Refrain from the Identical Book Proof Copy Complete

The proof copy of my book is complete, and I will soon hold Refrain from the Identical: Insight and Inspiration for Creative Eclectics in my hand. What a rush to see years of hard work culminate in 208-pages bound in a book. READ ENTIRE POST...

Equity Rescuing: Pushing Towards Completion

I’m a lover of projects. As a creative eclectic in pursuit of various art forms, I get soul satisfaction from diverse challenges such as creating a mixed media collage piece, writing a book chapter, or inserting just the right photos into a blog post. For me, creative growth often occurs when I set aside time …

Refrain Book Update: Creativity is about Consistency

Nothing challenges the consistency of my creativity more than a day job, and I’ve had plenty of those over the years. I’m back to work as a middle school literacy teacher so my days, once again, fill with lessons and meetings and drives across town. Gone are those summer sessions of writing until noon. Then …

What do you love to do the most?

I watched my grown son and two-year-old great-nephew run around in circles with blanket and  dish towel capes tied around their necks. Little Stephen Michael squealed, “I’m flying, I’m Superman,” while Josiah pranced like an Arabian horse. I videoed the scene thinking, this is priceless. I’ve got to capture this candid moment before it passes! This morning …

Refrain from the Identical Book Update

I look around my house and sigh, “Wat een Rommel.” (The Dutch expression for “What a mess”) The last several days of my hubby's “paint the house project” culminates in piles of disorganized stuff. To say that I'm overwhelmed is an understatement. Only three more days until I have to go back to work and my …

“Self-Publishing — I’m not alone” by Christine M. Grote

Recently, one of my blogging friends, Christine M. Grote, asked if she could feature my self-publishing journey on her blog. This morning she sent me the link to her post. When I read through the entries, I cried. There was something powerful about having my self-publishing history laid out before me. When I realized how far …

Book Progress Update

The publishing of Refrain from the Identical progresses at a steady pace. The efficiency of the createspace design teams amazes me. I approved the reformatted interior design mock-up and the full interior proof of the book has just arrived. The next step is to print the pages and reread for formatting and convention errors. READ THE ENTIRE POST...

Mid-flight

A seagull follows our boat, and we make a friend. Granted, he’s after our peanuts, but we don’t mind. He flaps his wings against the wind and cuts through currents until he looms before us. READ ENTIRE POST...

Create and Live Imperfectly…thoughts on Self-publishing, Marriage, and Life

How fitting that I begin a new writing journal on my 9-year anniversary. This day also marks the completion of the preliminary book section submissions to Createspace. I’ve completed all of the questionnaires for the Createspace design teams: interior design, cover design, and media press release. I never dreamed there would be so many pieces …