Turning Your Cancer Story Into Comedy

Many AYAs love a well-placed cancer joke, and it’s not uncommon for us to share a dark sense of humor. This one-hour workshop, in collaboration with Stupid Cancer, will help you turn your young adult cancer story into comedy. Whether you want to climb on stage or beef up your meme game, we’ll talk about the best approach to get laughs out of a difficult subject matter and how to shape your own humor narrative.

Where: Online video webinar. When you register, the system will send you the zoom link to attend.

Who: Young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.

When: Tuesday, July 14.  1-2 pm PT / 3-4 pm CT / 4-5 pm ET.

You can register for the webinar here!

30 Minute Tune Up: A Journal Drop In

writing on desk

We have a brand new program forming!  Join us each week for a 30 Minute Tune Up: A Journal Drop In program!

Jean Rowe, LCSW, OSW-C, Certified Journal Therapist returns to Lacuna Loft for a new program.  This journal drop-in is designed to help you tune in and reset during a chaotic time.

In the chaos of our everyday lives, with COVID anxiety and racial tensions at an all-time high across the country, we want to extend the opportunity to spend 30 minutes each week in a drop-in journaling workshop. Come, journal with a group of young adults facing cancer (young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers all welcome), and get tuned up for another week.  You are welcome to drop in once or come as often as you like.  These journaling techniques will be short, concrete, and time-contained.  Sign up below!

Where: Online video chat. We’ll send you more information about joining after you register. Please have a microphone headset and a webcam.

Who: Young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.

When: Thursdays, July 16 – Oct 1.  9:30-10 am PT / 11:30 am-noon CT / 12:30-1 pm ET.  Please be on time 🙂

101 Tasks in 1,001 Days Workshop

woman with journal

Back for a 2nd time!  Are you a young adult cancer survivor or a young adult cancer caregiver? Do you like making lists? Do you like having goals to reach for?  This is the perfect workshop for you!

Lacuna Loft’s online 101 Tasks in 1,001 Days List Workshop is the 13th in our #LetsMakeStuff @LacunaLoft series of online Creative Art Workshops!

This workshop is designed to help you create a list of 101 tasks to complete over a period of 1,001 days.  Amanda will give you examples on how she structured her own list and there will be time for people to share some of their goals and get their creative juices flowing!  Join us for a night of goal setting and inspiration!  Enjoy a social setting and a fabulous motivational activity while hanging out with your young adult cancer peers!

Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined.  Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on your part).  Exciting!  Why 1,001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple challenges such as New Year’s resolutions or a ‘Bucket List’.  The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic.  1,001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips, study semesters, or outdoor activities.  Here’s more info on the 101 in 1,001 List project!

Who:  20 young adult cancer survivors and caregivers.

When: Monday, July 20th @ 6-8 pm PT / 8-10 pm CT / 9-11 pm ET via video chat.

How does it work?  We’ll send you all of the materials you need to participate!  Lacuna Loft will send you an email about a week before the workshop with information on how to join the video chat.  ***You’ll need the link that we’ll provide you, a headset with a microphone, and a webcam.***

Free Online Movie Screening of “Ginger” June 19 to 26

ginger movie poster

You’re invited to a free screening of Ginger, right from the comfort of your own home!

Your free ticket provides exclusive online access to streaming the film for free between June 19th and 26th.

GET YOUR TICKET HERE NOW!

About the Film:
Ginger Mathis is a recent college grad with a passion for life but an aversion to reality. Working a less-than-ideal job and dating a not-so-great guy, Ginger isn’t sure what direction her life is headed in. When she’s suddenly diagnosed with breast cancer, Ginger struggles to balance her illness, her treatment, and all the complicated components of her totally unsettled life.
Ginger was inspired by co-director Melissa Boratyn’s ongoing battle with breast cancer. Learn more about Ginger at GingerTheMovie.com and go here to watch the trailer.

About the Event:
This free community screening of Ginger is offered to help raise awareness about breast cancer in young adults, especially metastatic breast cancer, and the need for more support and research.

Presented by:
ABCD After Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Gilda’s Club Madison
Milwaukee Film

Granting Permission

woman in hoodie

Written by Kayla Fulginiti, the Director of Programs for the Dear Jack Foundation, this piece is just what we needed in the middle of a pandemic.

