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Happy February!
I’m excited for all that this new month will bring, including my Leaping Worlds online creative writing class for historical-fiction and time-travel writers.
Begins Friday, February 10th. There are still a few spaces left, and I’d love to work with you and a friend. Details at: clickety-click.
Also, here’s a favorite and motivating Hafiz quote to enjoy.
To February, and sweet inspiration!
We’re officially about a week into 2023.
New Year’s Day (and January in general) can be a bit of a rollercoaster🎢—fresh starts and anticipation for the next months, yes, but also tinged with bittersweet memories of false starts from the past months and years.
So often at this time of the year, the expectation is for absolute change and immediate results, which can create a lot of pressure and self-judgment. It’s really easy to be hard on ourselves when we put in the work for a few days or weeks, and yet there feels like no forward momentum anywhere in sight.
So often we think setbacks only happen to us, when setbacks are normal, and annoying, unexpected obstructions are part of the journey for everyone. Much of life as an artist and as a sensitive person is unknown and out of our control; let’s gift ourselves kindness, a deep breath, and permission to adjust or detour as we need to.
Goals and dreams are allowed to evolve, stretch, and grow as we, too, grow. Just one teeny-tiny start in the direction of our writing and personal goals can set us up well, especially if we approach goals with flexibility and knowing there’ll be speed bumps. The path might not happen as we thought it would (I’m continually surprised), but it will still be meaningful and worthwhile to keep practicing our art and to keep striving.
Let’s keep our self-talk positive and supportive, as we would for a friend. I tend to forget this one, so I’m reminding myself here. 😁
For today, focus on just one slight step. Follow with another on another day. Onward! 🌞👍
I love me some motivational quotes, particularly if they have an artistic theme. This morning, I ran into this new-to-me quote by Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro.
While Pissarro’s focus is drawing, I think it applies equally well to writing, photography, and many other arts. Ahh, that magical moment when we realize we’ve created “‘something in its true character.’” Priceless!
Couldn’t resist sharing.
If it’s mid-August already, then that means my mind is happily scampering towards thoughts of crisp mornings, crunchy and colorful leaves, and my fall classes.
This fall, I’ll teach a new online class I’ve created, Leaping Worlds—Writing Historical Fiction and Time-Travel Stories. The course starts Sept. 30th and runs for five weeks. Now open for registration at Women on Writing!
Anticipating autumn also makes me start to think about Thoreau, Emerson, and the Transcendentalist writers that my high-school students always used to read from the Norton’s Anthology of American Literature every fall semester during my first years of teaching.
Thoreau in particular always offers up golden nuggets of observation and thought that shimmer in my mind. I notice something different each time I read excerpts of his work, which is one of the pleasures of reading literature more than once and over time.
I made some quote memes recently to share a few of his quotes that resonated during my latest literary perusal. Enjoy!
A motivating arts quote by the incomparable Miles Davis that I made into this image to share. Hope it encourages your artistic process today, too.
Need a little inspo for the writing journey? I’ve got you.
Try: In a Flash!
Writing It Real: Creating an Online Course for Fun and Profit
The Portable Muse (prompt cards)
Writing It Real: Crafting a Reference Book That Sells (pre-order)
So honored to be a part of the conversation today at talented Kate Bradley-Ferrall’s marvelous blog. along with inspired author and writing instructor Sue Bradford Edwards. Check out how “writing in unfamiliar genres can reboot your writing and challenge you in interesting and inspiring ways.” 🎉📝
Ever since I read this quote earlier this week, I’ve been thinking that it would make a perfect prompt for creating a character or journaling. 📝🍵
Photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash .
