You’re ready to create what’s inside you. Finally, you’re at a place where you can devote yourself to your creativity.
At Original Impulse, you’ve found a safe haven to dedicate yourself to projects that matter to you. Through online workshops, creativity retreats, our long-term creativity apprenticeship and customized one:one coaching, we are here to make writing a fun and vibrant part of your life.
Be sure to subscribe to Impulses to unlock your creative genius right away.
Get my popular book, The Busy Woman's Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book and start writing your book today.
What fun to be on Kimberly Wilson’s podcast Tranquility du Jour. The current season of the podcast focuses on midlife, reinvention at midlife and how creativity plays a role in our well-being.
Among other things, we discussed balancing writing, art, and business by embracing seasonal shifts in focus.
I have the great good fortune to know Kimberly and to spend time with her in Paris, and this conversation was a delight. Enjoy!
I filled this custom-designed accordion notebook in a week, using our fun, easy and quick sketchbook practices. Writing, drawing, filling pages with the delight that is Lisbon.
Three spots left in our April, 2025 Capture the Lisbon Wow! Reserve your spot here!
Coaching Paul Wyman was a joy. Paul, a seasoned coach, wanted to take a program he designed and make it into a book. When he came to me, he had done several drafts but didn’t feel able to pull it all together. Smart, accomplished and driven, he is like many of my clients who have a specific idea but struggle to organize it.
It seems counterintuitive that someone would have a model they teach, live programs that they deliver and a solid sense of their material – but still struggle to turn it into a book. But this is super common. Writing a book is its own animal.
But we did it. Paul was able to find time and space to bring his draft into finished form. I don’t often edit clients’ books, but Paul also hired me to edit his manuscript. Now, his book, Part of Me: Learn Who You Really Are, What’s Driving You, and How to Get Out of Your Own Way, is now available in paperback. Paul trains coaches in Inner Team Dialogue, and works with executives and leaders to help them understand themselves better.
It was such fun to work with Paul on this book and I am thrilled by how well it turned out and how quickly he brought it to the world. From the acknowledgement page of Part of Me:
A huge thank you to my brilliant writing coach and editor Cynthia Morris, for her unwavering support as I discovered my winding path to being an author. This book wouldn’t exist without her clarity, flexibility and insight.
Based on the premise that we have many parts to our personality, Part of Me reveals not only answers what parts are, it reveals how they work, how they can help you understand your thinking, your emotions and your behaviors, and most importantly, how you can work with your parts to get out of your own way.
This book takes self-awareness to the next level. Fifty of the most common parts of the personality are profiled in detail, so you can identify which is most active in you, which is causing the problems you repeatedly experience, and what to do to get your Inner Team working for you, not against you.
It’s thrilling to see a client finish a book!
It was a great honor to work with Cindy Lusk to write her book and get onto the publication path. We met in 2001 when I was a student and she was a teacher at the Yoga Workshop in Boulder. I knew right away she was what I consider the ‘real deal’ of yoga teachers. Her ongoing studies of the Yoga Sutras and the way she brought these teachings into her asana teaching made the classes so much more than mere calisthenics.
Cindy epitomizes what I mean when I say I work with smart, soulful people writing world-changing books. Writing a book takes time, and over several years, Cindy focused on getting her ideas onto the page. It’s ideal to work with someone this motivated to get a book done and published.
Cynthia’s coaching helped me get started writing the book, put systems in place, and provided tools so I could be successful both practically and psychologically. Her supportive accountability was critical to keep me going when I otherwise may have quit. Cynthia provided a variety of information, suggestions, and feedback that allowed me to discover my most productive and fulfilling creative process. Her support was invaluable in getting a draft of my book done.
I learned so many skills and gained confidence in my own process that I was able to continue my work independently. When I finished the book and faced the publishing mountain, I returned for more coaching from Cynthia. She supported me through creating a book proposal that was far superior to anything I could have done on my own.
It has been instrumental for me to have Cynthia in my corner as I’ve moved through this process. My work with Cynthia has taught me about my own process, and what works best for me and instilled confidence in my ability to complete and publish a book. – Cindy Lusk
Cindy Lusk, Ph.D., has written the book she wishes she had as a student of yoga nearly forty years ago.
