Original Impulse HomepageOriginal Impulse

Cynthia Morris

by 6 Comments

Seven Time Management Tips to Write Your Book

This is part of the Claim Your Authority series.
I’m having coffee with a friend, chatting. He makes a declaration of desire to write a book, met by my great enthusiasm.
And then the backpedaling ensues. He pulls out everyone’s best fake excuse.
“I don’t have time,” he claims. But a thread of doubt haunts his statement.
I stare at him, unblinking. My look tells him I know he’s full of it. He squirms. Finally I speak.
“Time is all you have.”
He shrugs and resumes the litany of things that occupy his day, desperately shoring up his excuse for why he’s not writing a book.
I listen, hoping that hearing his own excuses will show him that they’re not truth, but choices. Is that you, clinging to this common excuse?

Lack of time is your biggest fake excuse

I have been coaching creatives on time management since 1999. I know how valid this excuse seems. We believe lack of time is the reason we’re not doing our work.

When we pull this out, everyone nods and commiserates because we’re all victims of the ticking clock and our propensity to fill our time with activities.

But I’ve coached everyone from extremely busy executives to retirees to working mothers, and here’s the truth: you can make time for what’s important to you.

Seven strategies to become a superhero at time management

1. Get real. Disengage from the notion that you do not have time to do what matters to you.
Be a hero, not a victim of your creative impulses.
2. Get clear. Return to your original impulse for writing your book. This is your stake, your driving motivation. If you don’t know this in one gut-vibrating sentence, you will easily blow off your writing sessions for laundry, dates with friends, shopping, whatever.
Use this original impulse as fuel to stay committed to being an author.
3. Get brief. We imagine we need long, uninterrupted hours to do our writing. And while that may be nice, chances are that perfect getaway isn’t the answer to our time dilemma.
Brief writing sessions – 15-30 minutes – add up over time.
4. Get it on the calendar. This is so dead simple, but frankly, most solutions are ridiculously simple.
Block out time on your calendar at the beginning of the week and stick to it like glue. 
5. Get focused. When writing a book, some things need to fall away temporarily. To be a creator, you need to reduce your consumption.
No need to become a hermit; just reduce your time-consuming news, tracking social media, watching TV or movies.
6. Get still. As we spend more time bouncing around online, it gets more difficult to quiet ourselves and focus on the deeper work of writing. Extroverts may find it difficult to step away from the roar and clatter of life, but remind yourself that the pause is only temporary.
Distinguish between these two kinds of attention – fragmented and ‘out there’ and focused on your topic. Balance time between the two.
7. Get support. We tend to honor our commitment to others more than our own self-commitments. Honestly, accountability is one of the main reasons people hire a coach to help them write their books. It’s not that I have such brilliant advice – it’s all pretty simple, as you can see.
We value what we pay for, and if we pay someone to help us, we’re going to rise to the occasion to get our money’s worth.

I know these things work because my clients practice them with great success.

I, too, have to deal with making the best choices with my time. It’s not always easy to step away from the bustle to go into the writing cave, but it’s always, always satisfying.

And it’s these strategies that have allowed me to publish a book, five e-books, hundreds of articles and my novel, Chasing Sylvia Beach.

I want this authority for you. Try this:

Throughout your day, notice the choices you make about how you spend your time.
Notice when you could choose to draft your book instead.

Notice the thoughts or feelings that arise when you consider writing. That – the fears and insecurities – is what is really in the way, not lack of time.

Claim your authority over your time. Watch how your authority grows when you honor your impulse to write your book. 

What choices are you making with your time? What helps you claim your authority so you can write your book?

by 5 Comments

Write Your Book More Easily with a Manifesto

This is part of a series: Claim Your Authority to write the stories only you can.
I knew what I wanted to say. When I talked about my book idea with my colleagues, I felt the fire and the passion of what I want to share with my readers.
This was followed by the impulse to write an introduction, a ‘what this is about’. I wanted to write something that rang true, that would incite joy and possibility and empowerment.
But when I sat down to write my introduction, the idea of drafting something that big and meaningful hindered me. My writing felt stiff and formal.
Does this happen to you? Here’s my solution: write a manifesto for your book and work instead of your book’s introduction.

