As I prepare this post, Teen has the TV on while watching videos on his phone and Tween stares into the computer game abyss. The competing sounds drown out the natural world: birdsong, chattering squirrels, leaves rustling in the (too) slight summer breeze. My friend Bruce encourages us to listen, to tap into the flow, … Continue reading Everything Thrums
Tag: creativity
When It Clicks
College, first semester freshman year, I had a professor (in a non-writing class) who taught me one of the most useful skills I have ever learned: freewriting. "For the next minute [or three, or five], put pencil to paper and Do Not Stop! If you cannot think of anything to write, write that. If that … Continue reading When It Clicks
Practicing Re-Creation
Today's guest post makes me so happy, in part because I recently got to spend an evening with this friend...in person, after WAY too many years (we have spent more years not seeing each other than we were old the last time we saw each other--yikes!). And because, as long as I've known her, this … Continue reading Practicing Re-Creation
Overwhelmed
I received a rejection slip! Of course I'm disappointed, but here's the catch: all creative ventures involve risk. I took a risk. It didn't pan out the way I'd hoped, but I took it nonetheless. I am creating, and putting my work out there, and it's a step in the right direction. This post just … Continue reading Overwhelmed
Thankful Thursday – Reading April-May 2017
Reading has always been one of my favorite recreational activities. I read to lose and find myself in stories of people like me in situations unlike any I've ever--or will ever--encounter. I read to explore the world, different cultures far and near. I read to find our common humanity, our shared emotion in vastly different … Continue reading Thankful Thursday – Reading April-May 2017
The Journey
Our minds play tricks on us. We've had so much fun that we think if we can just stack all the same blocks in exactly the same order, we can recreate that fabulous experience. But, the next time round, we aren't the same people. Even if we manage to stack those same blocks in that … Continue reading The Journey
Art Therapy
Dr. Seuss writes, "Oh, the places you will go!" which I echo, "Oh, the places our children will lead us..." Before Teen was born, I could never have imagined that he would lead me hunting for and racing snails, and later, in search of snakes in the jungles of Costa Rica. LaRae Seifert was Frank-ly surprised … Continue reading Art Therapy
Creative Play
Oh, friends, it has been awhile and we are long overdue for recess... Do you remember watching the clock during your own elementary school days, waiting for playtime? Some days the minute hand seemed to be ticking backwards and I couldn't help but fidget in my seat. Life has felt a little like that recently, … Continue reading Creative Play
From Letters with Candy: An Excerpt
Several years ago on a trip to DC I had the privilege of reconnecting with a childhood friend. We talked for hours, and he was even funnier than I remembered. In so many ways, our stories are the same: we grew up in the same neighborhoods, walked the same school hallways, we shared friends and teachers; we … Continue reading From Letters with Candy: An Excerpt
Sweet Sugar-Free Life
At various points we all face the challenge of pain: do we make desperate attempts to escape, endure with a stiff upper lip, or work towards healthy change? Even when it's uncomfortable, most of us tend to stick with the status quo until we simply can't anymore. Today's guest post might be that dose of creative courage someone … Continue reading Sweet Sugar-Free Life