The Creative Exchange

What are creative exchanges? They're when creatives share expertise to enhance skills, overcome challenges, and achieve artistic goals. I find myself at the critical juncture of navigating my second manuscript through the rigorous editing phase of self-publishing, a process that triggers memories of past challenges. Editing proved particularly daunting during the preparation of Refrain from …

Sometimes Life is Like a Game of Chess

Sometimes life is like a game of chess. Watch the animated video: https://youtube.com/shorts/10MYBAVNq6o You don’t know the next move.  Your mind strategizes any inkling of direction, but all you hear is silence. So, you pray for wisdom, insight into the unseen, and imagine all the possible outcomes. But direction is shrouded with confusion, lack of clarity, …

Leaning into Seclusion

I plucked flowers from my garden, this month of January, and formed a bouquet with the blooms. Warm temperatures had fooled the foliage into blossoming although the plants should have shut down for the winter. What delight the bouquet brought to a few family members who graced our backyard for outside visits. What delight the …

Learning to be ok with Not Good enough

I'm convinced us creatives tend to be highly critical of our craft, and an obsession with "it's got to be perfect" prevents us from taking artistic risks. Although I wonder whether perfectionism is the enemy of every creative or just me, I highly suspect I'm not alone when it comes to wanting a perfect painting or …