creative writing | creative life
I want to talk about the voices in my head. One is kind, loving, soothing. One is optimistic, eager, confident. One is understanding, empathetic, wise. One is bitter and angry, always finding fault— with me and with anyone who crosses my path. One is mean spirited and full of envy. One is full of woe …
Continue reading "There’s a new voice in my head. Do you know her?"
Our society thrives on a covert and highly divisive code: Don't take yourself so seriously. Don't be so intense! Lighten up, dear reader! On the surface it makes sense. It seems jovial and jolly hockey sticks and weirdly generous. But when you go deeper, you see cracks in this logic. And, more importantly, you see …
I'm a devotee of Morning Pages, dear reader. I encourage all my friends and course participants to take up the practice. Three pages of foolscap, free fall, stream of consciousness writing every morning before ANYTHING ELSE. Every day. I light a candle, sit down and write. Usually before dawn. To say it's cathartic is an …
Because nothing of value was coming through she had to wait until autumn to blog again. Jen Storer (aka Ellen Wildwood because that's my Magical name) I was looking for a quote to kick-off this post, dear reader. But after flicking through my journals for AT LEAST FIVE MINUTES, I suddenly thought, fuck it. Why …
Okay. So I wanted to call this post, Three GREAT business tips I got, gleaned, sifted, extracted from Tim Ferriss. Not him, literally. From his book. But space. And time. So... In the world of online business, just about everyone I know has read The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris. It's a big book. Thick. …
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Ever since I started coaching aspiring and established authors and illustrators over at girlandduck.com, I've been saying the same thing: This is a personal development bootcamp, honey! Remember when Goldie Hawn joined the US army in Private Benjamin? She thought it would be a lark. Maybe they'd do a little stretching, some 'jogging' (remember jogging?), …
Continue reading "Writer? Illustrator? Six reasons you’re in a personal development bootcamp"
Sometimes, dear reader, I feel like a rag doll that’s coming apart at the seams. Ideas, suppressed emotions, new knowledge and magical revelations are like bits of stuffing poking through my stitching. At any moment I might split apart. Literally spill my guts. But first I have to bring the old version of myself to …
My Depth Year is about noticing the everyday and acknowledging what goes on. This afternoon in the space of ten minutes, I saved a lizard from drowning in my watering can, buried a dead bird in the fairy garden and planted a row of black hollyhocks at the foot of a fallen mulberry tree. So …
Here's Part Three of the trilogy, my love! Talk about a saga. Let's start with This Writing Life. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly! The Good Truly Tan: Baffled! (that's book seven) came out in October (in paperback and in audio). The series continues to delight old fans and gather new recruits. This year …
Continue reading "Part Three. My Year in Review: Work and biz, the flops and the favourites"
My Spiritual Journey. A bit convoluted for a blog post. So. Before I go too far back, say, right back to when I was eight and used to sit in church admiring a photo of Jesus on the wall at the end of the pew (yes, I thought it was a photo—an assumption that rested …
Continue reading "Part Two. My Year in Review: My Spiritual Journey"