Align and Refine: The Journey of Yoga and Meditation describes the journey of yoga and meditation from the perspective of a modern-day yogi, emphasizing traditional teachings from Classical Yoga and Tantra in a way that is accessible and applicable.
It considers the human condition, the impulse for something more, and how yoga and meditation allow the refinement of one’s individuality, alignment with the highest self within, and the emergence and embodiment of yogic qualities for the benefit of oneself, society, and the world at large.
Find more about Cindy’s book and yoga classes here.
Sometimes I feel guilty that in the realm of writing and creating, I really know what works for me and what doesn’t. Owning my process and honoring it reduces SO much stress.
I trust myself, and I know how to manage the inner and outer obstacles of making. This allows me to focus on the real work = the very challenging work of writing a good novel!
But then I remember that guilt does no good, and that I have devoted my entire professional life to helping others feel this kind of creative empowerment. I want this kind of confidence for everyone.
My work as a coach focuses on helping people know, love, and trust their own creative process. Sure, people hire me to help them with their writing. But we do that by helping them clarify and honor their own whackadoodle ways of getting things done.
I’ve taken everything I know about how we can honor our creative habits and put it into a program I am certain you will love.
Your Artist Knows the Way is a free program on Substack. In it, I guide you through writing your own manual for your artist. What do they love? What do they need to create more easily? You’ll find out and capture it in a way that will change your creativity forever.
You’ve probably read plenty of how-to books on productivity and creativity. You’ve possibly failed to stick with their advice and been left feeling like it’s your fault.
I believe the way to being satisfied with our creative output is to know our artist inside and out.
Your Artist Knows the Way is not another how-to program. It’s a know-you process designed to help you release your abundant creativity in fun, empowering ways.
Each month features a different theme, with three invitations. You can get a free subscription, or you can upgrade to paid interaction with me, discounts on coaching with me, and handy PDFs at the end of the month so you have all the invitations in one place.
You are going to LOVE this! Come on over and check it out.
PS This is a great thing to do with friends, so pass this on to your creative buddies so you can do it together.
Don’t have creative buddies? They are waiting to get to know you in Your Artist Knows the Way!
What’s your plan for staying on track with your writing project this summer? This year’s sunny season is different for me. I have a couple of big projects plus a coaching skills training I am taking. I’m also hosting a 14-week session of Write ON, my coaching group for writers with a project they must focus on. We have a few spots left, and we start soon. Find out if you are a fit for Write ON here.
If you’re reading this newsletter, you are an artist of some kind. A writer, painter, knitter, gardener, chef…your creativity is a force of nature that you must express. You likely have experienced the consequences when you don’t let your art into your life on the regular. If your creativity is on the shelf too long:
Our original impulse, the drive to make things that matter, is as necessary as our need to eat, be sheltered and be connected to others. I assert that creating belongs on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
I’ve been coaching creative people to be their most creative selves for 25 years. When we make space for our creative work, more happiness, more connection, and more satisfaction come almost immediately. This satisfaction ripples out into all areas of their life like a radiating sun. When we’re happy creators, everything is better.
Here’s a note from Tina Bettison, a client who knew she needed her creativity back:
“When I think back to how I felt a year ago – lost, depressed, grieving, unsure of who I was and the point of my existence – and how I feel now, I’m soooo different. Soooo alive. Coaching with you has literally turned my life around and given me back myself.”
Creativity is not optional. Our original impulse must be heeded. I believe that we derive our vitality from our creativity. When we are making things or writing, we feel alive. We feel a sense of purpose. Getting lost in our creative work is its own escape.
You feel most alive and happy when you’re creating. It’s your birthright and it’s who you are. To not create means unhappiness, and dissatisfaction and detracts from the overall quality of life. I believe creating must go on the list of other essentials like food, shelter, love, money.
When I wrote my ebook, Cross the Finish Line, I realized something profound.
It’s okay to dabble, explore, and have a lot of creative interests. And when we finish a meaningful project, we glean the deep gifts of that work. Finishing and publishing my novel revealed to me that I am a tenacious person whose commitment goes beyond the many challenges that arose during the thirteen years it took to write.
