The other day, I had scheduled a mid-morning coffee with a friend. I did my exercises first and checked e-mail, leaving myself a full hour to get ready. But sometime during that designated time, my creative mind decided to take a walk. I wound up spending twice as long in the shower as I intended...
Tag: authors
A Little Class, Please
My daughter wants to be an actor. The other night, we were watching an interview with a movie star on one of those late-night TV shows. Out walks this girl, dressed to the nines, who proceeds to tell a story about throwing up. I turned to my daughter and said, “Promise me that if you...
When Artists Dream
When my husband has a nightmare, it goes something like this: he is chased by a bear. When I have a bad dream, it plays out like this: I’m the wife of some Viking-like chieftain, but he is gone, and the neighboring tribe is preparing to invade. My eldest son is not up to the...
I Feel Pretty
When I was a kid, my dad used to sing the song “I Feel Pretty” from the movie West Side Story. Yes, my dad. When I was little, I thought the song was about this hopelessly stuck-up girl who liked to brag about her good looks. Catchy tune or not, I couldn’t understand why he...
Revisiting the Folly of Failure
Today, I’m revisiting one of my most popular posts in this blog, “The Folly of Failure.” I’ve reissued it as a video on my YouTube channel under the playlist “Bursts of Brilliance for a Creative Life.” Take a look and, if it helps move your creative journey forward, please share it with a friend who...
Art and the Butterfly Effect
The other day I was reading a book set in World War II America. Prominently shown in the “Recommended Reading” section at the back was my own book, Dancing in Combat Boots. What an unexpected thrill. I showed it to my usually low-key husband, and even he was impressed. A few days later, we were...
Can Art Ever Offend?
The other day, I had the pleasure of hearing Kevin Kallaugher, the political cartoonist for The Economist magazine. You don’t meet political cartoonists every day—there are actually very few of them—so I was eager to hear what types of questions people would ask during the Q & A. One gentleman asked “Kal” how he handled...
Do You Think Too Much?
Do you remember how, whenever he needed to figure something out, Winnie-the-Pooh would tap his temple and say, “Think, think. Think, think.” Even as a child, I found it interesting that he had to encourage his mind to think. Mine won’t stop thinking. I wish I could tap my temple and say, “Shut up. Shut...
A New Way to Look at Time
I’ve got a treat for you! At least, I hope you see it that way. I’ve decided to do something a bit unusual (and possibly unique) for a blogger. I’ll be taking some of the posts you have identified as your favorites and turning them into videos. I hope that by seeing me and hearing...
Put Happiness on Your Calendar
Two years ago, a friend and I met at a bistro to share a cheese plate and a glass of wine and talk about an idea we had. We were both stressed in different ways, and wanted to find more time for ourselves and for the things we loved. We started by answering this question:...