The Power of Can’t

From the time we are children, we are taught to worship the power of “can.”  “If you can dream it, you can do it.”  “You can do anything you set your mind to.” We never talk, though, about the power of “can’t.”  I recently took a personality test and, apparently, I have a bit of...

Are Gatekeepers Still Relevant?

Several times over the past few years, I’ve listened to colleagues tell me that an editor who loved his/her work had called, sometimes in tears, to say they could not make an offer on their book project. Why? Because the marketing and sales departments at the publishing house decided that the book, though good, was...

It’s All About Me

That’s what I tell my husband and my kids when I’m feeling excited about something. Does that sound selfish? Maybe arrogant? Well, it’s true. When it comes to my art, it is all about me, because only I can bring my particular art and vision and message into the world. Only I can choose when...