Archive for the 'Passions' Category

Laughter – The Best Medicine

Published on September 12, 2011 in Author Blog, Baby Boomers, Passions, Psychology, The Sacred Space and writer blog.

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During tenuous time, I believe in comic relief. The old adage “laughter being the best medicine,” is so right on.

This past Saturday, I attended an event given by Swami Beyondanada and sponsored by The Sacred Space in Summerland, California. I did not know what to expect other than being told that he was extremely funny. The event was sold out.

For those of you who have not heard of him, the Swami is an international author, humorist and workshop leader. He has been called irreverently uplifting and has been described as a comic disguised as wisdom and wisdom disguised as a comic. He started out by saying, “It’s great to be here and you know we have no choice because no matter where we are, we are always here and it’s always now.” The roars of laughter continued for the next 90 minutes that included a 40-minute question and answer period.

His real name is Steve Bhaerman and he believes in using laughter to enlighten up our lives and those in the lives around us. What can be more healing?

To see a you-tube of him, check out this short clip:

In summary, here are some of the very many benefits of laughter:

it’s a good antidote to stress
it strengthens the immune system
it increases energy
it decreases pain
it improves mood
it decreases anxiety
it enhances teamwork
it binds people
it’s contagious
it’s cheap

So lighten up and laugh – the benefits outweigh the risks (if there are any!) for sure!

Namaste,
Diana

What Story Do We Tell ?

Published on January 31, 2011 in Author Blog, autobiographies, book genre, Creative Nonfiction, fiction, General Information, Memoir, Memory, Passions and Writing for healing.

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Whether you write fiction, nonfiction or poetry, there’s no doubt you have a unique story to tell from your very own perspective. For many writers, reliving and retelling childhood stories are common platforms for their work. We often reflect on those times because they were filled with pain, joy or unanswered questions.

Though we might have a sense of what story we need to tell, once in a while we get stumped. Many writers say their best story ideas come to mind when they’re not sitting at their desk ‘working,’ but rather when they’re out and about. It’s important to remain alert to those special moments in everyday life—odd discoveries and chance remarks made by others in social, work or casual settings.

My typical day begins with reading the news. An article or story might spark my interest, which drives me to surf the web for more information. If I am in the middle of another project, I will toss the idea into my “Writing Ideas,” folder which contains stories I hope to tell one day. Whether I get to writing them or not is another topic, the important thing is to have that folder as a back-up for those days when my well runs dry.

In addition to the “Writing Ideas” folder here are some questions to ask yourself which might also lead to new stories:

1) What’s going through your head?
2) Who are your villains? Who are your heroes?
3) What are you obsessed by?
4) What inspires you?
5) Where are you in your life now?
6) What stories are you compelled to read?

Whatever you choose to write, you will soon realize that the creative journey is similar to life’s journey—unpredictable, unstructured, mysterious and laden with miracles.

In her book, Negotiating With the Dead: A Writer on Writing (2002), Margaret Atwood says, “Writing has to do with darkness, and a desire or perhaps a compulsion to enter it, and, with luck, to illuminate it, and to bring something back out into the light.”

In Writing (1993) Marguerite Duras says, “Finding yourself in a hole, at the bottom of a hole, in almost total solitude, and discovering that only writing can save you. To be without the slightest subject for a book, the slightest idea for a book, is to find yourself, once again, before a book. A vast emptiness. A possible book. Before nothing. Before something like living, naked writing, like something terrible, terrible to overcome.”

Sometimes the stories we choose to write help us to learn more about know ourselves and to figure out the world around us. Oftentimes, it is about making a discovery. Even our darkest—or unknown—thoughts, memories and fears, can transform themselves to reveal value and meaning for us in our lives now. And with any luck, for others as well!

The Mystery of Inspiration

Published on January 10, 2011 in Author Blog, inspiration, Journals, Musings, Passions, writer blog and writing.

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The January/February 2011 issue of Poets & Writers focuses on “Inspiration.” The issue is stacked with fabulous articles on the subject giving insight to the age-old question typically asked of writers and other creative individuals, whether at conferences, coffee shops or in airplanes: “Where do you get your story ideas from?”

Most writers will respond by saying that their ideas come to them from life, talking to people, observing and through reading, but in his article, “The Greatest Mystery: Where Writers Ideas Come From,” contributing writer, Kevin Nance digs even deeper into this subject.