As I peruse social media or the internet these days (as one often does while their 4-year-old asks for his 10th snack of the day), I have seen so many articles and posts about how to take advantage of this time we’re being given.  Start a new hobby!  Create a new business!  Train for a marathon!  Teach your toddler the quadratic equation!  I don’t know about anyone else, but this makes me feel intense anxiety that I’m not “doing enough” during this time we have.  Just today, I stood looking in the mirror and became overwhelmed that this will end at some point and what will I have to “show” for it.  And while this could be incredibly motivating to stay busy and the best coping strategy for some, I want to acknowledge those of us that don’t cope in this way.  I’m here to meet you in the feelings of uncertainty, perhaps with both of us wearing an outfit that’s four days old.

…

Read the entire piece here.

Learn To Make Change With Your Young Adult Cancer Story

wave

Want to learn to tell your story to make change?

In a 2-hour, online workshop at Lacuna Loft, we’ll delve into how you can turn your young adult cancer story into advocacy. Advocacy comes in many different shapes and sizes so we’ll talk about what it might mean to you and how to go about shaping your own narrative into the change you want to see around you. The workshop will be interactive and equip you with the skills you need to turn your story into advocacy.

The program is open to young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers and is scheduled for Tuesday, May 26th. 2:30-4:30 pm PT / 4:30-6:30 pm CT / 5:30-7:30 pm ET.

When you sign up for the workshop, you’ll get a confirmation from the system that you’ve registered. Then a few days before the workshop occurs, you’ll get an email from Lacuna Loft explaining how to join the video chat. ***You’ll need the link that we’ll provide you, a headset with a microphone, and a webcam.*** [ The webcam is very important. The workshop will be interactive so the other participants need to be able to see your face! 🙂 ]

What if I’ve taken the workshop already?  At this time, the workshop has not changed in between sessions.  A ‘Round 2’ of the workshop is in process though and we’ll debut it in the fall!

Join Sephora For An Online Brave Beauty Class For Confidence

clean hands

I am super excited to be bringing back a very popular program we ran about 2 years ago with Sephora!  Connect with other young adult cancer survivors in a fun, supportive setting and learn how to address the visible effects of cancer treatments from the comfort of home.  This FREE, live, 60-minute interactive class is led by a Sephora Beauty Expert who will share soothing skincare tips and show you how to restore glow and the appearance of brows or lashes using clean formula products.  The online Brave Beauty Class is limited to 20 participants residing within the US (we’re sorry Canada and beyond!). Click here to learn more about Sephora’s Brave Beauty online tutorials and classes.

Who: 20 young adult cancer patients and survivors

When: Tuesday, May 5th @ 3-4:30 pm PT / 5-6:30 pm CT / 6-7:30 pm ET via video chat.  The skincare class will last an hour and then participants are welcome to stay on for another 30 minutes to spend time connecting with one another.

How does it work? Sign up below, then Lacuna Loft will share your relevant contact information with Sephora so they can send you your Brave Beauty kit of supplies directly.  Then, a few days before the class, Lacuna Loft will send you an email with information on how to join the video chat. ***You’ll need the link that we’ll provide you, the supply kit you receive from Sephora, a headset with a microphone, and a webcam.***

Click here to sign up to be notified when this program is announced by choosing it under ‘Programs you’re interested in.’ (Feel free to choose to be notified when other programs are announced too!)

You’re Home Because Of COVID Anyway So…

woman shrugging

Since you might be part of the country experiencing mandatory work from home because of COVID-19 anyway…so check out some links to stay up to date and entertained!

Have any good info or otherwise entertaining links we should share?

 

Moving Connection Online

people on cell phones

Elephants and Tea is the fabulous, young adult cancer magazine on the scene and they have been rocking awesome content since they launched last year.  This article, by our CEO Mallory Casperson, is no different.  Mallory talks about being isolated in rural American while going through a young adult cancer experience.

Meeting other young adults who have faced cancer in-person is ideal but what if that isn’t possible? What about those young adult cancer survivors who are isolated, inpatient in the hospital following a bone marrow transplant? What about those young adult cancer survivors living rurally and potentially hundreds of miles from the nearest cancer center? What about those young adult cancer survivors treated at a hospital where there is no recognition of young adult and therefore no age-appropriate resources? In these situations and countless others, in order to remove financial, geographic, and medical barriers to survivorship care, offering supportive programming online is imperative. In these situations, online communities can offer that much needed connection to someone who understands what a survivor is facing.

It is not enough to just survive cancer.

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You can read the rest of the article here.