It’s summer and it’s time to practice some creativity play! Sometimes writing is work. Art can be work. There’s a myth about the creative person who is “living the dream” and always enjoying every moment of what they do- but in real life there is always some measure of toil involved. There are mindless tasks, […]
What I’m Reading: Keep Going by Austin Kleon
I’m currently reading Keep Going by Austin Kleon and it just seems so very applicable these days. Not only just to writing, but to everything! Keep Going by Austin Kleon Take this gem as the book opens for instance: “Whether you’re burned out, starting out, starting over, or wildly successful, the question is always the […]
Hard Times, Self Care, and Social Justice
How are you all doing these days? Are you doing okay? There have been some hard times recently. A lot of unknowns, a lot of heartache worldwide, and a lot of injustice and anger. Responding to Hard Times It’s hard to know what to do with all the emotions. It’s hard to process the information […]
10 Strategies For When We Can’t Write
Sometimes we don’t want to write. Sometimes we really can’t write- whether we don’t have the time, small gremlins are attacking us, or because we’re just completely exhausted. I’ve had trouble focusing lately and sometimes it seems like my brain isn’t quite working at full speed. (Or even half speed!) So what do we do […]
Happy Moments and Giving Thanks
Life has been hard for a lot of us lately. It isn’t always easy to find things to be happy about. And it can seem almost wrong to want to be happy when there is so much suffering in the world. But there is nothing wrong about searching for joy in the midst of suffering. […]
Two Ways Writing is Magic
Sometimes writing is really hard. If you can’t be writing right now, that’s okay. You may be in crisis mode and that comes first. There may not be any mental energy for anything besides caring for yourself and those you are with. And that’s okay. Let’s be gentle with ourselves. Let’s have grace and patience […]
Wellness Activities for Hard Times
There is a lot going on in the world today. Please be careful and stay safe! I hope we can all take some time to evaluate how we’re doing today and maybe practice some activities that make us feel healthy both physically and emotionally. And if you don’t have time and you’re overwhelmed with other […]
Creativity During Coronavirus
It’s been a crazy few weeks! Like something out of a book or a board game but definitely not something we expect to ever experience in real life. And for us writers it raises the question of what does creativity during coronavirus look like? First things first- I hope everyone is staying safe and being careful […]
Dear Writers: It’s Okay To Not Suffer
Writing can be hard sometimes. But it doesn’t ALWAYS need to be hard. And that’s okay. Do writers need to suffer? The stereotypes of starving artists and writers who go mad seems to be the most common representation of writers and creators. Sometimes we buy into this. It feels like in order to be a […]
Winter Self-Care for Writers
Whether you’re a writer or not, taking care of ourselves is important. Wintertime self-care is especially important as studies show many people may experience an increase in depressed mood over the winter months. This is especially true for those of us who live in places where snow and darkness surround much of our days! And […]