I recently finished reading Mindset: the New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. In it, she describes the differences between the “fixed mindset” and the “growth mindset.” The fixed mindset means that some people believe character, intelligence, creative ability, and talent are all fixed at birth. In the fixed mindset, you must avoid...
Tag: art
How To Banish Envy – Revisited
Once again, I have a video version of one of your favorite blog posts, “How to Banish Envy.” If you’ve ever felt stifled in your own work by your envy of another writer/artist, this one is for you. It’s okay. It happens to everyone. The key is to understand that no one can do the...
Are You Cool Enough to be an Artist/Writer?
Not long ago, my youngest daughter and I were talking about high school popularity. “But Mom, you weren’t cool in high school, right?” “Oh I was extremely cool,” I said. “It’s just that no one knew it.” See, from my point of view, being popular in high school (for most people) meant giving up part...
Greater Must Our Courage Be – Video
Maybe it’s time to revisit the concept of courage and one of my favorite blog posts, which is based on something that actually happened to me, something that changed my life. I’ve recorded that blog post in a short video. It will take you less than 3 minutes to watch it, but I hope it...
All That Matters is You Don’t Give Up
The other evening, my husband and I were strolling around downtown and popped into one of my favorite art galleries. I bought a couple of note cards and a glass nail file, and as we were leaving, I heard someone say, “Are you the author? The book editor?” “I’m Teresa Funke, yes.” “I...
Is Your Art too Trivial to Matter?
Please, don’t let this feeling end. It’s everything I am. Everything I want to be. Anyone recognize those song lyrics? If so, you’re as old as I am. But when your art is flowing and you are in the zone and all is right with the world, this is often how it feels. That’s not to...
Make No Apologies for How You Work
The other day, I was conducting an author visit at a middle school, and a sixth grader said, “I read about an author who gets up at 5:00 every morning to write. Is that what you do?” “Honey,” I said, “I don’t do anything at 5:00 in the morning except sleep!” I then explained to...
New Video – How to Manage Your Research and Outlines
I’m taking a moment this week to draw your attention to my new writing video “How to Manage Your Research and Outlines.” I know many of you are becoming more and more interested in stretching your writing skills and moving in new directions with your work. You may have been inspired by the start of...
Why You Should Ignore Their Pain Points
As an author-entrepreneur I’ve attended many a class and read many a book on sales and marketing. So often I’m told that the first step in selling your products or services is to identify your buyer’s pain point, then you explain how your product or service is the solution to their pain. Every time I...
When Good Words Turn Bad
While listening to a friend talk the other day about a moment of personal discovery, I had a realization . . . there are many words I use I’d always thought of as “good” words, but in certain circumstances, even a good word can turn “bad.” Take “wish” for example – a word full of...