Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, morning writing about anything. There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages, and they are for your eyes only. Doing Morning Pages, we find that we go into our day with more clarity. Although they do take time (about 30-40 minutes), they actually make more time than they […]
Do you think you “can’t” write?
Most of us think we can’t write. We think it’s something other people do– “writers.” Or, if you have a novice’s happy skill and an amateur’s fervent love, it’s a name you reserve for the skill belonging to “real writers.” If we eliminate the word “writer,” if we just go back to writing as an […]
In the “mood”
We often make the mistake of thinking we “have” to be in the “right” mood to write. The truth is, any mood can be used for writing. Any mood is a good writing mood. The trick is to simply enter whatever mood like a room and sit down and write from there.
Inspiration
Creativity is not something you possess, but someting that expresses through you. You might call that something “inspiration.” The point is, you need to step aside and allow this force to enter. Puccini claimed the ideas for Madame Butterfly were dictated to him by God. I myself have often sensed “higher forces” of inspiration. I sometimes […]
Pampering
Making art begins with making hay while the sun shines. It begins with getting into the now and enjoying the day. It begins with giving yourself some small treats and breaks. “This is extravagant but so is God” is a good attitude to take when treating your artist to small bribes and beauties. Remember, you are […]
Risk
Very often, a risk is worth taking simply for the sake of taking it. There is something enlivening about expanding our self-definition, and a risk does exactly that. Selecting a challenge and meeting it creates a sense of self-empowerment that becomes the ground for further successful challenges. Viewed this way, running a marathon increases your […]
Communication
Art is an act of communication, and if we are constantly communicating our smallest thoughts, how will we have time for big ones? Cell phones miniaturize your life, breaking it down into tiny sound bites. I think we call them “bites” for a reason. They tend to devour our time and attention. There’s no room […]
Showing Up
I learned to turn my creativity into the only God I could believe in– the God of creativity. I learned to get out of the way and let that creative force work through me. I learned to just show up at the page and write down what I heard. I didn’t have to be in […]
Jealousy
Jealousy, I’ve often heard, is a normal human emotion. When I hear that, I think, “maybe your jealousy– not mine.” My jealousy roars in the head, tightens the chest, massages my stomach lining with a cold fist as it searches out the best grip. I have long regarded jealousy as my greatest weakness. Only recently […]
Containment
Speaking for myself, I am wary of what I call too much boast-and-toast talk. You know what I mean…those conversations that begin with “That’s interesting, but what I am working on right now is…” I think it can take the wind out of your sails. It’s like putting your project up for a vote depending […]
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