Is it really this simple? You announce to the world you are an artist, a dancer, a singer, and, voila, you are. Yes and no. I was both terrified and exhilarated when I quit my low-paying job 22 years ago to become a writer. I didn’t tell many people at first. I had to figure...
Tag: artists
I Know More Than I Ever Wanted to Know
Do you ever wish your brain had a “delete” button? That there was some way to dismiss all the clutter that seems so necessary for getting ahead in today’s world and just start over? I—a liberal arts major who fantasized about writing all day—now know more than I ever wanted to know about how to...
A Little Mystery Goes a Long Way
When I was a teen, I was a huge fan of Gone with the Wind. I could tell you anything you wanted to know about the book or movie. I loved having all that inside knowledge until the day I came across an interview with Vivien Leigh, who played Scarlett. She commented that she hated...
Art Nights – Great Ideas Giveaway Series
Yesterday I attended the awards ceremony for my daughter’s speech and debate team. They had a stellar year, and I most enjoyed watching the video, which showed talented kids working hard to win, but also creating memories as a team. As artists we often work in isolation. As entrepreneurs, we handle every aspect of our...
Art Amidst the Tumbleweeds
Just returned from a school visit with my good friend and fellow author Natasha Wing. We drove nearly four hours through sagebrush and tumbleweeds to reach the small town of Eads, Colorado, where we were greeted with much fanfare. The children and the art teacher had made posters and hung them throughout the school and...
It’s About Time Finding You
At least once a week someone tells me, I’d love to pursue my art, but I can’t find the time. To which I say, it’s not about you finding time . . . it’s about time finding you. It’s about making a connection to a project so captivating, you simply have to work on it....
How to Fail Successfully
I was recently asked to contribute to an article on “failing successfully.” “I know you’ve been very successful and obviously have a great deal of experience,” the writer told me. Experience in failing? Is that what she meant? I didn’t ask, because the truth is failure is a part of what I do, and that...
Can the Arts Better Lives and Give Hope?
I asked my friend, Rose Moon, why she thought artists were important. “Artists are the storytellers of each generation,” she said. If it weren’t for Rose, the at-risk teens she works with at HalfMoon Arts in Fort Collins, Colorado might never have a voice. In providing art instruction and a safe haven, she is also...
Is This a Good Title?
When it comes to creativity, why do some things come so easily and others seem so very hard? Why do certain great ideas seem to pop out of nowhere, while others take months to form? Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a scientific formula we could apply to ideation: get 8.4 hours of sleep,...
What’s the View from Your Ladder?
The other day, I was listening to an interview with an established speaker who started out, as we all do, as an unknown. One day, through a bizarre twist of fate, a major company asked to partner with him, launching his career. We’ve all heard dozens of stories like his about artists or entrepreneurs who...