Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category

As little girls, knowing our numbers meant counting from one through ten, or all the way up to 100. Today, the vital numbers we should be aware of correspond to May’s distinction as Women’s Health Care Month. I recently received a letter from Peggy Fleming, (yes, the Olympian and Preventive Health Advocate). No, I’m not in the habit of corresponding with celebrities. My entire Coastside community received the form letter inviting us to take part in several diagnostic screening procedures. The tests measured our risk for stroke, Osteoporosis, cholesterol (total & HDL), glucose (blood sugar), blood pressure, body mass index (ratio of height to weight), and body composition (percentage of body fat). Knowing our numbers helps us understand the health risks, and what we can do to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Tapping into our creativity by doing hands-on activities is a proven strategy to cope with daily stress. Pro-active lifestyle choices cause a healing physiology within our body when we are engaged in creative activity from gardening to cooking, reading to painting, writing in a journal or making a collage, reorganizing a closet or sorting a junk drawer, and more.

 As children, knowing our numbers was a big deal. Knowing our numbers as adults while giving ourselves permission to play is also a big deal. What will you do to do to have your test scores in the healthy number zone?

May is Creative Beginnings Month and today is a perfect day to start something you’ve been thinking about but never seem to get around to doing. Is there an idea or project that’s been waiting in the wings for you to find a few minutes to do some research? Are you ready to tackle a challenge…fly-fishing, watercolors, knitting, journal writing, gardening, cooking, or baking? What’s been lingering in the corners of your mind until you decide it’s time to actually bring it into the light. No, I realize you can’t just pick up a new skill in half an hour. However, you can flip through a magazine, surf the web, or just kick back, plant the seed, and imagine the possibility.

When was the last time you watched the sky progress from shades of grey to streaks of purple with smudges of pink, peach, and yellow? Ultimately, revealing an orange globe dominating the horizon and allowing shadows to shape shift from suspicious objects into trees, homes, cars, and people. Permit yourself to the slow down and become absorbed in the minutes waiting for the show to begin, and watching it unfold. I’ll never forget attending a week long writing workshop in Minnesota where part of our coursework was to go to the shores of Lake Superior to greet the dawn – and then write about our experiences. Now, I know that it’s not necessary to go to such lengths to watch a sunrise, but they were memorable. You’ll be amazed at the sense of peace, ability to focus and joy you will discover after witnessing a sunrise.

Write in your journal – Coaxing Creativity Tuesday Tip April 6, 2010

April is Stress Awareness Month and writing in your journal is a great way to not only de-stress, it is a creative, empowering path to self-discovery and change. A journal may be many things:  a sounding board, a collector’s cabinet, a snapshot album, a history, a travelogue, a letter to yourself, a laboratory, a jewelry box, a treasury, or a dream-catcher. It may be kept regularly, or now and again. It may be entries on a calendar page. It may be gorgeous leather bound volume, a spiral notebook, or a collection of random bits of paper in a shoebox. A journal may be a record of your day-to-day life as well as a chance to keep track of your thoughts, record information, and keep ideas. You may even want to keep parts of newspapers or magazine articles you find interesting (or even consider creating beautiful collage pages in your journal). Many people have discovered a trusted and valued friend in their journal.

I’ve been keeping some sort of journal since I was 11 and I used to hide it from my older brother. My journals and I go back a long way and I plan to continue the relationship for the rest of my life. It’s become a part of my morning ritual. I never know what’s going to happen when I show up on the page.

Care to join me? Just grab a pen, a notebook and let the words come.

They say February is for lovers. So focus your love close to home. February is Boost Your Self-Esteem Month. Boost your self-esteem with demonstrations of self-love because you are most deserving of your own attention for affection. Consider observing boosting your self-esteem; not just as a temporary indulgence on Valentine’s Day, but as a way of life. Don’t wait for a special occasion to wear your favorite pair of earrings. Put on make-up in the morning even if your reflection in the mirror is the only face you’ll see all day. Give yourself permission to indulge in a special chocolate treat, splurge on a favorite meal, soak in the tub with lots of scented bubbles and a new paperback, or eat popcorn for dinner and watch a movie on a weeknight (no, don’t fold laundry and empty the dishwasher – sit down and watch the whole thing without multi-tasking).