A manifesto is easier to write than an introduction

A manifesto is about what the impact you’re committed to having for your audience. Thinking about what you want for them will help you get away from the work being about you.
An introduction is an explanation of what is to come. You may not know what exactly will be in your book, so it’s better to write the introduction after you’ve written the book.
A manifesto is a stake – what you’re taking a stand for. It can be used for your work outside the book, if you do workshops or book tours, for example.

Speak your intention

Okay, even though the difference between a manifesto and an introduction is clear, it can still feel difficult to sit down and draft your manifesto.
Try this exercise that I use with my clients and that finally worked for me to carve out what I wanted to say.
(Note: if you have stage fright or dread public speaking, imagine that for the sake of this exercise, you are released of that fear.)
Imagine that you’re in a room full of the people you wish to reach. You’re on stage, looking out over your audience. They’re smiling at you, sending love and appreciation. They are eager to hear what you have to say.

Books photo by Sharon Wharton

You have five minutes to tell them what you want to share. Answer these three questions to get to the heart of your work:

  • What do you want for them?
  • What must they know now?
  • What do you want them to do with the knowledge you’ve given them?

Imagine yourself speaking to your people, from your heart, as if this were your one and only opportunity to do so. The time is now. The need to share your work is urgent.
Feel free to speak it aloud and record it. You can play it back later. Use Dragon Dictation software or other recording device to do it. Or just speak it, then type like mad what you’ve written.
I believe that for this kind of writing, if you’re not crying or nearly crying, you haven’t dug deep enough to write what’s truly meaningful for you.
Imagining a direct and sincere communication with the people you’re writing for can lead you past insecurities that are common at this stage.

Draft your book’s manifesto now

Drafting your manifesto can help you focus on your work as a gift to your people instead of a reflection on how great you are. Your manifesto will help you get out of your own way and hush your inner critic.
This may take several drafts, and it may take time. Don’t worry about it. Get the gist of it out with your manifesto and keep going.
Have you written your manifesto for your life, work or book? How do you use it to fuel your writing? Share in a comment below.
Download a pdf of this article to make Claiming Your Authority easier.
Here are some resources for further exploration on how to write a manifesto.
Life Optimizer
Creativity, Creativity

by 5 Comments

How Writing for ‘Nothing’ Can Give You Everything

As I unpack and move into my new home, I am faced with a decision: do I put my journals on the shelves or boxed in the closet?
Hundreds and hundreds of pages, billions of words. For what?

Stacks and stacks of writing

These 100+ notebooks full of free writing and journaling certainly aren’t interesting to anyone. They aren’t publishable and they haven’t brought me any money.
But these notebooks full of my scribbles form the foundation of my writing career. Without the pages and pages of meandering writing, I wouldn’t have built the confidence to dare publishable pieces.
You may struggle with being asked to spend hours wasting ink on pieces that will not be lucrative or publishable. Yet when I coach my clients past the initial hurdles of writing freely, they are amazed at how good it feels.
Here are three ways free writing leads you to achieve your writing goals.

Get focus and clarity on what to write 

There are so many ways to write and so many subjects to write about. Clocking these hours privately in your notebooks will help you decide where to focus your efforts.
Free writing can clear the confusion to reveal what you want to write next.

Write right past your inner critic to get at your gems

Free writing works for all levels and genres because it allows you to circumvent the uptight inner critic that’s always ready with a reason why you should be doing something ‘worthwhile’.

Enjoy a sense of surprise and discovery

Much of this will never be read by anyone, not even you perhaps. No matter. As Natalie Goldberg taught us in Writing Down the Bones, free writing is a practice that you show up for with little expectation.
Anything could be waiting for you in your pages. Great boredom or great discoveries, for the simple price of your pen to the paper. Allowing for the element of surprise lets you surpass your known limits.
This is where the fun comes into the writing process, when you allow yourself to be led by your pen instead of trying to control everything.

Writing for nothing yields everything

My novel, drafted with free writes

So you see, writing for ‘nothing’ can lead everywhere – more confidence, more self-knowledge, more clarity…more you.
Free writing can make a huge difference if you are a:

  • Professional writer accustomed to working for pay and deadline only.
  • New writer who wants to write but don’t know what.
  • Seasoned writer wanting to shift gears or start a new book.