Imagine the enormous confidence that I gained from recognizing myself as a persistent person. With that confidence, I crafted a new vision of myself. I used that new self-perception to step up to more creative projects.
I want everyone to be creatively fulfilled – on their own terms. Knowing what works for us is key to making things that make us whole. This belief is at the core of what I am making for you. I hope/plan/intend to launch it sometime next month!
In the meantime, I’d love to hear about the challenges that stand in the way of you fulfilling your creative destiny. Feel free to share your inner and outer obstacles here.
Writing a book is messy, even for seasoned authors. Wrangling your material into cohesive shape is real work. There will be times when you sag with despair and cry out “This is a mess!” Rest assured. This is normal. This is not a function of your ineptitude, the lameness of your book or your inability to pull it all together. It’s part of the process of writing a book. Take a deep breath and trust yourself. Let’s look at how to sort this mess out. Be patient; it might take some time.
Depending on where you are with the process, it might be helpful to print the book up. Many of us are writing in one long on-screen document. Scrolling can be a nightmare, and rolling back and forth can contribute to your feeling of chaos. If you have a draft, even a shaggy draft, print the whole thing. Make sure that the pages are 1.5- or double-spaced, with page numbers at the bottom. Reviewing a printed copy makes it so much easier to see the whole. When I went through my printed draft, it was clear that the table of contents needed to be reordered.
With your printed manuscript in hand, step away from the computer. Take your notebook and pen with you. Your plan is to make a “punch list” of things to work on next. This is a term borrowed from the construction industry, where there’s a walk-through of a house before it’s finished or before a sale. The punch list includes things to fix or work on. Make a punch list for your book. You want one list that you can work through methodically later.
Now, back to the messy draft. Read through everything you have written. This read-through is for the purpose of seeing the whole, for distinguishing what’s working and what’s missing. Read like a teacher who wants to help the student make this paper as good as possible. Put check marks, smiley faces or stars next to things that are working. Add to your punch list as needed. Avoid getting caught up in wordsmithing: if you see sentences that you want to revise, underline them or circle words you want to change, but don’t get caught in the details now. Include the bigger things to work on, not the details. These could include:
Your punch list will likely be long. Don’t despair. It’s good to have an objective list of things you can work on. The draft will still be messy, but now you have marching orders of what to improve. This kind of list serves as a project manager.
Once you’ve made the list, you can organize items into categories. My recent punch list includes:
For each writing session, go to the list and do some of the tasks. Check them off the list to feel a sense of progress. Address as many items on your punch list as you can in each sitting, but know your limits. Notice when you feel “done” writing—you might be getting impatient, rushing and lowering your standards to make progress. The list can also keep you from feeling ambushed by emotions that may arise when you sit down to write. You are just working your way through the list. You might go through this process many times, at least once for each draft. It’s okay—it helps you to know what to do and when.
Excerpted from The Busy Woman’s Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book.
Here’s a punch list I made in Notion for my novel-in-progress. I have whited out the details to avoid spoilers.
Have you ever felt like creativity is a gift only meant for others? Like you just weren’t born part of that illustrious and somewhat mysterious “creative class?”
Total bunk. Creativity lives inside all of us—and uncovering it could unlock meaning and joy in every aspect of your life?
In this conversation, Jonathan and I explore the myths holding us back from full creative living. I reveal three brutally hard truths of innovation and why the creative life isn’t about chasing comfort. We discuss how to awaken your senses, see with new eyes, and understand your unique blend of creativity.
In today’s episode we’re digging into:
In case you didn’t know this about me, I am a culture monster. I soak up movies, books, podcasts and TV shows like they’re a limited resource. Honestly, I relish my travel times because I get to be in the real world and dial back the gobbling up good stories.
The last two novels I read with my book group were outstanding! It’s rare to read such good books, the ones you can’t put down and then want to force on everyone you encounter.
