I was an “indoorsy” kid, as comedian Jim Gaffigan would say. My idea of a relaxing Saturday was sleeping in late, eating a big breakfast, reading my book, and then watching back-to-back showings of classic movies on one of our four channels. My mother would often push me outside and tell me to stay there....
Tag: soul
Art and Gratitude
This year, it’s really simple: I’m grateful for all the art in my life. The art I produce, the art you produce, the art we love, and the art that challenges us. The art that spurs conversation and the art that settles the soul. The art that comes from our hands and our voices, but...
Of Poetry and Art That Dwells in Your Heart
The other day, I invited two poets, Veronica Patterson and Lisa Zimmerman, to speak to one of my writing groups. They talked about how poetry predates written language and how it’s in all of us. They pointed out that little kids speak naturally in metaphor. For example, when you ask them how something felt, they...
My Perfect Place to Read and Create
A reader of this blog recently wrote to ask me how I would describe my perfect reading nook. Being a writer, she assumed I must also love to read. And I do! She described her own perfect place, which intrigued me. But when I went to respond to her, I realized I couldn’t identify just...
The Artist in Me Thanks the Artist in You
Today I’m grateful for the artists. The writers, poets, singers, musicians, dancers, actors, filmmakers, photographers, painters, sculptors, potters, weavers, architects, and craftsmen whose art is the axis on which this world turns. Without artists, we would have no understanding of cultures long gone. It is their pottery, cave paintings, and temples which we study to...
The Answer is Always Now
Should I start that book I’ve been wanting to write now, or wait till after my sister’s wedding? Should I take that watercolor class now or wait until I have a bit more money? Should I go to that play I’ve been dying to see tonight, or wait to see if I can find someone...
What to Do with Your Crazy Ideas
“Have you ever watched someone’s face when they utter the words, ‘I have a crazy idea’? It lights up! Why? Because in that moment they are experiencing untethered imagination, when the words ‘what if’ seem oh, so possible.” Those are the opening lines to my new video “What to Do with Your Crazy Ideas.” It’s...