I don’t need to have my journals in sight to continue gleaning the benefits from them. I’ve used free writing since 1994 and have written hundreds of words that have been read and paid for.
Putting the journals in the closet doesn’t change all the hours and effort I’ve banked by free writing. All that writing for nothing has given me everything in my writing career.
What results have you seen from free writing or from a regular writing practice? How does this kind of writing impact your other writing?

Write freely in February

Join us in February for the Free Write Fling. Because everyone, no matter how busy, can give 15 minutes a day to write what’s inside you.
Sign up here.
Here’s what recent Flingers had to say:
“I am a happier person from giving myself this gift of writing for fifteen minutes in the morning. I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment for having completed it every day no matter what. I am more accepting of myself.
I don’t have to write an award-winning piece every morning. I just have to show up. This has taken a lot of pressure off me.
Thank you for providing a safe arena to explore what is possible. It has really motivated me to keep going.” Julia Atwood
“The Free Write Fling has been a wonderful experience for me.  I wrote every day for 31 days (hooray!), and looked forward each evening to it. The free writes became part of my daily comfort routine.” April Lee
The Free Write Fling starts today. Write daily, starting now.

by 13 Comments

How to Organize the Content of Your Book

When we set out to write our books, we grasp for a structure so we have clarity right away about how to organize our book. That makes sense, but the book’s ultimate structure might not be what you start with.
Still, you must start somewhere. Some possibilities include:

  • Personal narrative
  • How-to based on professional expertise
  • Inspirational daybook
  • Book of your art or photography
  • Fiction, either short stories or a novel

The purpose of the book can inform the structure. These coaching inquiries can elicit clarity about the book’s purpose:

  1. Who is the audience?
  2. What do you want them to feel, think or do after reading your book?
  3. What is the nature of your material – essay or instructional?

Answer the above questions in writing.

If you haven’t already, devote one notebook or computer folder to this project. Gather notes, drafts, ideas and images in one place for easy reference. It doesn’t matter how messy the contents are, just that you have one container for your work.

How will readers interact with your material?

When you know the answers to these questions, you’ll see how people will be experiencing your material. You will know whether you’ll be working mainly with text or also with images, videos or hyperlinks.
Depending on your goals, your material could exist in several forms, depending on how people prefer to interact with it.

Your book* could be:

  • Paperback
  • Electronic book
  • App
  • Webinar
  • Podcasts
  • Installation
  • And more…

*We’ll continue calling it a book for simplicity’s sake.

What form will best hold your material? Jot that down. 

Reminder: Use free writing to get your words on the page quickly and easily. No matter what the final form, I suggest free writing as the way to get your first thoughts out on the page. With these preliminary ideas to work with, you can see where you need to add or take away to hone your message.

Organizing your material by developing a chapter template

Okay, have you gotten a sense of what form your book will take you may feel more at ease. Still, you wonder what will actually be in this non-fiction inspirational book.
Here’s what really helps my clients: develop a chapter template. Brainstorm the elements you want to include in each chapter. These could include:

  • Introduction
  • Stories
  • Suggested work for the reader
  • Inspirational quotations
  • Illustrations or images

Once you have a chapter that works, use that as a template for subsequent chapters. Keep in mind that the ultimate form may change, but at least you have something to start with. It will feel great to have a sense of how you want to organize your book.

List the elements you want to see in each of your chapters.

Identify the following elements I want in each chapter and why:

  • Introduction – to be clear on what this post will give the reader and why they need it
  • Lists – to help a range of readers identify themselves in the writing
  • Reminders – I’m going to assume a certain knowledge of (if not regular  practice of) basic writing strategies.
  • Coaching inquiries – to help authors write from and about what’s true for them and their work, not merely from a formula
  • Suggested homework throughout the text and at the end in a list – for readers to do so they’re writing their books along with me

This post is a sample chapter for me. What does it make you feel, think and do?

Draft a sample chapter to see how each element builds upon and increases the impact of your work. 

To sum up: this week’s writing homework, if you choose to accept it:

  1. Answer the coaching inquiries to clarify your book’s purpose.
  2. Choose an initial form – how-to, memoir, image-based.
  3. Brainstorm elements for each chapter.
  4. Draft a sample chapter.

Let me know in a comment below how this helps you organize your book.

by 4 Comments

Triumph over Editing Despair

On Christmas Eve, I was nestling into bed after a day of play and feasting. While shutting down my computer, I saw the email I’d been waiting weeks for.
My dear friend and editor David Hicks, true to his word, was delivering his comments on my novel before Christmas.

Looking for the light...

I eagerly opened the document. The copious line edits didn’t faze me – I welcome ways to make my prose sing. It was the comments that made this Christmas gift a combination of coal and gold.
In over 300 comments, David pointed out issues both nitty and gritty. Consistency issues, abandoned plot threads, and confusing red herrings were all highlighted.
I quickly shut the document down and ducked toward sleep. Yet the feeling of despair had rooted in, and I spent most of Christmas day in a state of numb weightiness.
Why is revision so difficult?
With every draft past say, draft twelve, I’ve asserted that this was the LAST ONE. With every draft, I was sure I had reached the limit of my persistence. With every draft, I’ve spent at least a year doing the work to make this book not only readable, but excellent.
With a June launch date and plans well under way to get this novel into the world, the last thing I wanted to face was another deep revision.
I spent the last week of 2011 getting my head around this. Trying to shed the weight of the impending work, I turned once again to my coaching skills.
Little problems and big decisions
Sometimes another revision feels like a death sentence!

The thought of hours of wading through David’s comments induced a strong desire to give up and flee. Bleak moments.
But I’ve been here before, and this time I noticed what was below the bleakness: irritation.
I was seeing every comment as a problem to fix. The more comments, the more problems. The more ways I had gotten it wrong and the more work I had to do.
This insight helped me deal with the work ahead. I don’t like problems. I don’t like when things break down or need tending to. Understanding this helped me get a grip.
But dispensing with the little problems, there were now the bigger issues of plot and character. Things I need to think about and change. Make decisions.
Voila two things that I don’t excel at – enjoying solving little problems and making decisions. I can do it, but I don’t like it.
It’s never been more clear to me that how we do something is as important as what we do. I couldn’t do this final revision with this weight on me.
What shifts perspective?
Two things work for me: both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Deadlines and meaning help me triumph over editing despair.
Deadlines   
The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest is here again. The deadline is January 23rd. When I read David’s comments, I suspected I wouldn’t be able to finish the book until the end of February.
An January deadline is just crazy enough to jump-start my challenge value. Can she do it? is the guiding impulse here. I’m driven to expedite this revision, not just with speed but with accuracy – to write well and strongly.
An archetype saves me
Several times during the last week of 2011 the Chariot tarot card appeared for me. The Chariot archetype represents success and forward movement. Cheers to that – the novel moving on and into the world, and me with it.
But further study showed me that the Chariot also points us to manage emotions, using the fiery forces within to move forward, not get overwhelmed and stuck.
I need both of those concepts for myself – control over the emotional maelstrom in writing and a sense of forward movement.
Using this image and energy, I am driving toward a January 23rd deadline. I work every day on the novel. I have accepted most of the line edits and am moving through the comments.
I feel a great sense of purpose and commitment, like I am riding that Chariot, and it’s taking me where I want to go. I relish this, because I earned it.
I am grateful to have found both a perspective and a process that will allow me to do this final, final, final revision.
I am more than halfway through draft 16. At this pace, I think I can make the January 23 deadline.
What about you?
What do you find most difficult about the revision process? 
What perspective and process will you choose to keep going?
Take a second and tell us works for you to keep going in your creative projects.

by Leave a Comment

2011 Annual Review Part Two

Last week I published part one of my annual review. This is an exciting and unwieldy process. So much to reflect on and learn from!

My coaching and teaching work

Why I love my job: people are amazing.

I’m so proud of the leaps my clients have made and have been sharing those in my newsletter, Impulses. I raise a toast to my clients who this year got book deals, completed books, and launched businesses. Major achievements!
Such devotion inspires me. This is why I’ve been in business for over 12 years: amazing people who are ready, willing and able to take their creative leaps.

My Make Writing a Happy Habit and Free Write Fling online courses continue to be a great source of joy. The participants love the way they connect more deeply and more easily with their stories. I’m grateful to each of my students who honor me by sharing their writing journey with me.

My practices: writing, art, yoga
The things I devote my time to seem to be on an endless loop. There’s always more work to do, always more to show up for, always room for opening and improvement.
It’s a life of steady practice.

