With the release of her new book about creativity, Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert (known for her book Eat Pray Love) is in the news. A little over a month ago, a blog reader sent me this interview that Marie Forleo did with Gilbert. I had heard of her prior to that but had not read anything of…
“How do I get better at writing?” Two people close to me have asked me this question recently. They have followed it with one or two (or likely more) fears, anxieties, or giant big problem-reasons why they can’t seem to get over whatever THING is getting in the way of them putting words down.…
In August, I wrote about how much I love Scrivener. If you didn’t get a chance to read it, go do it here. (Even if you’re not a writer, you might want to give it a look. If you hate Word as much as I did, Scrivener might be worth it, even if you don’t…
So you have all these ideas, right? This idea and that idea and that other one over there. Ideas are everywhere. You have a giant list of them somewhere in your notes, and you add to it whenever something strikes you. (You do this, right? I’m not the only one?) How do you choose among…
Nirrimi Firebrace. What kind of name is that? I thought, as I walked to the appropriate building for Nirrimi’s workshop on the third day of the creativity convention I was attending, Promoting Passion. I knew nothing about her besides the description in the convention’s agenda, which was a bit vague. She was a blogger and…
In one of my recent e-mails to my subscribers, I asked my readers to share what they’re struggling with creatively. One reader said she has trouble getting to the Work (painting, in her case) — not so much because of time constraints, but because she can’t get past a paralyzing inner fear. She has creative…
A writer friend of mine called me “prolific” recently. Well, he said I was more prolific than he is, but still. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I don’t feel prolific. I never have. I’ve always felt like I’m not doing enough. Whatever I’m doing, I could be doing more. I should…
Are you on the hunt for good fiction? Are you finding yourself lost, staring at the shelves, not sure where to turn? Are you feeling like there used to be so much great stuff to read, but now … most of the books you look at just seem … shallow? Yeah, well, me, too. I…
If you’re working a day job or going to school AND making art, you’re my hero. If you stay positive about it most of the time, you’re my even bigger hero. Seriously. I know how tough it is. Every day, it hurts you. It drains your energy. It makes you drag your feet. You’re…
What software do you use? A lot of writers use Microsoft Word, and if you’re one of them, I feel for you. I send you my deepest, most heart-felt sympathy. I used to use Word, too. I know how much precious writing time you waste digging around for the right Word document with your research…
