I Miss It
I’m not going to say anything new here, or anything that you haven’t felt more or less intensely for yourself. But I miss going out for a really good cup of coffee.
Taking Time Away
I’ve been exhausted and burned out to the point of tears lately, and have had several friends gently suggest that it’s time to not only start taking weekends off, but to possibly schedule off an ENTIRE WEEK.
“Success” means something different for each and every creator.
For one writer, success means having fun writing with a good cup of coffee on Saturday mornings. For another, it means selling 10,000 copies of their debut novel. For yet another, it means inking a movie or TV deal. For yet another, it means the quiet approval of just...
Even When You Do Everything Right
Wow. Last week was… A WEEK. Amidst the election anxiety, crises with friends, bad news about a project, and a trip to the ER, I found myself thinking, “But… I was doing everything right!” Life comes at us fast and hits us hard sometimes — even (and, it feels,...
Intrusive Inboxes
If you’re anything like me, you have a lot of inboxes. You know, those places — physical or digital — where things you need to deal with are deposited. And collect. And grow. You probably have a work or school inbox — projects to wrangle or tasks to complete, phone...
How Hard Are We Working For Someone Else’s Dreams?
Last week, we talked about how the act of writing for ourselves isn’t selfish. This week, I really want to ask you, just to make sure — is what you’re creating really for you? Some of us (myself included, at one point in time) are only writing or creating because we...
The Struggle Is Valid
The idea that writing and creating is (or should be) fun and easy all the time, or that if you find it difficult then it’s not somehow “for” you, is incredibly toxic.
Breaking Selfish
Where did we get the idea of “selfish”? Perhaps like you, I first understood the concept of “selfish” as a child, when it was used to label myself or other children when we were acting in a way that deprived someone else of food, toys, crayons, etc. “Sharing is...
What Really Matters
Life comes with a tall order of “should”s. We “should” eat more vegetables, exercise every day, take care of our families and friends, volunteer in our communities, read that book, attend that PTA meeting, see that movie, get more sleep, pick up groceries, be present...
Some Of The Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received
Years ago, I attended a community empowerment event for women, where the overall message was, “Say yes to absolutely every opportunity. Shonda Rhimes’ book Year Of Yes had just come out, and it was a popular, liberating, and — for many people, especially women who had...
Toward A Better Schedule
Help Support This Podcast! >> How does your schedule currently make you feel? Weary? Overwhelmed? Trapped? Suffocated? Depressed? As Jen Carrington asks so succinctly, “Is your schedule a free-for-all that accommodates everyone else’s needs — but not your own?...
Done With Days
Help Support This Podcast! >> We’re all ridiculously busy, trying to work and find time to write, exercising, picking up the kids from school (or teaching them at home), making dinner, reading, taking online classes, spending quality time with our loved ones and...
The Precious Intangible
Help Support This Podcast! >> “What is your most prized possession?” Years ago, when I was a teenager in my church’s youth group, our pastor asked us this question, in what (I think) was a lesson on the ultimate emptiness of materialism. As an outwardly...
What If What We Want Isn’t Work/Life Balance?
Help Support This Podcast! >> I crave a lot of things in life — achievement, recognition, financial freedom, healthy relationships, peace and quiet, chocolate. But I’ve never craved work/life balance (or, as we discussed in the previous email, work/life/passion...
The Thing About Work-Life Balance…
Help Support This Podcast! >> Back in 2014, I was thinking of starting a podcast.The only thing was, I was already working 40+ hours a week at a demanding job, volunteering in my community, enrolled in a women’s leadership program, and trying to be present for...
Let’s All Get Out There And Fail Horribly
Creativity Myth #10: Failure is bad. Here’s why it’s a myth!
How Much Do I Make Podcasting?
How much money do I make by podcasting? There are a lot of ways to make money podcasting and a lot of ways to talk about it — notably, direct vs. indirect podcast income.
A Love Letter To Perfectionists
Creativity Myth #9: You need to create a flawless masterpiece.
Isolated vs. Insulated
I thought I was immune, hiding here in my little office in South Dakota; I thought I was exempt somehow, that “I should be so much farther ahead” with all the “extra free time” the pandemic and quarantine have afforded us. I was wrong.
Let’s Get Off The Struggle Bus
Creativity Myth #8: I don’t have the time or energy to be creative.
Society Doesn’t Want Us
Creativity Myth #7: Society doesn’t want what I’m creating.
Creative Scarcity
Creativity Myth #6: It’s possible to “run out of” creativity, so be careful with what you have.
