Hollywood or the Artist Next Door
Listen up, Hollywood, because this is going to be news to you . . . there are many successful, influential, groundbreaking artists who do not fall under the description of the “tortured artist” trope. While it’s true that some genius artists have suffered from serious addictions, hardships, and mental health issues, that should not make...
Soul Resolutions for the New Year
As you may know, I’m not one for making New Year’s resolutions. Why wait until January 1 to start improving yourself or your life? I’m really good at maintaining healthy new habits, when I feel motivated to do so. But my motivation can strike at any time. Plus, too many New Year’s resolutions are either...
What Does It Mean to Be Home for the Holidays?
I can’t explain why, but every year, the first Christmas song that enters my mind is, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Maybe it’s because I’ve spent over 30 years writing about and studying World War II, and my imagination travels back in time to the lonely soldiers on the frontlines for whom that song was...
A Grandmother’s Lessons on Being – Revisited
This post first ran on December 8, 2019 Yesterday, I was having a drink with a friend and some of her friends. A couple of the women were talking about their grandkids and all the ways they try to be of service to them, which is wonderful, but sometimes exhausting and time consuming. I blurted...
The Only Gift You’ll Ever Need
Memory is a funny thing. This time of year, a particular memory always returns to me, and I have no idea why. It’s from December of 1988. I was 21 years old and studying for a semester at West Chester University outside of Philadelphia. My roommate, Nancy, invited me to her house for the weekend....
A Little Rest is Required
This week I’ve been sick for the first time in two and a half years. I forgot how awful it is to be so achy you can’t get off the couch, and how achy you then become because you can’t get off the couch. For someone who usually has lots of energy and drive, it’s...
Be in Awe of Your Own Work
I hosted one of my art salons last week, and our topic centered around the famous Martha Graham quote in which she talks about an artist’s work and says, “there is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through your action, and because there is only one of you in...
Your Wild and Precious Life
I so enjoyed the new movie, Nyad. It’s the true story of Diana Nyad who, at the age of 60, decides to try again to complete the grueling 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida, a feat she first attempted 30 years earlier. How can you not be inspired by someone who pushes her body beyond...