While many of us sigh longingly about wanting to go on a solo writing retreat, usually it ends there. Better to keep it a far-off fantasy than an up close reality, right? If we actually GO, who knows what might happen! It could be uncomfortable, the writing might be terrible, or we might stare into space and do ... continue reading
Ready for a Creative Morning Routine?
I feel a bit sheepish admitting that having a consistent morning routine has often eluded me. Some days I’d get out of bed and meditate for 30 minutes, other days I’d charge into the day feet first. I had all sorts of rationalizations. No time. I didn’t “need” it. And so on. However, I couldn’t help but notice that on ... continue reading
Tending the Neglected Creative Side Yard
The neglected side yard... Sometimes you catch it in your peripheral vision. You might be scurrying between appointments or checking off your to-do list when you glimpse a scraggly bush. You don’t look too long or hard. You race ahead, pretending that you really didn’t see it. It’s easy to do. There are a ... 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
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
Letting the Writing Take You
A couple of weeks ago I started writing my newsletter about a topic I love – pleasure. As I wrote, I was frolicking with words, playfully tossing them up to see where they’d land. And then I got sidetracked. I left my pleasure article holding a knapsack on the side of the road as I went off in other directions. Each day, ... continue reading
Inhaling Spring
I’ve always avoided the rain. Secretly, I’ve really wanted to be like those people in the movies who joyfully run out in the rain, spinning amidst the drops with a blissful look on their faces. Their meaning is clear. They’re really living – the rest of us aren’t. Yet, when it starts to rain, I’m the one quickening my step ... continue reading