Writing, art making and yoga provide the portal for me to develop my mind, body and soul. These practices kick my ass and still compel me to get up and go for more.

Writing

On Christmas Eve, my editor friend David sent me his notes for the final revision of Chasing Sylvia Beach. Sigh. There’s more work to be done before I can say it’s complete.
Deep sigh. Gnashing of teeth. Resolve to continue the practice.
My target completion date is February 29th, 2012, leap day.
My blog content is all mapped out for 2012. I will share about my novel and its publication. I’ll also be writing about how to Claim Your Authority – to write the stories that you must write now. This is an exciting new focus for me and I can’t wait to share this work with you.

Making Art

My secret desire is to be an artist. But I’m a writer and I decided years ago that to excel in one area you must neglect the other areas.
Right now my art making is a simple practice of showing up in my journal on a regular, daily basis. I am in practice for being an illustrator…someday.

After finishing my novel in May, I returned to the illustrated journal. I completed six Moleskine accordion notebooks and one larger watercolor notebook. I get great pleasure from these notebooks and also had a glimmer of how I might make art as part of my novel launch.

Yoga

In February, I will mark my 16th anniversary of practicing yoga. After one of my first classes, I remember biking slowly home and thinking, “I want to do this every day.”

In 2011, I enjoyed 9 months of 4-5 times a week classes. In Paris, I spent an ungodly amount of money for an unlimited monthly pass.
But being ensconced in a safe, sacred yoga studio kept me balanced. Biking or métroing across the city four or five times a week for classes conducted in French gave me strength and nurturing that I need. I also learned a lot of new vocabulary. (My favorite is omo plates, or shoulder blades.)

Without this yoga practice I wouldn’t be able to do my other practices and my work. I’m eternally grateful for my teachers and my body.

Insights and areas for improvement

At the end of 2012, I find I’ve come to the end of several cycles. There’s a way in which my extensive travel and nomadism isolates me from my communities. While some time away from home is good, I see how being nomadic makes it difficult for me to have the kind of focus I want for my work and writing.

For my travel next year, I’ll focus on delivering workshops and presentations with my new theme, Claim Your Authority. In this way, I’ll be able to travel but also to connect more to local communities.
Like all creative professionals, I’m constantly learning how to be a better businesswoman and make the best use of my time, resources and talents. And how to have fun so I’m not working all the time!

I have the great good fortune of having a great team helping me with my business. And, I can see how I need to delegate some major systems tasks. Continuing to hire help will be the only way I’ll be able to pull off my major objectives next year.

How about your year?

Have you done your version of the annual review? Please do not skip this vital process. It makes such a difference for planning the upcoming year’s successes.
I’ve created an annual review form to use if you’d like to try it. You can also add your own categories and structure for what’s meaningful in your life.

2012: My Best Writing Year Ever

I fully plan to have my best writing year ever. In 2012, I have two major objectives:

  1. Publish my novel, Chasing Sylvia Beach, in June, 2012.
  1. Write prolifically on the Original Impulse blog. I’ll share the story of how I finally managed to finish my novel as well as advanced access to my next book, Claim Your Authority: Write the Stories Only You Can. 

It’s my intention that both of these projects I am working on will help you grow and enjoy your writing. Join me and don’t miss a thing. Take these two steps:

  1. Sign up here for my newsletter, Impulses to get advance news and insider deals.
  2. Subscribe to the blog in the upper right corner and get immediate notice of new articles.

by 28 Comments

Allure of the Boomerang Life Fades

I don’t consider myself a flighty person, but I do notice my pattern of ‘grass is greener’ syndrome. If I’m in Denver, I long for Paris. In Paris, I grow weary of the urban attitude and wish I were in Colorado with friends and space instead of strangers and bustle.
The boomerang way

