Ever wanted to create a lively atmosphere at your school where kids are learning a bunch about writing and hopefully falling in love with the craft—and meeting some great authors, too? Some caring parents at Barnard Elementary recently invited me to participate and I wanted to share some highlights since it was so special. For someone who loves writing, it was a bit like fairyland to step into that room. More than 200 kids over the evening were bustling between poetry and cartoons, book-themed dinner and desserts, creating characters while a talented artist drew them, and much more. The kids…
Don’t miss the Christmas whimsy
The holidays are here and elves have appeared, ballerinas dance with nutcrackers that come alive, and all kinds of stories and historical tales find renewal underneath Christmas trees and other scenes. It seems like the child’s eye of life takes over once a year, briefly, and allows us all to relax into the memories of our youth along with them. How can we capture more of those moments this Christmas season? And what is the special magic of whimsy? Whimsy gives us an opportunity to recharge our batteries. During a very challenging day, with hours at the car dealer, more…
Happy Thanksgiving
Just a simple wish sent your way for family delights and a spark of new hope in your celebration for Thanksgiving. I’m so thankful for your support and interest as I press on with getting published and helping others find a path to resilience, whatever they face. Sometimes life calls for more simplicity and lovingkindness, so I’m sending those wishes your way, too. I have a new author friend who is always saying, “Great job. Now go write!” She loathes self-criticism and the wasteful moments of guilt. I’ve decided to embrace this attitude as we ease into the holiday season….
Stolen Candy, Second Chances
Thoughts for today’s teens, and anyone needing fresh perspective. The first day of acrylic painting instructions in high school, someone ate my main project. No joking. We showed up with large canvasses, wide as I could stretch my arms. A 3×5 index card. And piles of very colorful salt-water taffy in wax-paper wrappers. Then the assignment: don’t eat the sweets, blow them up huge on the canvass! First, we glued them to the cards and made notes of the lighting so we could work on it for a few weeks. Then we carefully watched proportion and sketched the lines, shadows,…
Time To Go! Your New Start
The final part of our New Beginnings Series! Done with that! Well, sort of… When the mists of crisis finally begin to clear, how ever do you find your equilibrium and breathe new life into your dust-covered dreams? First, congratulations! You’ve made it through either a busy season in life that was a big distraction, or perhaps a complete change in lifestyle that required your full focus for a while. Whatever brought you through, take a moment to celebrate! Hearts lifted! It’s time for your gratitude to overflow. You may be more weepy and sensitive or still require a bit…
Press Through The Net
Part Five in the New Beginnings Series Crisis hits! Just when you’re making progress on your dream project, the one you’ve secretly carried in your heart for years, something nasty happens. Maybe it’s a car crash, a great loss, illness, or an accident. Or it’s just an overwhelming amount of good things all calling out as a higher priority like sports and family commitments. Phew! It’s almost enough to make you quit all together. I’m afraid it’s also a sign you’re doing something great and need to consider putting your plans on temporary hold for a while if necessary. This…
All Star Authors Event
Last week’s post about updrafts, those key moments when your New Beginning gets a major boost from a circumstance or meeting, brought one for me with wonderful Starley Murray. On the exact day for our eight-year anniversary of losing everything in the wildfires of 2007, I was invited to a super author’s event in Los Angeles. It felt like time slowed down when I got to share our story and how I use all the challenges we’ve had to help others now. I thought you’d like to come backstage to watch it happening! Starley was so encouraging, and reminded me…
Find Your Updraft
Part four of the New Beginnings Series. And How I Became A Gemologist! So you’ve been working diligently to understand your deepest desire, gotten infrastructure in place to support a move, and watched for open doors. Perhaps you’ve just stepped through one and aren’t sure what to do next. That’s the key moment to look for an updraft, a shift coming your way to accelerate your change in direction. What is an updraft? Have you every watched a hot air balloon suddenly go very high in the air, as an invisible current of air brought it to new heights? That’s…
Coming Attractions!
It’s going to be a few more weeks before the launch date is announced, but this week I’m taking a brief break for a video blog with hints about what you can expect. And if you subscribe now to my website, BEFORE the launch, there will be additional benefits with the upcoming giveaways. Oops, well, one hint already! Next week we’ll continue the New Beginnings Series, focusing on waiting for your updraft. For the original series blog, check Five Tips for a Resilient Fall HERE. So what part of the series have you been working on so far? Outlining your…
Adapt to Open Doors
Part Three in the New Beginnings Series One of the special moments in pursuing your dream is when unexpected opportunities land on your doorstep. Sometimes they come at the craziest moment, when you’re tending a sick one, or mid-stream in another project on an entirely different subject. Has this ever happened to you? How did you respond? Were you rigid in sticking to your schedule or flexible enough to let yourself be open to possibilities? I’ve learned it’s important to pause and give special attention to the moment. Okay, the laundry may back up. And perhaps some other commitment has…
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