Today’s writer wears many hats. We are scribes, entrepreneurs, workshop and thought leaders, public speakers, social media experts, publicists, publishers, teachers, coaches, editors, partners, caregivers, and more. It’s easy to get overwhelmed. But here’s the good news: It’s impossible to become overwhelmed when you reside in the present moment. Overwhelm is a result of projecting into the future and imagining you won’t get everything you want (or think you need to do) done. In order to reside in the present moment you must slow down. Ironically, slowing your pace, doing less, enables you to do more. It’s counterintuitive, but try it and you’ll see what I mean. Here are a few suggestions for slowing down and becoming more present in your life. These activities will calm you, and a peaceful person is ultimately a more productive one.
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Last week, a student relatively new to my writing class, sent me an email before class asking for advice about how to create more vivid characters and voices.
Last Saturday my husband and I dropped our 16-year-old daughter off at CalArtsfor a month-long program run by California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA). We helped her settle into her dorm room, toured the campus, and attended a barbeque and outdoor concert. But the most memorable part of the day was a brief, inspiring talk given by CSSSA’s director, Michael Fields. If his words resonated as deeply with the young thespians, dancers, musicians, visual artists, film and television students, animators, and writers as they did with me, those kids are going to have a great month! I’d like to share a few highlights I found relevant and inspiring.
Last week, while in Claremont, California, visited Buddhamouse Emporium, a shop that carries imported ritual objects, art, music, and books. I was drawn to an oblong, polished stone.
When I returned home from my trip I hit the ground running, burning the proverbial candle at both ends. I stayed up late and woke up early. And then, predictably, I hit the wall. Even the simplest item on my to-do list felt like it would require a Herculean effort.
Spring is here and several of my writing clients (and I) are cleaning house—literally and figuratively. Spring is a time of renewal, budding life—and fresh ideas! It is a time to honor yourself and what you want. Getting rid of what you no longer use, need, or love creates opportunities for growth and for new experiences, and allows you to receive whatever is ready to come through you and take shape in the world. Clutter clearing creates both physical and psychological space, as well as clarity and focus.
Seven Tips for Creative Self-expression
1. Engage in your creative work/play every day, even if it’s only for fifteen or twenty minutes. Give yourself over to it. Have fun. Imagine, dare, and dream! Last week a beloved writing client, Patty, sent me a photo of a statue sculpted in 1941 by Gerhard Marcks. The statue resides in the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden on the UCLA campus. Her name is Maja. According to Wikipedia, a “maja” can refer to a main-belt asteroid, a boa constrictor, a crab, a mountain peak in Kosovo, a feminine given name, a river in Romania, or a traditional Spanish woman. This last reference is what I see most in Marck’s Maja—a traditional Spanish woman. Well, maybe not traditional. And perhaps not necessarily Spanish, but a hot, spicy, self-assured woman willing to stand in her glory—a woman, who like the jacaranda behind her, is in full bloom.
Last Friday was a stressful day. I found myself thinking about how I cannot control what happens, but I can control my reaction to what happens. But having that knowledge and putting it into practice are two separate things.
I recently came upon this quote by American existential psychologist, Rollo May: “Real creativity is not possible without anxiety. In many ways, it’s the price of admission to the artist’s life.”
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