Sometimes I feel like Rapunzel. There I am in my tower, creating away, uninterrupted (that’s the key word here) and delighting in my work. When I’m in the zone with my creative process, people can yell and scream from the ground, but I’m not letting my hair down to give anyone the old heave ho into my private chamber. I ... continue reading
Slowing the Spinning Mind
We all had the same idea. The sun was out and it was warm, the first time in weeks, if not months. Heading out to the back yard, I grabbed a Mark Nepo book, my daughter Chloe got a beach towel, and our dog followed us outside. Chloe lay her towel on the grass, I sat in the chair, and we both closed our eyes. The feel of ... continue reading
How to Create From Ease Rather Than Push
Life is short. Certainly too short to leave creative desires behind… or to do them from an unpleasant, inauthentic sense of push. I know – this is the balance I struggle with all the time. Yet I always find that moment when the struggle drops, freedom arises and my writing (or other project) flows. When I stumble, I ... continue reading
Creative Courage… and how to Strengthen It
It’s hard being a Creative. Yes, it’s also fulfilling, enlivening and essential. But some days it’s dang tough to put yourself out there… again. There’s the tight feeling in your chest when you present something and don’t know if people will be more mesmerized by the fly on the wall than your words. Or when you write a ... continue reading
Writing from the Body
There’s a common misperception about writing that is pervasive. I lived it for many years, and it thrives in popular culture: that we write from our minds. Turn on a TV channel and there it is – a writer at his desk, a look of puzzlement and consternation on his face (to convey all that hard thinking), and then he ... continue reading