North Woods by Daniel Mason is lovely, lovely, lovely. His writing is evocative and descriptive and brings so many emotions to the surface for me. Set on one plot of land in Western Massachusetts, this novel spans decades. We get to witness each inhabitant of the home come and go. This long view of time and nature somehow gave me hope. Beautiful.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver won the Pulitzer Prize in 2023, and I can see why. You might have heard how she modeled the story on Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield. This is true, but it’s not a reason to read about a character growing up in Appalachia. I love stories that bring ‘issues’ to life. We all could use more empathy and understanding of the forces at play, and Kingsolver’s storytelling skills are at their finest here. She had me at the first line. “First, I got myself born.”
And here’s a random recommendation. I’ve watched it twice: The Old Man and the Pool by Mike Birbiglia. This Netflix comedy special has me obsessed. It’s a masterclass in humor and storytelling, especially about a very serious subject.
Mike’s use of repetition is masterful. Watch how he weavess one main idea and uses phrases repetitively for great comic effect. Also genius is his weaving and balancing of levity and seriosity. Mike does such a good job of speaking about his health challenges without insulting himself or leaning into self-deprecating humor. Also, his pacing is genius as well as his physicality during the show.
What great examples of storytelling do you recommend to me? Share them below. I’m looking for a good novel to bring with me to Lisbon and Paris.
Thirty years ago, a mile from where I type now in Denver, I began my writing life in earnest. I wanted so badly to write, but I had no idea how or what! In a class called Writing the Wild Woman, I learned how to free-write, scribbling alongside other women. Afterward, we howled. Because, wild women and all.
It’s hard for me to believe I’ve dedicated 30 years to writing. As a girl, I spent most of my free time reading. I wanted to be a writer. And so, with lots of ink and angst, I have fulfilled a childhood dream. Despite the baby-blue typewriter my parents gifted me, I didn’t have the courage to start writing until my mid-20s.
In my garage are boxes filled with hundreds of journals. I haven’t kept everything but have files full of poems, articles, and essays. All the unseen words speak to the invisible labor that is the writing life. What is visible are the words I managed to bravely put into the world. If we want to have an impact, we have to overcome our fears and insecurities.
I like to say that if you want to know yourself deeply, take up an art form or start a business. All your demons will rise up to meet you. By continuing to show up, you learn that you are more than a handful of insecurities and hopes. Writing is a most splendid way to meet yourself in ink and hopefully, come out loving yourself a bit more.
Writing has offered me a powerful path to personal growth and empowerment. This is what I want for my clients. Not that they become writers, but that by becoming writers they become a stronger version of themselves.
My writing life does not resemble what I dreamed of in my Ohio bedroom. I have not been ‘discovered’ by a publisher. I am not a best-selling author and my novel has not been adapted to a film starring Amy Adams. Dang! But how often do our actual lives match up to our imagined lives? I didn’t get married until I was 50, and my husband doesn’t look anything like I’d imagined. And yet, he’s perfect for me. As is my writing life.
If I look back and tally the wins, I’m proud of my writing life. I’ve written and self-published eight books and am working away at my ninth, a novel. I’ve published countless articles, mostly about writing and the creative process, productivity, and a few about yoga. I’ve learned how to write sales copy, because as a solopreneur, being able to promote my services was vital to survival. I don’t earn a living from writing. I have earned over $100,000 from writing – a glorious $3,333 per year!
You may know that I’m into a lot of things. I’m a writer, artist, gardener, traveler. Through my business, it seems like I’ve done a million different things, from retreats to online classes to monthly writing challenges. People call this ‘all over the place.’ Maybe so. When I look over the landscape of my writing life, I see a map of my abundant curiosity and creativity.
Aside from any outcome, my biggest success is that I kept writing. Even as my creativity has led me all over, writing persists. I’ve savored a lot of little writing victories. I have learned so much about myself and the art of writing things people (hopefully) want to read. I have the freedom to write what I want. My days involve a lot of writing. From commenting on clients’ writing to writing my novel to writing this essay, I see my values threaded through all my words: honesty, integrity, purpose, creativity, love of language and humor. Showing up to write means showing up to be me.
Thirty years in, I am astonished to discover that even though I wander freely among all the creative outlets I love, I have become a person of tenacity and commitment. I am willing to keep at it even when writing feels like an emotional tsunami. The rampant rejections and disappointments have fostered a healthy sense of humility in me.
