Be My Guest: An Invitation to Greater Joy
Every creative act we offer to the world is an invitation for others to come into a space we’ve created and curated. Read more
My Word of the Week: Reveal
On Sunday, my stepson came up to me at church before the service started and asked, “Did you write another book? Grandpa said you wrote another book.”
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My Word of the Week: Beginner
On Saturday, I finally took the growing collection of bags and boxes to Goodwill, reorganized the things we planned to keep, and cleared a space where I could set up a card table and chair as a work station for myself. Then, I pulled out my mom’s old sewing machine — the one she gave me last fall and had been ignoring since — and set to work learning to sew. Read more
My Word of the Week: Nothing
I begin with now: looking out the window, I see the sun shining like a spotlight between the trees and houses in our neighborhood. The brightness focuses on the middle of the back lawn — our postage stamp yard that takes less than 10 minutes to mow. It’s focused on nothing in particular, … Read more
Creativity Just Because
In a recent essay for The New Yorker, Carrie Battan writes about Julie Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and whether or not it’s still relevant in an age when corporate America has co-opted the word “creative” and turned it into a commodity. Read more
Is Solitude Necessary for Writers?
As I write, I’m alone. But not really. I’m sitting in the loft of a large coworking space where I sometimes spend my days. People talk and mingle all around. Yet at my small table tapping away at my laptop, I feel alone. In fact, I need the people around me to ignore me if I’m ever to get anything done. Read more
My Word of the Week: Boxes
Lately, life seems to involve a lot of boxes. Online shopping purchases are delivered in boxes. Trips to Costco involve goods packed in boxes. Gifts wrapped in holiday paper require just the right box. And a few times, I’ve actually walked into the post office carrying individual items to be shipped off to family members … Read more
A Rainy Drought
I have a white board full of ideas that I should be writing about. I’ve got verbal confirmation from a couple of different editors who are looking for essays from me; I’ve got a blog that’s just been in limbo, mostly empty. And I’ve been sitting here nearly an hour. I’ve written a couple of […] Read more
Putting Together the Pieces
On the day after Christmas, my mom and I trekked to one of the local department stores for the deep discounts on holiday items like wrapping paper and greeting cards. As we maneuvered our cart through the aisles crowded with other bargain hunters, I spotted a selection of boxed jigsaw puzzles, their prices also marked […] Read more
Just My Imagination
Sunday night as I was gathering with friends, their two-year-old son was arranging and rearranging coasters on the coffee table. “Mickey Mouse,” he said. Were I talking to him on the phone, I would never have understood. But when I looked down, sure enough, the coasters looked like Walt’s favorite rodent, plain as day. “Good […] Read more