Boomerang

From 1993 to 1999 I worked at Capitol Hill Books in Denver. I wasn’t there contiguously; instead, I came and went as I explored writing, teaching and the world. My co-workers finally stopped throwing going away parties. I dubbed myself ‘Boomerang’.
Do you, too, long for something other than what you have? Perhaps you’re a boomerang too, whether in your thoughts or actions.
In the studio, you have a tug to be with friends. With loved ones, you want to be back home working on that piece you’re obsessed with. This desire to be elsewhere seems common for creatives.
My work as a coach is to keep posing this question: what do we need to do our best creative work? The answer will be different for everybody and will change over time.
Boomerang lifestyle loses its allure
Back in July, it seemed like a good idea to pack everything up and move to Paris. I had travel plans that took me to Europe and a seven-week dog sitting gig for a friend. I thought I might as well stay over the winter and come back in spring to launch my novel, Chasing Sylvia Beach.
In August I discovered that wasn’t the best idea. For a number of reasons.
Since I packed up my things and decamped to Paris, I’ve realized a lot. Spending 10 of the last 15 weeks alone gave me a lot of time to reflect. I’ve taken the hero’s journey again, leaving home to gain perspective and unearth vital new truths.
I discovered that I do not want to live in France. I had this sense when I was here in 2008, but it’s solidified now. My lifelong dream to follow in Sylvia Beach’s footsteps and be a Frenchy isn’t true for me anymore. I can visit France when it feels right.
I also realized how much help I will need to publish and launch my novel. I’ve lived in Colorado for twenty years and have developed solid relationships with writers, editors and artists. It occurred to me that distancing myself from my network at this crucial time would be nuts.
Sure, we all connect online, but that’s not the same as running into someone at a gathering and catching up in person. This is something that location independence lifestyle can never replace – near and dear connections with your local community.
It also costs one third more to be in France. I believe the energy required to live in a foreign country is also at least one third more. I am publishing my novel in June and I want all my vital resources (energy, time and money) going to that project.
Settling in to focus
I am learning how to be where I am without yearning for another place. I have had this sense of ‘wanting elsewhere’ my entire life. As a child, I wanted to be free to explore. I found this freedom in books. Now I look for the ‘be here now’ approach to relishing and appreciating my life no matter where I am.
I’m back in Colorado and will be settling into a new home in Denver. I’ll always be asking the question: What environment best helps me complete my creative projects?
 Do you feel this boomerang (back and forth) pattern in your life or creative work? How does it help or hinder you? 

by Leave a Comment

A Bookish Legacy – Shakespeare & Company Bookshop

George Whitman, owner of Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, died last week at age 98. He left behind one of the greatest bookstores in the world, a ‘great good place’ that welcomed booklovers and writers and became an iconic, must-visit living Parisian landmark.
Sylvia Beach was the original founder of the original Shakespeare and Company in Paris. In 1919, with a check for $3,000 from her mother, she opened the first English language lending library and bookshop in the French capitol.
After two decades of saintly devotion to Anglophone readers in Paris, Sylvia shuttered the store. Faced with the Nazi threat, she hid all the books upstairs and effectively erased any trace of the place she’d so lovingly tended.
After the war, American GI George Whitman, a free spirit and bibliophile, arrived in Paris. He opened a small bookshop named the Mistral, and later moved to the rue de la Bucherie, across from Notre Dame cathedral, and launched his own version of Shakespeare and Company.
These two Americans staked a claim in Paris for those who devoted to books and the people who write them. Sylvia and George shared the characteristics one needs to operate a bookshop: blind faith, tenacity and above all else, an unshakable commitment to books.
I wonder what Sylvia and George would think about electronic publishing and the ability to buy and consume books without ever having to encounter another person. I think it’s great, and I also believe that we need the quirky, creaky bookshops of the world.
No online shopping or tablet reading can replace the poignancy of being in a space devoted to and packed with collections of paper that can transport, transform, and enliven. The act of browsing in a space packed to the ceiling with books is one of the simple pleasures of life.
A bookish legacy continues
Both Sylvia and George died peacefully in their respective apartments above their respective Shakespeare and Company bookshops. George’s young daughter Sylvia will continue to operate the iconic Paris bookshop.
The legacy that has been given – a place where book signings, concerts, film screenings, festivals, discussions and yes, indeed, even the commerce of books — will continue, accompanied as always by the sound of the bells of Notre Dame ringing out from across the street.
I think if Sylvia could see the bookshop now, she’d be smiling, knowing that her cause of serving writers and readers continues. Rest in peace, George Whitman, and may your bookish legacy live long and strong.

by 12 Comments

Why I Help Writers

Pointing the way to the houseboat museum. Lifting someone’s luggage up the subway stairs with him. Taking a photo of a couple on a bridge. Sharing my map with a woman and her daughter.
I can’t not help. When I see someone in need, my first impulse is to help.