We want to write because we have something to say, and we want to be heard. There’s no way to measure how my writing has impacted the world. I only know that by showing up despite all the fears and doubts*, I have cultivated a healthy sense of self-respect. Whatever the outcome, I have honored this life-long impulse to write. I plan to keep writing, and friends, I hope you do, too.
*Spell-correct changed that to donuts. If ONLY my writing were fueled by donuts!
It turns out 2023 was a banner year for my book coaching clients. I am thrilled to share their work and successes with you. May their example inspire you to get your own words into the world.
I’ve been helping writers get their words on the page since 1999. Believe it or not, I love it more than ever. I learned so much this year about writing and how to help writers.
You may know this already, but writing a book is a THING. Even if you’ve written a gazillion words, a book is its own animal. People are often blindsided by what’s involved, so here’s a heads-up.
You might wonder, “What does Cynthia do with writers?” I help smart and soulful people:
Paula Preschelack published her book The Montessori Potential: How to Foster Independence, Respect, and Joy in Every Child with Chicago Review Press. We’ve been working on this for years, so this was a huge achievement. We worked on how she could get the word out. Paula is a public speaker so we focused her promotion efforts on speaking engagements and also LinkedIn posting. I wrote a case study about our work together here.
Cindy Lusk published her book Align and Refine: The Journey of Yoga and Meditation. I met Cindy at the Yoga Workshop in Boulder decades ago and always believed in her teaching style and her commitment to yoga. I’m thrilled to see her book come out.
Margaret Frolich, an Associate Professor of Spanish, published her second book Sexual Diversity in Young Cuban Cinema. I don’t work with many academics, but I helped Peggy to find flow and ease even under intense deadlines and work as the chair of her department.
I coached Donna Erickson to write a winning book proposal. This rarely happens, but she immediately got a book deal with the University of Nebraska Press (Bison Books imprint) for Rooted at the Edge: Where the Old and New West Collide. The book reveals the tensions of ranching at the edge of western towns, depicting a threatened Montana landscape steeped in history, conflict, and beauty.
Paul Wyman finished a draft of his book on parts work. I look forward to editing it in January. I love working with coaches who have a body of work they want to bring to a larger audience.
Christine Ruch is the founder of Fresh Thymes. (My favorite Boulder restaurant!) Christine wanted to write about food and health as part of her major career shift. I helped her organize her ideas and write powerfully for her Substack newsletter The Fresh Life.
Tina Bettison’s Substack Gathering Our Bones is a delightful, creative space for women who want more from their lives and creativity. Tina was a member of Write ON where we helped her bravely launch her newsletter.
April Allderdice is CEO of an organization working at the nexus of clean energy, job creation, environmental justice, and climate change. She’s smart and soulful, and it’s been a delight helping her craft her ideas into compelling articles on LinkedIn.
Nancie Turner finished a draft of her novel and hired an editor. As someone who did this recently, I know what a big leap it is to invest in professional feedback. Nancie also crossed something off her to-do list: she got temporary tattoos. Inspiring messages on her wrist helped her get to the finish line of her draft.
I acknowledge my clients who have devoted themselves to their writing and aren’t at the ‘put it into the world’ stage. We are deep in the process of learning what they want to write and how to say it. I salute Aevea, Bibiana, Carla, Chris, Christina, Emilah, Jesse, John, Laurie, Melissa, Talib, Zaretta, and Zindzi.
I applaud members of the Impulse Writing Club for showing up every Thursday to write together.
If you want to write and need support figuring out what and how and when to put your ideas into ink, I can help.
1:1 book coaching accelerates the writing process and is great for busy executives who need flexibility. I have three openings for 1:1 starting in January.
Write ON coaching group starts in early January. If you benefit from learning from others and are on a budget, this is a great way to get weekly support for a writing project.
Want a simple, affordable ‘writing membership’? Join us to write every Thursday at the Impulse Writing Club.
My business thrives on referrals. Who do you know who could use a book coach? Send them my way!
I’ve been publishing my newsletter Impulses since February 2001. That’s almost 24 years of consistent articles about the creative process.
