In keeping with welcoming the New Year, the topic for this post is Celebrating. Yes, that’s right. Celebrating. Many creative people I know miss this very important step in their …
Choosing Your Word For The Year
“If you don’t choose a word for guidance, you end up with chaos.” That may not have been my mentor’s exact words, but that’s what I remember hearing several years …
What It Feels Like To Be On Retreat
Why choose a writing retreat? It’s all about what it feels like to unplug from daily routines, the demands and expectations, and letting your creative self be the focus of …
What if it could be Easy?
I often choose poems by Mary Oliver to use as writing prompts in my classes. Last week I chose Hallelujah, from her book, Evidence. In this poem there’s a phrase: …
Impact with Brevity
One of my writing mentors taught a technique she called “Pruning the Deadwood” as an editing tool. “What is “deadwood?” you might be asking. It’s anything that distracts from your …
The Power Of Memoir
Have you been feeling a desire to start writing your memoir, to share adventures and misadventures you’ve had along the way? You may be wondering, “How do I begin?” Start …
Breaking Through Writer’s Block
If you’re anything like me, September is a month for beginning new projects, that writing project I put off all summer long because there were picnics to go to and …
Moving Beyond The Inner Critic
I suspect I’m not alone when I confess that I have a critical voice that loves to tell me everything I’m doing wrong, how my ideas suck, ways I’m a …
It Takes A Village
You’ve probably all heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” I’d like to suggest that it takes a village to learn to love your words. Within …
Breaking Through the Impostor Syndrome
“When are people going to figure out that I really don’t know what I’m doing?” This question runs through my mind at least a few times a week. When will …