It comes in a moment. There you are, focused on that Thing that matters so much and… squirrel! Your attention is diverted. You are writing your memoir and…a ding of the email lures you into chatting with Aunt Mary about her begonias. You are meditating and… instead glance at your iPhone to find 6 “urgent” messages. We ... continue reading
Finding Creative Joy This Summer
"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time." ― John Lubbock Recently, twenty-two women came to my home for my Summer Women’s Circles. The theme of the two ... continue reading
Traveling Your Age
When my husband and I packed our suitcases to meet our 21-year-old daughter in Prague, I remembered my makeup, my new white capri slacks and a camera. There was only one thing I forgot: I’m not 21 anymore. We arrived full of energy and proceeded to explore Prague, and later Italy, at rapid-fire pace. Pizzas on the ... continue reading
Writing from Presence – Paris
When life happens, so often we want to hide. We want to numb out, or disappear in our thinking minds, or find a mountain of chocolate. But what happens when we stay present? When instead of running we stay with ourselves – with that hot feeling, the contradictory thoughts, the tightness of chest? And what happens when ... continue reading
How to do a Creative STOP (and how not to)
We all get to the point where we just need to STOP. That could look like anything from a 10-minute meditation to a year’s sabbatical. Often we are feeling a little out of alignment, weary, stagnant. This summer has been my personal Stop. For me, that meant putting aside the new website I’d been working on, letting my ... continue reading
Creating with Fresh Eyes
I remember showing up rushed, dropping my camera bag on the table a little too loudly as I slunk into the last remaining chair. The class’s title “Mindful Photography” had attracted me. I had done some magazine photography long ago, and my more recent stints had been as the unofficial family photographer, but I hadn’t taken ... continue reading
What Does Your Productivity Boss Look Like?
Have you ever had one of those moments where everyone is singing or talking loudly, and then they stop but you keep going until that mortifying moment when you realize you are the only one making noise, and everyone is staring? Of course, I just mean this theoretically, that’s never happened to ME. But anyway, another ... continue reading
Seeing With the Eyes of a Poet
As I sat in the hotel room bathtub, all I could think about was the perfect storm of “cough-pocolypse.” A month ago, when my husband and I booked two seats to hear poet David Whyte speak in San Antonio, it seemed like an inspiring idea and a fun road trip. Then life happened. Over the holidays my husband got the ... continue reading
Writing is Messy
The other day I was sitting in a discussion group when a woman walked in wearing a pale pink “Life is Good” t shirt. She seemed in a good mood… until suddenly she looked down and realized that there were food stains on her shirt. Mortified, she started making excuses, saying that she always left home with clean shirts, she ... continue reading
How Naked Can You Go?
How naked can you go in your writing and your living? That is a question I’ve been asking myself lately as I’ve become aware of how much gets between us and… you name it. Other people, ourselves, our writing, full vibrant living. This question came to me, quite literally, on a recent trip to assistant teach at Esalen ... continue reading