This post originally ran on July 2, 2022 and is reprinted here in honor of Thanksgiving Week I’ve been reading a book called Real: The Inside-Out Guide to Being Yourself by Clare Diamond. In Part One, Diamond deconstructs “self” by telling us all the things we are not. We are not our thoughts, emotions, beliefs,...
Tag: joy
The Real Treat of Halloween
I’m sorry to admit, Halloween has never been my favorite holiday. But I give it due credit for being one of our most creative holidays. Witness all the clever yard displays in your neighborhood, or the variety of spooky or adorable appetizers popping up on your social media feeds, or the myriad Halloween-themed crafts you...
What Is Your Soul Telling You? – Revisited
This post originally ran on May 27, 2023 “I paint to let my soul know I am listening.” That’s a comment a friend posted on one of my social media pages in response to one of my blog posts. I’ve seen her work, and its beautiful and unique. It brings me joy just looking at...
The Best Equation for Creativity
One of the definitions of faith is, “the complete trust in someone or something.” Each January, the members of my women’s group choose a personal word for the year. This year, I chose the word “faith,” as defined above. Why? Because in 2023, I was operating from a place of faith regarding multiple projects for...
Still Living in the Summer of ’79
This past week on my newsletter, I wrote about wishing this year I could have the kind of summer I had when I was 12. You know, staying up late playing hide-and-go-seek in the dark, sleeping in and watching game shows all morning, reading books, and splashing in the pool. Spending lots of time laughing...
Let Loose Your Harebrained Ideas
My husband and I have reached some turning points in our creative endeavors, including the ones we’re working on as a team. So, I suggested that every day for a month, we write down one harebrained idea for how we could advance our work or make more money. I called them “harebrained ideas” because I...
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...
What Did Your Favorite Toy Say About You?
Did your favorite toy as a child predict your future? Is it possible we understand our journey in life long before we can even articulate it? I was pondering those questions when I decided to give a stuffed Snoopy to my friend’s daughter for her first birthday. Snoopy was my first love, long before I...
A Better Question Than “Are You Happy?”
So often I’ve said, “All I want is for my kids to be happy.” What mother wouldn’t? We humans ask each other all the time, “Are you happy?” The assumption is if you answer no, you’re doing something wrong. You need to get back on the happiness track. For almost 55 years now, I’ve believed...
Matchup: Mind vs. Heart
I raised my kids to follow their hearts; to trust their intuition. I truly believe our gut responses are often the best. So why is it so hard sometimes to just “go with the gut”? Why do our minds feel the need to try to override our intuition? So many times, I get an immediate...