I’m proud of that longevity, and I am also astonished I kept going for so long. It’s time to switch gears. I’ve been writing as an ‘expert’ and now it’s time to write as a writer. I am starting a new newsletter on Substack.
Stumbling Toward Genius is my online author’s notebook giving you behind-the-scenes access to my novel-writing process. This is a big deal for me, to sit solidly in my writer’s seat. I’m challenged to be vulnerable, honest, and generous about what I’m learning from writing a novel. It’s a big switch from my coachy writing.
You may recognize the name. Stumbling Toward Genius is the name of my podcast. It felt appropriate because I’ll be sharing my highs and lows as I write my fourth draft of When Water Meets Rock.
Please consider subscribing to Stumbling Toward Genius. This novel is one of my life’s biggest projects, and I have already gained so much from writing it. I want to share what I am learning to help you boldly claim your own creative genius.
Any change in our routine — holidays, vacations, visits from loved ones — can bring a slump in our creative work. Even when we’re completely into our book or art projects, there’s often an inertia that keeps us from getting back into the groove.
Shifting from one mode to another is a challenge for most creatives. We want to get into the flow, but there are a million things we need to do first. Then, when we’re in the flow, it’s hard to tear ourselves away and return to the ‘real’ world.
I coach all my clients on this. It’s one of the biggest problems we solve together – how to get back into the groove.
Here are three things that help my clients rekindle their dedication to their projects.
Lower the bar. Expecting to jump back in full speed just adds pressure. Let your return be as slow as it needs to, but be firm with yourself about getting back to your writing and creative pursuits. Build up to where you left off, if needed. Start with brief (10 minute) free-writes or similar warm-up exercises. I invite my clients to have a 15-minute ‘date’ with their project, to get back in touch without pressure.
Connect to the love. What do you love about your writing practice, your project? You may take a few moments to jot down what you love about it. If you have already done this writing, take it out and revisit your passion.
Design new support structures. Make appointments with your mastermind partners and set up a meeting with your coach or writing buddies to design structure and accountability that works for you.
Beating yourself up over what’s actually a natural ebb and flow cycle doesn’t help us get on track. Be kind to yourself as you resume your writing or other creative work.
What works for you to get back to the writing or art-making?
It takes a lot of hubris – or ignorance – to want to write a bestselling novel. Before you cement the idea that I am a blowhard fool, let me explain.
I know that best-selling books are few and far between for non-celebrities like me.
I don’t want bestseller status because I want to be famous. (Okay, sure, I’ll take a wee bit of fame.)
But my real motivation to write a bestselling novel is two-fold. I always want to share what I have learned. I hope readers of my novel will gain insights into their own imperfect relationships.
This goal springs from my values of inspiration and community.
My second reason for writing a bestseller is to help me be a better writer. I am deep in learning mode. How to craft a story that has a complete and satisfying narrative arc? How to develop characters that I care about so the reader can care about them? How to write one good sentence, for goodness’ sakes?!?!? (I’ve pulled off one or two so far.)
This goal honors my values of excellence, love of language, honesty, and creativity.
I’m human, so this bestseller goal probably also stokes my ego. But if I keep my values front and center, this dream comes from and goes toward a place of depth, not shallow ego.
Part of me knows this goal might not agree with everyone. That I might be ‘coming from the wrong place’ to have such a lofty dream as an outcome. It took me quite awhile to accept and understand my motivations for this novel. They’ve changed over time.
Knowing what’s important from a deep level is rocket fuel for me when I need a boost to stay with a hard scene. My values keep me steady when I work to assimilate feedback that means a lot more work ahead.
Do you use your values to recognize and honor your writing motivation?
Learn your values and tie them to your themes in my popular online workshop, Your Creative DNA. Self-paced, illuminating program that will change how you think about your creative work and life. Get your spot here.
New episode alert on Sparked podcast!
Facing doubts in your pursuits? You’re not alone. Join Jonathan Fields & I as we unravel “How to Tell Good Hard from Bad Hard”. Discover the key to identifying when it’s time to push on or change course.
And here’s a fun screenshot of us doing the interview. Jonathan and I geek out talking about the creative process. I love this photo, because we look so happy, and because I prefer candid to posed photos. True smiles really shine.