This says it all: I'm holding the space for someone to spark their juju

I was recently asked to write about why I do what I do. Why do I coach writers and artists? Why do I guide people to claim their own authority so they can write their stories?
Perhaps it hearkens back to my days of a different kind of service, when I waited tables and sold books at a corner bookshop. People came in and I was there to help. This urge to serve is embedded in my social code, and in my work ethic.
A positive perspective for writers
Years ago, as a young writer, I attended a reading at the Tattered Cover in Denver. I don’t recall the author, but I do remember his message: the writing life stinks, publishing sucks, and if you take him as a model, by the age of 50 you’ll be cranky and bitter, all your words washed away by the uncaring, cruel world.
On the bus home from that discouraging talk, something rose up in me. A determination. A resolve. A knowledge that the sour author was speaking a truth – his truth. And that while the writing life may be an uphill battle, it was one I couldn’t deny.
My clients and students are like me – hearing the call to write and despite all good advice to run far and fast from the writing impulse, they’re heeding it. Following in the footsteps of Julia Cameron, I believe that if you have the impulse to write, you must follow it.
A fool’s journey
To take up the pen and write is an act of foolish courage. It requires bravery, and a willingness to shut away all the negative voices that shout their bad advice (to paraphrase poet Mary Oliver).
How and what we see is reflected in our writing

I know how tender we are when we step forth and admit we want something. When clients and students ask for my help developing their writing life, I already believe they are heroes and am honored to help.
I help with them overcome the issues creative people face. I help boost their confidence. I help sharpen their focus. I help clear away the inner and outer underbrush that gets us tangled up when we try to create something.
All of this helping helps me, too. I feel connected to the rushing river of the creative process, in all its eddies and twists. I feel connected to others, to our deep humanity that so truly wants to generate good things. And I feel connected to my own impulse to write, the humility and grace that’s required to keep on writing.
Even when I’m in a foreign country, people constantly stop and ask me for directions. I think they sense I’m a helpful person. It makes my day to point the way for others. It’s my work, and I’m grateful to do it.
I teach, coach and write because I am here to help people express their unique selves and claim their creative authority. Here’s more about my work. 
Why do you do what you do? 

by 3 Comments

Mine Your Journals for Writing Gems

You may have been happily journaling for years. Perhaps you used your journal to write your way through a transformative life experience.

One day, you feel the impulse to poke around in your pages to see what’s there and how you can share it with the world.
You may find stories, poems, or even just a few great sentences that you may be able to use elsewhere. You never know what gold is waiting in your journals until you get in there and explore.

Here are fourteen steps to mine the gems from your journal. 

Don’t worry yet about where you’ll publish anything.

Read through and flag the entries that move you. Use sticky notes or dog-ear the page. 

Schedule time to start typing things up. 

Honor those writing time commitments. 

Begin to type the entries. Feel free to simply enter them as they are or edit as you go – adding, embellishing, deleting. Just commit to typing up the whole entry. 

Do this without judging or worrying about whether anyone else will find it interesting. This is critical – you will doubt if anyone else cares. If you like it, keep going. 

While doing this, your challenge will be to be completely honest. When you find your finger heading toward the delete key, know that you have something good and keep it. (We often want to censor our best work.) Let this draft be for your eyes only so you have the courage to leave the good stuff in. 

You will at some point start worrying and wondering how all this is coming together. Trust the process. Trust the content. Be curious and keep exploring. 

Print your typed entries.

Take yourself to a pleasant place – a café, the park, wherever – and read your pieces. See what moves you, see what inspires you. Make notes for things you’d like to expand or change.

Choose one piece and choose a place where you’d like to submit it.

Find out the submission criteria for that publication. Follow these guidelines when you submit. Or, decide when you’ll publish the piece on your blog or any other way you plan to share it.

Do any final polishing, then send or post your essay.

Celebrate your efforts of bringing a piece from your journal to the world!

