We often spend so much of our day frantically running from place to place trying to check the items off our to-do list, that we forget — We forget that we have a choice. We forget that despite what we may tell ourselves as our exhausted little head hits50
Sometimes it’s difficult impossible to know exactly what our audience wants to read, see, or hear. You can never be sure if what you create is going to connect with your audience, or even if they are going to care. Especially these days with the instant feedback of sites50
For those who have the ability to see it, the world around us is bursting with possibilities and beauty. As artists and writers we grab our tools and clumsily try to recreate the image that we see in our mind. However there is far more out there than we will50
Most of us learn on our first day of school that it’s not always good to stand out — to be seen as different. We quickly learn that the oddballs are shunned and the rule breakers often get punished So do everything we can to blend in, to keep ourselves from50
It’s too easy these days to conform, to fall in line, and be the person they want us to be. These days with the internet and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, we are more connected than ever with mass marketed culture and expectations. There is also another side50
Despite our current circumstances or what others may have told you, we are the creators of our lives. We are the directors and we have the final say about who gets to play a part in our life’s movie. Just like an actor, we sometimes have to pretend that we50
Just be yourself … Sure it’s easy to say, but it’s not always so easy to do. Why is that? I mean what is so hard about being the person you already are? Well honestly it wouldn’t be that difficult if everyone else wasn’t constantly butting into our lives50
Don’t waste any more time sitting around waiting to be picked or look for someone else to give you permission to do what you want to do. This isn’t your 10th grade gym class, this is your life. If you want to become a writer, an artist, or a musician50
Why are we always so afraid of making mistakes? I don’t know about you, but I still have this tendency to beat myself up whenever I discover that I screwed something up ….again. As much as we would like to think otherwise, we end up creating our life as50
When is enough enough? When is the effort needed to chase the dream no longer worth the price you’ll have to pay? When is it time to start enjoying the things you already have in your life? They say that the best things in life are free. Things such as50
Is it fate or simply arrogance? Is it really our destiny to succeed, or is it just our over-developed creative ego talking? When do we know if we’re really the creative artist that we think/hope we are? When exactly does perseverance turn into foolishness, and when does self-confidence become50
They say that we become the average of the five people we hang around with the most. And although it may be true that the people we hang out with have a profound impact on our lives, I also think that it goes much deeper than that. Everything we feed50
Should you or shouldn’t you? How many times have you found yourself in a situation like this, staring at another new opportunity or direction in your life? Now how many times in the past have you backed away from something like this because of the uncertainty it would bring? Why50
When I hear the words “Anything can happen“, I never know exactly what to think. One one hand I hear that little voice inside my head urging me to keep moving forward with my latest project. At the same time, however, I also hear a slightly more menacing voice uttering50
Happy Earth Day! “Save the Earth, it’s our only source of chocolate” Reduce — Reuse — Eat Chocolate
It’s pretty easy to have courage when we’re not afraid, but that’s not really the point is it? Real courage is about doing something even if it scares the crap out of us. We do it not because we are brave, but because we’ve learned that there are things out50
You have to find a way to use your creative voice even if no one else seems to be listening. Create because you want/need to create, not because you want to be heard. Being heard is about fame and recognition for what you have done, but creation is about having50
Most of us have been been living our life on auto-pilot for so long that the thought of doing something (anything) different obviously scares the crap out of us. Sure we go through the motions. We say that we want things to change, but we don’t. We want approval. We50
Sooner or later there comes a time when you’ve had enough. Enough of their intimidation. Enough of their expectations. Enough of the status quo. Enough of them trying to convince us that their way is always right and your way is wrong. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about50
Every time we sit down to practice our art, it changes us. It’s been said that we’re not the same person that we were yesterday, nor the person that we will become tomorrow. So every day that we don’t find the time to practice our art is an opportunity wasted.50
Faith is about taking that first step even when you’re not sure you are on the right path. It’s about having faith in yourself, faith in your abilities, and faith that you are doing what you were meant to do. Having faith doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed success or50
How can we live a more creative life? It’s been said that we learn very little from our successes. After all, it’s really not that difficult to read a gushing review of our work or to deposit that big fat commission check in the bank. So what exactly do we50
We once again welcome a new year that brings with it a message of hope. A dawning of a brand new chapter in our lives that shows us that it’s okay to let go of the past and start again. It’s a reset button. It’s an opportunity to reinvent ourselves50
In our society we are often taught to set goals, visualize our success, and picture the person we would like to become. Be more. Get more. Achieve more. Wherever you are in life — never be satisfied. Never be content with where you are or what you currently have. Living50
Sometimes it feels like we spend so much time trying to get ourselves noticed, that we forget why we’re doing all of this in the first place. When we base our level of success on fame, money, and admiration we soon discover that there is never enough. When we50
Far too often we stay in certain situations or with people who don’t truly support us. We continue to hang around them because we want to belong and we don’t want to end up alone. So we suck it up, we hold back, and we hide who we really are50
Let’s face it failure sucks. One moment we’re all excited about this fantastic new idea or project, and then the next thing we know, we are sitting there picking up the broken pieces of our life. Luckily for us, failure is never final. Even though we may have temporarily fallen,50
In order to find peace we must first give up our selfish desire for power and control. When we try to control someone else, we enter into a struggle that we cannot possibly win. We can choose to spend our time fighting with ourselves and others, but in the end, it50
Let’s face it, being grateful for what you already have isn’t easy. Everyday we are trained by our society to be dissatisfied. To be dissatisfied with ourselves, our career, our weight, our relationships, and even our laundry detergent. We are told that no matter what we have, it could be50
Just let it go. At some point in our lives we all have to learn how to let go. You would think that this would be easy. It would seem that letting go would be a lot easier than holding on — but it’s not. We cling to the familiar50
Sometimes we spend so much time worrying about our results and the “what-ifs” that we never get around to actually getting started. Remember that there will always be time to edit, revise, and erase later if necessary — but first we have to take action. Do whatever your can to50
So how do you become a better writer? The answer is fairly simple… You write, you write some more, and then just when you reach that point when you think it’s all stupid and pointless — you keep on writing. Despite what some people may tell you, nobody can teach50
Sometimes it seems like we don’t really have a choice. It feels like what we do, where we have to go, and ultimately who we become has already been decided for us. We feel powerless. In the end, however, it’s your life and only you will decide what type of50
In our culture of fame, reality television, and instant celebrity we can sometimes forget that it’s not about getting other people to notice who we are and what we do. It’s about accepting ourselves first. It’s about accepting where we are at this moment and understanding what we can do50
Too often we sit around and wait for inspiration as if it were a UPS driver who suddenly shows up at our door to brings us a package. We wait until everything is just right, but what we don’t understand is that everything we need is already right there in50
Don’t be afraid to create your own path, as long as you know where you’re going 😉 “Follow your passion, stay true to yourself. Never follow anyone else’s path, unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path, then by all means you should follow that.”50
As teachers and parents sometimes we forget how much a simple word of encouragement can mean to a child. When we tell them that what they create or what they have to say matters, we are teaching them to believe in themselves, which is one of the best gifts anyone50
Sometimes all it takes is a smile to change the world 🙂 “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Before we can help others. Before we are able to love someone else, we need to first learn how to accept and love ourself with all of our little imperfections. John Lennon discovered like so many before him, that before we can change the world, we need to first change50
Just because you’re breathing doesn’t mean that you are living the life you were intended to live. Everyone has a story to tell. Maybe it’s time to create yours… “Unbeing dead isn’t being alive.” ~e.e. cummings