Creativity and discovery
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What’s your trademark?
“We are all weird in some way….Most of the time it’s what makes us so incredible. So where’s your will to be weird? Where’s your resolution to be real? Celebrate your individuality and don’t be embarrassed by it. If you’re lucky enough to have something that makes you different from everybody else, don’t be ashamed and don’t hide it. Own it!” ~Marc Chernoff, Marc & Angel Hack Life Most people cringe at the thought of appearing “weird,” so I struggled to express my thoughts on today’s quote. But then I remembered the idea of having a “trademark” — which was a recent topic in a daybook we’re reading in my…
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Really, it’s OK to be wrong
“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” ~Anonymous One-uppers, control freaks, critics, and perfectionists always top my list of pet peeves. Afraid to look foolish, these are the rigid folks who rarely color outside the proverbial lines. They like to point out the crooked seams on your brand-new outfit, for example, or correct your errors in public. Always right, they aim to win every argument. I bet you know a few of them too — and would agree they’re a lot less fun to be around. The fear of being wrong, or appearing wrong, is a buzz kill for just about everything. Today’s quote…
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A light on self-promotion
“Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.” ~Anne Lamott I’ve always been conflicted about self-promotion. As soon as Writing Home was published, I had to set aside any sense of modesty or humility and “sell” my book (and myself) to a wider audience beyond my newspaper readership. It usually felt awkward. Today, I admire younger authors and entrepreneurs who grew up on social media platforms and don’t think twice about putting themselves out there for attention. But like most baby boomers I know, I was raised to think it’s not so cool to toot your own horn. And I still…
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Sticky songs
“We become what we repeatedly do.” ~Stephen R. Covey Cher won’t stop singing “Dark Lady” inside my head. The pop tune — which was released in 1974 but happened to be playing on my car radio last week — now repeats itself on an endless loop in my mind while I’m drying my hair in the bathroom each morning. Then it starts all over again, later, while I’m chopping veggies in the kitchen. And it’s not like I’m a huge fan of Cher. What is it with sticky songs? According to my online research, sticky songs (otherwise known as “earworms”) have a scientific label: Involuntary Musical Imagery, or INMI. “According…
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Love & inspiration
“Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can ever go wrong.” ~Ella Fitzgerald I’m lucky to have so many talented people in my life. One friend knits the most charming creations, including toys for my grandson. Others create breathtaking landscape art with their cameras, and a few turn their photos or watercolors into greeting card prints. Still others are outstanding quilters, musicians, painters, writers, cooks, or designers. It doesn’t matter whether or not they market or perform their work. Or if they’re published or famous. What matters is that they make creativity part of their everyday lives — and inspire the rest of us to use our…
