Because it’s Monday and I am working in the home office, I thought it might be fun to share a peek into where I work. Working on my newsletter, enrolling students into my online writing class, Free-Write Fling and prepping my upcoming Paris art trip. I love variety! What are you working in this fine Monday?
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writing
Busting the myth of online classes
I take a lot of online classes. You probably do, too. Confession: I don’t always manage to do all the homework. You too?
I know from the other students in these classes that this ‘not doing everything’ causes significant angst. It’s like we’ve betrayed ourselves. We’ve signed up for something and then didn’t do all the lessons.
It’s like we’ve given our inner critic a giant feast to gobble up and it’s just confirming what he tells us all the time: You never finish anything. You can’t follow through. Meh meh meh!
Yikes.
But as a businesswoman, I see these classes differently. No matter what I sign up for, from a $97 class to a $15,000 year-long program, I always make sure that I get at least one or two life-changing things.
Because I know I won’t be able to ‘keep up’ or do all the homework, I let go of that expectation and focus on making sure that my investment pays off by learning at least one or two game-changing things. If I am awake to the impact a small shift can make, the value of that shift can be worth the price of admission or more.
The stress I release along with the expectation to do everything is enormous. This allows me to enjoy and to learn more. As a teacher, I keep this in mind for my students and help them get the value they need based on their goals.
We’re about to begin my popular Write ON coaching group .
Here’s the real power of this group: students choose one writing project to focus on in the five weeks. This is one of the biggest difficulties writers face: choosing one project to focus on to completion.
Using the weekly group calls and interacting with me in the online salon, students finally enjoy the great feeling of being dedicated to one project. It might be too big to finish during the course, but they learn how satisfying it is to work on one project.
The lessons are wonderful and life-changing. Many students tell me that the timing of the lessons is perfect for what they need. But to have support to deal with issues that come up when we work on a project in real time is exponentially powerful. This is what I do for my one-one clients, and I am thrilled to offer this kind of accountability and support for Write ON members students.
This is not the kind of class where the teacher uploads some videos and pdfs and is absent from the classroom. No. I am in the classroom alongside the students, helping them develop a lasting writing habit that works for them.
Does it make your heart beat a little faster to think you’d be getting the kind of support I give my coaching clients? It should, because this means there’s no more avoiding your writing. It means – wahoo!! – you get to be the writer you have always wanted to be.
If you’re ready to make good on your writing promises to yourself, join us in our online salon. Reserve your seat in your writing zone here.
Hope this helps you enjoy your learning experiences more.
Struggling to write? Better than discipline…
If you’re not disciplined enough, try this approach to writing and creating more easily.
Interview with Cory Huff: How to Express and Enjoy Many Interests
I’ve been honored to be a guest on several cool podcasts in recent months, and I plan to share them with you here on the Original Impulse salon.
My pal and creative collaborator Cory Huff invited me to his Creative Insurgents video podcast last fall. We’d met up in Paris for pizza and he asked me to be a guest for him. This is one of my favorite interviews because Cory, founder of The Abundant Artist, was able to see how all of my diverse interests and talents combine in a cool way. I love that!
Don’t mind how scary we look in the screenshot here; we’re both really warm and lovely.
Show notes from Cory:
:47 – Cory introduces Cynthia Morris, artist, writer, writing coach, and fabulous dancer (you’re too kind, Cory!)
1:20 – Cynthia shows off her art journals a little bit and shows how she got started with them. She also mentions some resources from Frederick Frank, including Zen Seeing, Zen Drawing and Art As A Way.
5:20 – how visual thinkers can quickly capture ideas and thoughts in a visual format instead of journaling or note taking
11:00 – Cynthia and Cory discuss the fact that even artists who are very experienced feel insecure or are unaware of how good they are at their art. Cynthia talks about putting your head down and building up chops.
15:00 – Cynthia shares her tips on how to finish a book or other long-term projects. She emphasizes the importance of understanding that big projects really take something from you, and you have to strategize on how to deal with that beforehand.
20:00 – Cory & Cynthia both talk about dealing with self-doubt and how to face that kind of fear
21:00 – Cynthia talks about how her dancing videos help her filter out people who are not a good fit for working with her
25:00 – Cynthia talks about what it means to live a creative life on your own terms
Enjoy! I’d love to know if this interview sparked any new ideas or practices for you. Please tell us in a comment below. And maybe dance a little!
Monday Writing Accountability: What's on Your Writing Agenda This Week?
Monday! Fresh start to a new week. (Rubbing hands together in glee but also, well, it’s cold here in Colorado.)
Tell me, what will you write this week? Perhaps it’s a blog post or an essay. Or maybe that proposal or…the text for your new web site.
Choose the ONE thing that is a bit of a challenge for you. Yes, the thing you are avoiding. Tell us in a comment below what your writing focus for the week will be.
If you like weekly accountability but know that daily support is really what you need, keep reading. I’m offering insanely affordable daily support for writers in February.
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