Is today starting to look a lot like yesterday, and the day before? That’s a sure sign you are living safely within your box. Have you tried something new or taken a chance lately? If no, there’s that box again. Is your life primarily focused on security, sure-bets, and hanging on to what you have? Yep, that’s a very comfortable box indeed. But at what cost? During the last week I’ve been asking myself these sorts of questions as I’ve read Seth Godin’s new book, The Practice – Shipping Creative Work. And make no mistake, while he does insist that we all have the ability to be creative, it is not limited to painting, writing or the typical actions we usually tie to creativity. His version of creative boils down to generously providing solutions for whatever matters to you in your world that could not be solved or supplied without your unique contribution. And the practice? It is the journey of sharing your creativity with those you serve. [Read more…]
Kathy’s Tips On Writing, Publishing and Blogging
Several weeks ago I gave a talk hosted by the library here in La Quinta, CA entitled, “Local Author Series.” In an effort to promote reading, writing and greater community connections, I agreed to share some of the things I’ve learned after nearly 30 years of writing. But rather than just make it a show-and-tell all about me, I approached the presentation with the intention of helping others curious about writing and who might be looking for encouragement. After all, I believe like author and mentor Julia Cameron, that we are all innately creative. And what often leads to artistic success is mostly the audaciousness of not giving up. [Read more…]
Lessons Learned From Publishing An Ebook to Amazon Kindle
One of the best things about writing a blog is the opportunity to reflect on and share ideas about a person’s passions. For me, creating a life filled with happiness, meaningful moments, simple pleasures, and deep enthusiasm all show up in everything I take the time to write about here on SMART Living 365. One of my latest infatuations is the experiment to publish a novel as an ebook to Amazon Kindle. And just like every experience in my life, if I take the time to observe, learn and grow from the incident, I am usually rewarded by it regardless of the outcome. So what have I learned after just one month as an ebook author, and how might that be of benefit to you? [Read more…]