I’ve been really struggling with the paranormal novel I’ve been working on (working title Thorns of Summer). I’ve been writing for hours after the kids go to bed, and barely squeezing out 250 words. It has been painful. I knew where the story was going, but I couldn’t quite get the characters there — and […]
Blog
The Joy of Failure
Not every project is a winner. That’s the cold, hard truth of creating. I love to share my successes here — but I’ll be honest, I have more failed attempts than successfully created projects on my hard drive. Same goes for my art projects. I share some of my doodlings, experiments, and finished pieces on […]
Digital Minimalism and the Gift of Solitude
Recently I’ve been reading Digital Minimalism (affil.) by Cal Newport. A friend recommended it after hearing about The Dimmer Switch: Reflection as a Path to a Brighter Future, the book proposal I’m working on on the subject of reflection — and I see why. In addition to painting a stark picture of the mental health […]
All Play and No Work Makes Me a Bump on a Log
I came across this quote the other day that rankled me … “Rest until you feel like playing, then play until you feel like resting. Never do anything else.” —Martha Beck, from Finding Your Way in a Wild New World I’ll tell you a little secret: Left to my own devices, I’d sleep all day […]
There’s No Place for Perfectionism in Creativity
I didn’t start painting (or doing any kind of art, really) until I was in my mid-20s, because I couldn’t do it perfectly. Growing up, I was the writer and my brother Drew was the artist. Drew had an intense imagination, and was naturally able to take what was in his mind and translate it […]
Loving My Neighbor from Behind a Mask
Recently, I got the opportunity to go to (socially distanced, masked up) church with a friend. I usually watch church at home these days (and not every week, sadly), so going in person is a rare treat. As this friend and I were talking before worship began, they shared with me how many of the […]
