Leadership from the Community and Technical College Leadership Development Association, 

2019 Faculty of the Year Award, and the 

2019 Distinguished Alumni Award honor from Chapman University for individuals who are making significant contributions to businesses, organizations and communities.

Karen’s work with education programs began with a twenty-year career in the Navy, where she trained and mentored leaders in supervisory positions at all levels.

Throughout her adult life, she knew the importance of obtaining an education and achieving your educational goals. 

Because of her vast background and experience, she is a highly sought after public speaker and guest lecturer. Her talks have been on: 

Historical perspectives on the path forward for our country, dealing with intolerance and the fear in our society...and even though our country is divided, we can heal, but through non-violence even though we live in a violent society.

Leading with Intent as a Person of Color

A panelist at the Kitsap Human Rights Conference on historical perspectives on healing our country

“Shifting your Mindset, how to get to Enlightened Leadership”: 

The Jefferson Society’s Global Summit XVI, Erie, PA  

"Leading and Succeeding: Lessons to Lift up the Current and Next Generations." 

Guest Lecture: Erie High School, Charter School of Excellence, and Collegiate Academy (alma mater).

Leading a Diverse Workforce Today and Tomorrow: A Panel Discussion featuring High-Ranking Officials from the FAA, Aerospace Corporation, and Education – Panelist

Kay Hayes is most proud of being a wife, mother and nana. After working in healthcare her entire working career, which included over 20 years in management, being at home with family is where she would rather be. 

Kay’s family lost their 27-year-old daughter in 2006 which started her writing to deal with the grief. Her  best writing happens when she is sad, the heart just opens wide. Kay enjoys playing in the garden, reading, taking walks, day trips and time with family and friends. 

Liesl has loved living in the Pacific Northwest for the last 25 years, but was raised in the small mountain town of Paradise California.  She studied Interior Design and Architecture at California State University Chico and received a specialized degree before transferring to Seattle to graduate from Cornish College of the Arts with a Bachelor in Music, with a focus on Brazilian and Latin-based music history.

Though Liesl has never written professionally, she has always been an avid reader, finding the works of Neil Gaiman, Toni Morrison and Zora Neal Hurston early on in life, and later falling in love with Jack Kerouac, Alan Ginsburg and much of the writing that came from the beat generation.  She’s particularly fond of writing that touches on the subtleties of the human condition, and strives to accentuate that in her own writing.

Liesl is a true entrepreneur at heart, and is currently building a collective portfolio of luxury furnished rentals, interior design services, community outreach seminars, and retreats that focus on slow living practices and community building through shared knowledge and biodiversity. 

In her spare time, you can often find Liesl actively participating in her local Yoga and wellness community or enjoying the slow life with her beloved cat “Large Marge.”  Liesl is also an avid mushroom hunter and enjoys studying Mycology and Botany.  You may also catch Liesl on one of her epic road trips across the U.S. and Canada, or digging around in her community garden, which she takes a great amount of pride in.

Tobi is a 21-year old hair stylist with a passion for animation, art, and creative writing. With an AA in arts, Tobi has taken far more experience in analyzing art and finding meanings behind visual media than writing in a professional way- though she was more than happy to join the project when seeing the group mission. They believe there’s always ways to grow and change as a person, even in taking new or unexpected paths.

They enjoy casual adventures, exploring the world through flea markets or a walk in the woods. She has filled multiple journals with personal writings, but as a writer, the only public writings they’ve released have been anonymous. Still finding a writing voice, this women’s writing group will be the first official publication Tobi has participated in. All other works are posted on the freeform writing site called Archive of Our Own, under the author name TV_H3ad, linked below.