We are the yearning creatures of this planet. -Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer-Prize winning fiction writer There’s no love in me without your being, no breath without that. I once thought I could give up this longing, then thought again, But I couldn’t continue being human. ~ Rumi Lal Ded, born in Kashmir, was married at…
Metaphors matter. There’s a metaphor that bothers me because I think it’s harming creatives and entrepreneurs. It seems benign enough. It’s the symbol for justice, after all. Yet, I’ve seen and heard otherwise talented, hard-working people bludgeon themselves because they think they must be doing something wrong for not attaining this idealistic metaphor. I’m talking…
A TRACKING WONDER FABLE FOR YOU It’s not easy to stay committed to the creative work that matters when there’s no immediate deadline or audience demanding it. But many of us have a hard time even entering this zone, let alone staying in this zone. We have a hard time admitting to ourselves, “I have…
NOTE: This piece I originally sent to my Create & Captivate Inner Pack. They receive behind-the-scenes glimpses into “the business” of Tracking Wonder and into my personal forays during my six-month Deep Create Zone. So many of them sent me such good vibes about the piece I thought you’d find it valuable, too. It’s time…
Laraine Herring interviewed me for her blog today. We talk about making boundaries around family life and creative life, the resonance of the Mind Rooms metaphor, compassion for the creative mind, and playing with fiction. Every book I’ve read of Laraine’s, by the way, fearlessly faces what troubles the human heart – whether it’s the…
The story of Haruki Murakami’s path to becoming one of the world’s most respected living novelists includes a jazz bar, a baseball game, and a whole lot of marathons. I don’t have space to unpack that story here, but I’ll share this: When Murakami committed to becoming a…
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” – Annie Dillard, The Writing Life, 1989 The day stretches out in its own measures with sun and shadow, and you pass through its beats. If you’re lucky you’ll end up by dusk with a pocket full of images – a sensation…
During the past few years, a new story of creativity has emerged. But even the new story is incomplete. Let me be audacious enough to recount the old story, propose the new story, and to fill in what I think is incomplete and propose Creativity 3.0. And you please help me fill in the blanks…
It’s tempting for fiction writers to get enraptured by their own style, for memoirists to “over-love” their own story, and for nonfiction writers to get caught up in their marketing ploys. But style without substance is an over-dressed affair. And what an author’s readers deserve is what many agents, editors, and publishers want – substance….
I’m proud to launch Tracking Wonder’s first tangible product. Something you can put in your hands and mark on. I never thought the word “product” would feel so good. And look so good. And be so useful. If you’re experiencing overwhelm, curse time, and struggle to “get things done,” give me a couple of minutes….
Discover the inspiration behind Tracking Wonder. When life (literally) goes up in flames, learn to use the transformative power of wonder to find hope and even thrive in challenging times.
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