Original Is Overrated
Creativity Myth #5: You don’t have to be 100% original to be creative.
Searching For Distraction
Have you ever found yourself… searching for distractions? I know, it sounds like…
Creativity First
Even though I know in the depths of my heart that this is the work I am meant to do, and that I am living out my true purpose when I am writing and creating… I still struggle to prioritize it.
Mastering The Craft
A lot of us get frustrated when we jump into something and we’re not good at it right away. For me, this is never more evident than when I go bowling...
The Flyover Creatives
Creativity Myth #4: You need to live in a big city or work at a company with a slide to be creative.
The Fear Never Goes Away
Here’s the thing about fear. It’s not something that you one day decide to banish, and then you never have to deal with it again. Fear is an instinct…
What Surrounds Us
I just counted, and there are no fewer than 26 plants right here in my 8×8′ office. Orchids, pothos, air plants, cacti, Swedish ivy, aloe… I love them all so much. But more than that, I need them.
Making It Stick
How are you with sticking to things? It’s worth asking: what habits are WORTH building? What changes do we ACTUALLY WANT to make?
Your Impending Death
When you realize that you only have ONE LIFE to live… how does that make you feel? How does it affect your creativity?
Either You’re Creative, Or You’re Not
Creativity Myth #3: “You’re either born creative, or you’re not.” Here’s exactly why this statement is a terrible and dangerous lie.
Unqualified
Creative Myth #2: You need special knowledge or a degree to create.
Using Our Imaginations
Creativity Myth #1: Imagination is just for children. Here’s why that is a complete load of garbage, and why imagination is essential to our lives as adults.
New: Work With Me!
Exciting news — you now have the opportunity to work with me one-on-one! Whether you’d like creative or strategic coaching or consulting…
Hold Fast
People may scoff at you for having dreams, but having (and holding onto) those dreams is crucial to living a life of meaning and influence.
Dear Creators
I’ve been working on a brand-new email series for you! It’s called “Dear Creators” and…
Is Now The Right Time To Start A Podcast?
Podcasting is booming! But is NOW really the best time to start one? Here are 3 major considerations for making your decision.
Time Keeps On Slipping Away
It’s so easy for me to imagine my life slipping away with each tick of the clock — and it’s so easy for that to turn into fear, anxiety, and really limited thinking…
How Long Should A Podcast Be?
One of the most frequent questions I get asked as a podcast coach & teacher is, “How long should a podcast be, ideally?” Here’s what I tell them.
Crafting Your Unique Voice
“In life, finding a voice is speaking and living the truth.” — John Grisham. I get a lot of questions from both podcasters and writers about how to discover their own unique voice. Most don’t know where to begin…
Slytherin!
Terrible news, everyone — I’m evil! Actually, I got sorted into the Slytherin house by the official Harry Potter website, and I’m afraid it comes with some CONNOTATIONS.
Yesterday’s Accomplishments
“Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s games.” — Babe Ruth. It can be SO FRUSTRATING to learn an important lesson or find a particular slice of success… and then to wake up the next day with a clean slate and realize you have to do it ALL OVER AGAIN.
We Need Mystery
We spend a lot of our time focused on solutions and solving problems. And that makes sense. We have a LOT of problems to solve as a society (like… a LOT), and providing solutions is a really good way to improve our quality of life, as well as lessen pain and suffering. But something we don’t talk about enough is…
Who Will You Become?
Who Are You Becoming? We’ve talked a little bit in a previous post about investing in yourself financially. But another huge key to growth and leveling up is evaluating who you’re spending most of your time with. The people we spend time with shape...
You Can Do Hard Things
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” — Frederick Douglass. Podcasting is hard. Writing is hard. Gardening is hard. Raising children is hard. Anything worth doing…
How Are You Investing In Yourself?
For years, investing in myself was unthinkable. I grew up poor, and I had stayed poor. Money was for buying off-brand food and secondhand clothing, tithing to church, and paying rent (and later mortgage), car payments, and student loan debt…
I’m Terrible At Following My Own Advice
I don’t always follow my own advice. Heck, I don’t USUALLY follow my own advice. Here’s why I think that might be — and maybe it’s true for you, too.
When In Doubt
Welcome to my #1 piece of podcasting advice. When in doubt… DO IT ANYWAY. Here’s why.
What Haunts You?
I have a compulsion to create, be it via podcasting, writing, bread-baking, etc. Maybe you’re the same way. But if I’m ever in a place where I am not able (or willing) to create…