What helps you choose the best nuggets from your journals? How do you know when you’ve penned something you want to share?

by 3 Comments

Prioritizing for Creatives With Too Many Ideas

You’re gifted with tons of ideas, which all seem great. And you want to do all of them now.
The problem is, you’re not the goddess Kali, gifted with many arms and the ability to multitask. You have to choose. You have to prioritize.
Every client and student I’ve worked with has this challenge. I do, too. With so many things to do, how to know what to do and when? Here’s what my clients and I find works.
Start big, work small
Know what you want in the bigger picture. What are you doing in this life? What are you trying to achieve?
Having clarity on you’re about and how you want to execute that will help you choose projects that align with your vision.
Work with the calendar
At the start of each year, take time to explore your focus for the year. If you’re an artist or writer, is this year about producing work? Or is it time to put your work into the world?
Understanding where you are in your creative cycle will help you focus on what’s important. This will make it easier to say no to things that aren’t related to your focus.
From your annual focus, break it down quarterly. What is each quarter of the year about? What resources do you need, what actions do you need to take, what help do you need?
You may not be able to answer these questions past the first quarter, but even one quarter is a great start.
From the quarterly viewpoint, break it down into weekly actions. Again, you may not be able to plan it all out, but a sense of each week’s work will help.
Each week, get clear on the thing(s) you most want to achieve that week. Keep this to three or fewer items. Be sure you’re breaking bigger items (write novel) into smaller tasks (draft chapter one, write back story for characters X and Y).
Every day, when you go to work, do the same thing: identify the thing you most want to accomplish that day. Have no more than three things on this daily list.
This may not be the thing you want to do. It may be the thing that gives the most satisfaction to you, or that brings you closer to completing your goal.
When other opportunities spring up, ask yourself how they align with your bigger picture goals and focus. Learn to say ‘no’ as a way to say ‘yes’ to what’s really important to you.
Keep breaking it down
One mistake people make is thinking that once they set their priorities with their vision or even a weekly plan, it should be easy to follow.
But you have to keep driving yourself to reprioritize. I use this system and still have to keep asking myself throughout the day, “What now? What now?” After I complete each task or project, I consult my list.
The secret is to spend a little time planning. Plan the year, the quarter, the month, the week, the day. You’ll feel more satisfied on a daily basis and on an annual basis, you’ll see the results you want.
What helps you prioritize? How will you try my suggestions here? 
Coaches help prioritize
One of the things that really helps to prioritize and take meaningful action is working with a coach. Earlier this year I hired a coach to help me with my business. I tell you, when you plunk down money to work with someone who has your best interests in mind, you get clear on your priorities.
My coach helped me see the bigger picture and identify specific actions to attain my goals. It worked. 2011 was my best fiscal year ever. I finished my novel, increased my reach, and felt happier and more empowered by it. I published more, traveled more, and enjoyed life more.
This is what I experience when I prioritize. This is what my clients experience when they prioritize.
I have a few spaces open for new clients in 2012. My rates will be increasing slightly on January 13th. If you need help prioritizing, send me an email and we’ll talk about how to get started with our work together.

by 4 Comments

What Is Your Public Contribution?

The Place de la Concorde métro station in Paris is paneled with white tiles. On these white tiles are blue letters so when the train comes into the station, you feel as if you’re entering a tunnel of words. But only if you use the pause to see the letters will you see that they’re not random letters.
One day I picked out ‘contribution publique’. Public contribution. I love that. It made me question my contribution.
What am I contributing to the public space?
Often it’s something along the lines of:

  • Irritation
  • Hurriedness
  • Anxiety

When I become conscious of my state of being, I can slow down and choose something other than grumpiness.
I do this thing in airports where there’s a lot of tension and anxiety. I consciously emanate calmness. Moving slowly through the space, I act as if there’s no need for fear or worry. I relax and trust that all is well. I usually find a wall to the side of the waiting area and practice a few yoga asanas.
Often I see people start doing their own pre-flight stretches. People have approached me and asked about yoga. I see the ripple effect of a few public stretches. I know I’ve sent out:

  • Calmness
  • Peace
  • Trust

For my life online, my policy is to not put negative comments into the space. Often I want to complain about something. A snarky response dances at the edge of my fingertips, wanting to get out there and show how clever and smart I am.
But I hold back. That’s not the contribution I want to make.
I can do this anywhere – send out ‘good vibes’. This is one possible contribution publique, to be mindful of the energy I put into the world around me.
The Occupy Movement is another public contribution. Giving money or food to people begging on the street is another public contribution.
As part of the American Thanksgiving celebration, consider your public contribution.
What do you contribute and what would you like to contribute?