Writing a journal entry about a specific accomplishment or milestone is a major self-esteem booster. I’ll share one that has been seven years in the making. I have volunteered for several years for The San Francisco Writers Conference (www.SFWriters.org), a prestigious 3-day conference and the brainchild of legendary agents Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen. It features blockbuster keynote speakers, award winning workshop presenters, and attendees in the hundreds from all over the world. The first year my comfort level only allowed me to babysit the purses in the Volunteer lounge. This year, I was invited to chair the “Book Doctor Panel.”

Mary counseling a writer at SFWC

This is a conference-long marathon event where attendees spend five minutes one-on-one with Independent Editors. I am no longer content to relegate myself to the shadows. As the Book Doctor Coordinator, I claimed my position as a professional sharing my expertise with eager attendees, and as a peer with other writers awash in the wealth of knowledge shared at the conference.

Successful writers confident in their literary skills intimidate me. Many speakers and workshop presenters over the weekend impressed me. I made up my mind to show up in my life and go after my dreams rather than stay in safe situations. This year, instead of  wishing I were brave enough to be like the speakers and presenters, I sat up front, engaged with them during their talks, gave them positive feedback, and asked for advice. Do you know what they did? They gave me advice and thanked me for showing up!

Let’s all keep showing up!

Perhaps you were fortunate enough to receive a floral tribute for Valentine’s Day and are still enjoying the sweet aroma. If not, consider treating yourself to a little trip to indulge your senses in the beauty of nature at a florist or nursery. As the winter drags on, we are hungry for the fragrance of blossoms and the lush deep greenery reaching upwards towards heaven despite the grey of the sky. Let the fertileness of the earth encourage you to plant new ideas about creativity in general, or writing in particular, and nurture them with love and patience to grow and bear fruit.

Write a love letter…to yourself. February is for lovers. You would have to live under a rock, or on another planet not to have heard that statement broadcast in radio spots, TV ads, or newspapers and magazines. What you may not realize is that this is a wonderful time to express love for someone very special in your life – YOURSELF. Greeting card sentiments cannot capture your unique essence. Those mass produced remarks cannot reflect your true authentic self. It is up to you to write a short note of love, encouragement, pride, and gratitude to show your inner self tangible evidence that the outer world recognizes how amazing she is! Don’t worry about procedure, if you have pretty handwriting (this is definitely a time you want to have direct hand-heart connection), or fancy paper. Writing lines of love establishes an emotional connection. If you have never actually sent a love letter before, I’m sure you have written them in your head many times. Now is an excellent time to learn what an impact this incredible gift and loving gesture can have when you give it to yourself.

I’m wearing red today in observance of National Wear Red Day^®—Friday, February 5, 2010 along with millions who will help spread the critical message that “Heart Disease Doesn’t Care What You Wear—It’s the #1 Killer of Women.” Heart disease kills five times as many women as breast cancer, yet most people probably do not know this startling fact. Simply being a woman puts us at risk for developing heart disease as well as breast cancer. Some risk factors we have to live with and cannot change (gender, ethnicity, or our family history); some we can change (diet, activity level, finding ways to de-stress such as writing in a journal, even our attitude). According to the American Heart Association (www.americanheart.org), Americans can lower their risk of heart disease by as much as 82% just by leading a healthy lifestyle. In other words – tap into your creativity, learn ways to de-stress and take care of yourself before a health crisis forces you to make changes. Simple shifts create curative change.

Have you ever set a goal and been disappointed when you didn’t meet that goal? Well, attending the WNBA-SF sponsored Coaxing Creativity Vision Board Workshop is a step in the right direction! By creating a vision board and a plan with simple steps on how to achieve that goal, you are set up to succeed in 2010. This is the year your intentions become your reality! It’s not too late to sign up and join us on Jan. 30, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. in Half Moon Bay. It’s a bargain for a day of purposeful play at $30/WNBA-SF members and $45/non-members. Register now at wnba-sfchapter.org.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?

This suggestion comes on the heels of New Years Eve where we often sing “Auld Lang Syne” (written by Robert Burns in the 1700’s). In simple terms, it means “the good old days.” I believe the song encourages us to let go of any lingering sources of distress from the past and start fresh in the New Year. Perhaps there is someone you’ve lost touch with, or someone you need to reach out to. There’s no time like the present to drop them a line. Make it easy on yourself. Send a post card that says “thinking of you.” Make a funny card using your favorite comics from the Sunday paper. Send a note with an article about something you have in common. Do it today and keep making those connections throughout 2010.