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 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.
A few weeks ago, while shopping at JoAnn’s fabric and crafts store, a sewing box at the check out counter caught my eye. I can use that, I thought, but had no idea why. Except for the basics, I don’t sew. My mom, an excellent seamstress, taught me how, but I don’t enjoy it, so I take my mending to the cleaners instead. I had no clue why this sewing box called my name; I bought it having no idea what purpose it might serve.
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.
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.
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.”
Have you ever had this thought: I’m not a real writer. I have. My students and clients have. In fact, most writers I know have been caught in this gremlin snare more times than they’d care to admit.
A few months ago I bought a moonstone egg. When I roll the hard, cool stone in my hand, I visualize my memoir, which has not yet “hatched,” but is gestating. The blue tinge on the stone’s surface reminds me of the challenges I face writing it, the difficulty of mining the depths, telling the truth, and conveying complex human emotions.
On our recent East Coast visit, I spent a day visiting my friend, Irene Kendig, whose book, Conversations with Jerry and Other People I thought Were Dead, was my first editing project and has since won seven book awards.
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