I’ve decided to add a new blog feature, just to inject a little happiness into the world. Every month, I’m going to give you a few things that have brought me joy in recent weeks. Maybe you’ll love them, too. Maybe they’ll inspire you to find other joyful things more suited to your tastes and […]
My Favorite Things for February Read More »
Y’all, January was a little bit difficult. No – none of the challenges above were particularly difficult to face. Each was pretty minor, taken on its own, and I consider myself lucky that I’m not struggling with the more serious health concerns or the kinds of financial struggles that so many other people are facing.
January Creative Update: On Losing Perspective Read More »
Near the end of December, I wrote a bit about my philosophy about goals. At the time, I mentioned some of the artistic/professional goals I was pondering for 2024. Today, I want to come back to that general topic through a different lens, because I’ve set some new personal goals between then and now. The
The Importance of Personal Goals Read More »
In this month’s guest post, CJ Hosack looks back at the journey it took to bring her upcoming novel from its earliest ideas to a completed, ready-for-the-public story. I’m honored that she was willing to share this story with us, since it illustrates the truth that art hardly ever follows a straight and easy line
Guest Post: CJ Hosack on Ideas in Process Read More »
I had a different post scheduled for today. One that means a lot to me, so it’s been taking longer than usual to bring all the thoughts together. I hadn’t finished it by the end of last week, but was still hoping to power through it yesterday. Now, though, it’s going to have to wait.
Sometimes Life Intervenes Read More »
For me, the New Year has never really seemed like the right time to set Big Goals (aka resolutions). As a kid who always loved school, the fresh start of an academic year was the more natural goal-setting time for me, and I brought that into my adulthood by using my October birthday as a
And a Happy New Year Read More »
This week’s guest post is from another friend, Vanessa Ricci-Thode. She sent me SO MANY beautiful photos of her garden that I couldn’t pick just one or two. There are extra ones down at the bottom. All photo credit to Vanessa herself. Enjoy! I first saw the phrase “rest like it’s your job” in regards
Guest Post – Vanessa Ricci-Thode: Rest Like It’s Your Job Read More »
In second grade, my teacher gave us “creativity exercises” to do in class. This was in the mid-1980s, and a quick internet search reveals that creativity exercises for kids have gotten WAY more interesting since then. Or, at least, they’ve gotten more interesting than the ones I remember. My teacher’s exercises relied heavily on black-and-white
Learning Creativity Read More »
Part of my own mental health toolkit is to spend a few minutes each month reflecting on what’s behind me and looking forward to what’s ahead. It’s a useful routine, because sometimes I miss things. From a “use of time” perspective, my biggest accomplishments in November were a) finishing the edits on my manuscript so
Writer Update, November 2023 Read More »
Note from Laura: I’m delighted to present this essay from my talented friend, Kevin Mack. ESPECIALLY because Kevin and I have very different approaches to our work. I am much closer to the “regular writing schedule” end of the spectrum than he is, and I think it’s fascinating to hear about other people’s approaches. Enjoy!
Guest Post: Kevin Mack on Cognitive Bandwidth, and Taking Breaks Read More »