Category Archives: fun with what we do

The Art of Listening

If you are a writer, you must listen. You must listen to your instincts. You must listen to the world. You must listen to the things that lack conventional voice. You must listen to the trees, the river, the deer, … Continue reading

Posted in Advice, comfort, Consumerism, creativity, Day by day, education, Elitism, emotion, Energy, Exploration, fun with what we do, intuition, Magic, Philosophy, Play, privacy, silence, spaciousness, spirit, Uncategorized, Wildness | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Obsession

My life, my mood, my days, my sleep – everything goes better when I have an obsession. Not the unhealthy kind. Not the does-he-love-me-why-doesn’t-he-call kind of obsession. Not the I-need-a-new-pocketbook-and-complete-wardrobe-overhaul kind of obsession. Not the I- need-to-pull-my-life-up-by-the-roots-and-start-all-over kind of obsession. … Continue reading

Posted in Completing a novel, creativity, Day by day, depression, Drafts, Energy, Exploration, failure, fiction, fun with what we do, Grief, Magic, Passion, Play, Process, Prompts, research, Starting a new work, Uncategorized, work | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On Writing and Balance

This is from a talk I gave at the Franklin County Arts Council Writers’ Guild Spring Retreat on balancing a creative life with a work life. The problem is never time. It’s urgency. How much urgency do you feel? How … Continue reading

Posted in comfort, Comparison, Competition, Completing a novel, creativity, Day by day, depression, emotion, Energy, fiction, fun with what we do, Grief, Process, silence, spaciousness, The Writer's Life, Uncategorized, Writing career | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Trouble With Words

Words are clumsy. They will tie your tongue. They will embarrass you in front of the cute girl in school. Words will tie your shoelaces together. Words are the mean boys in gym class who pants you. Yes, yes. There … Continue reading

Posted in fun with what we do, Materials, Play, The Writer's Life, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

A Day Without Devices

On my walk this morning I found a nub of purple chalk a child had used to scribble on the pavement. I picked it up, an opportunity in my hand. What would I write? I thought hard about it, and … Continue reading

Posted in creativity, Day by day, Energy, fiction, fun with what we do, Gratitude, happiness, home, Journaling, Magic, Maintenance, privacy, Process, Self-worth, spaciousness, Story, Uncategorized, voice, what artists need | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Lather, Rinse, Repeat

Nine times a month I teach classes devoted only to writing from prompts. The prompts can range anywhere from a line of poetry, to a picture, to an object, to writing a story that places an object within a picture, … Continue reading

Posted in class, Community; Genorosity, creativity, Energy, Exploration, fun with what we do, Magic, Process, Prompts, Story, Telling our stories, The Muse, Uncategorized, Writing exercises | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Money, Spaciousness, Deadlines and Bathtubs

For a long time before I had a writing life, I dreamed of one. I dreamed of living by the ocean in a little cottage, taking long walks, reading, eating good food, relaxing, breathing deeply. Or else I dreamed of … Continue reading

Posted in comfort, Comparison, Completing a novel, Day by day, Decisions, depression, Drafts, economics, Exploration, fiction, fun with what we do, procrastination, Publishing, silence, spaciousness, Starting a new work, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Why Are You Reading This Blog?

Hello. You again. At the risk of breaking all the rules of blogdom, I have to ask, why are you here? What do you hope to gain? Is there some grain of wisdom you seek that has not shown itself … Continue reading

Posted in creativity, Day by day, Energy, fun with what we do, Magic, Philosophy, Play, positivity; grace; light, spaciousness, The Muse, Uncategorized, what artists need, Wildness | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Mother Ship of Writing

On Saturday I taught my once-a-month, free-to-all Prompt Writing class. One of the prompts was “What I need for my writing.” I don’t usually give a writing prompt about writing, but when I do it’s almost always profound. I find … Continue reading

Posted in comfort, creativity, Day by day, Energy, Exploration, fun with what we do, Journaling, Play, Process, Reading, spaciousness, The Writer's Life | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

After plenty

Dear Nancy: As you know from all the beautiful notes and photos and songs and many kind wishes on this Facebook wall, yesterday was my birthday. Birth Day. That day has always been a haunted one for me. One of … Continue reading

Posted in Community; Genorosity, creativity, fun with what we do, Gratitude, happiness | Tagged , | 2 Comments