How to Stay on Top of the Sealey Challenge

(As a Reader/Poet with Neurodivergency)

There are a number of months to call for celebration within the writing, literature, and creative adjacent communities. The month of August is reserved for the Sealey Challenge, which was created by poet, Nicole Sealey, to encourage readership of poetry books. For each day of August, participants are to read 1 book of poetry.

This challenge excites me! I love seeing the posts on #bookstagram of folks’ joy, whether it be pictures of their favorite poems, lines, and books found during their time spent on the challenge. While I am motivated, as a poet and a reader, to discover new works and support new and established voices (who are often my friends!), my ADHD makes this challenge difficult.

Here are a few of my tips to stay on top of the Sealey Challenge:

• Give yourself grace!

  • I personally start my challenge early and allow myself a few days into September to complete the challenge

    • this prevents my brain from tricking me that “I’m a failure” for not meeting the challenge because I already added a cushion for any “bad brain days” I might and will have

• in support of giving myself grace, I take breaks when I need to

  • the most important part of this challenge is enjoying the works I’m reading and supporting the poets behind these works

    • how can I support them if I’m burnt out?

    • how can I support them if I already feel negatively while I’m reading?

      • I don’t want to project any ill feelings toward the work because of my fatigue

• use the library!

  • my ADHD makes me impulsive, and I’m easily starry-eyed at the latest poetry publications; which often times, leaves my wallet irresponsibly…empty

  • using the library allows me support my local library, the poets and their work, and my wallet!

    • for example, if the library doesn’t already have the title you’re looking for, you can request it!

      • requesting works through the library still supports the poet, as the library will purchase the book directly from the poet or the poet’s publisher!

    • apps such as Hoopla and Libby lets you check out ebooks from your library

You make your own rules with every challenge you decide to participate in. It’s not about reading 31 books, it’s about having fun!

Thanks for reading! I can’t wait to see all of your posts. Take care!