We agree that inspiration cannot be confined or commanded and its nature is so unpredictable and random, it makes it much more difficult to analyze.

Many writers regard inspiration superstitiously: when they are inspired by an idea they will not share it with anyone until the work is written or sold, out of fear the idea might be stolen.

Typically, says Nance, ideas are triggered by the real world – “Sometimes by events that occurred in the distant past, as recorded in historical books and records.” Others might get ideas from their own personal lives, whether they are writing fiction, nonfiction or poetry.

Some writers get their inspiration while traveling. One of my favorite poets, Yusef Komunyakaa, says: “Strange hotel rooms at midnight in cities I would never have dreamt I’d see, as a boy from rural Louisiana, are, in such moments, places of revelation.”

For myself and other writers, such as poet David Rivard, sitting in public places like coffeeshops help to generate wonderful ideas. “There’s something about the slight distraction of being in a public place that really works to help generate ideas,” he says. Other writers, like Charles Baxter, get ideas while driving.

The trick, says Nance, is knowing which ideas are useful or worth pursuing. Oftentimes, he says, the new idea is the keyhole, the room that contains the poem, story, or novel, has already been under construction for some time. The idea has appeared as an emissary; the room is asking to be entered.

Writers like T.C. Boyle and Anne Rice are both fascinated by how so many of their ideas stem from obsessive concerns which oftentimes they might not be aware of during the writing process. There’s no doubt that these two, are obsessed by particular subjects which appear over and over again in their work. It seems there might be an upside to being obsessed, particularly if it generates powerful and wonderful work.

Ideas might do not necessarily reveal their potential right away, but only after a lapse or period of contemplation. In general, inspiration comes from having passion, whether its seen on the surface or more deeply-seated. Inspiration helps us feel alive, connected and energized and comes in many shapes and forms. Sometimes it is difficult to find inspiration, but the key is to use all of your senses as much as possible. In other words, keep your ears and eyes open.

So what inspires you, my valued reader?

New Year Musings

Published on January 3, 2011 in Author Blog, autobiographies, General Information, Health and Wellness, Journaling, Journals, Musings, New Year, Passions, writer blog and Writing, journaling.

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Typically, this is the time of the year when many of us make promises to ourselves that we are unable to keep. Recent studies have shown that only about twelve percent of those who make New Year’s resolutions actually achieve their goals. Some believe that if you share the content of your resolution with someone else, then your chances of success are increased, but there is no guarantee.

Making a New Year’s resolution involves committing oneself to a new habit, breaking an old one or making a personal lifestyle change. Anyway, what can be so wrong with improving ourselves? I have always been curious about the spectrum of New Years’ Resolutions. Recently I researched to see what were the most popular, here are the ten most common from year to year:

1. Spend more time with family and friends
2. Get fit
3. Get slim
4. Quit smoking
5. Quit drinking
6. Enjoy life more
7. Decrease debt
8. Help others
9. Get organized

This year, rather than making a New Year’s Resolution, I have decided to use these and use the suggestions of writer Carolyn Graham who offers the following advice for those she calls, “wicked”:

(http://debramoffitt.wordpress.com/?p=236&preview=true)

1. Create harmless mischief whenever possible. Find a friend who likes to incite you and will share in some mischievous hilarity. If there are no friends available, use your best thinking and mentally engineer an event designed precisely to meet your needs.
2. If someone tells you your bread’s not baked, or you have a loose screw, or your elevator doesn’t go to the top, consider yourself highly complimented and extraordinarily gifted. You have probably shed some of the constricting and restricting bounds of convention.
3. Look in the mirror: acknowledge and celebrate yourself as a masterpiece in progress. All of us are superb examples of a true work of art, an ever developing piece, even if some of the places have shadows.
4, Walk into each day as if you owned the world. Put your head up, your shoulders back, and swagger a bit. Remember, with choices about how you think, you do own your own space…your world.
5. If you can’t believe you’re great, then act like you are! Being great means reaching for a hand when you need one and offering one to others who could use some kindness.
6. Buy a new technical gadget you have been wanting. Explain the purchase by declaring that the intellectually stimulating affects of learning to operate the device enhance the performance of your immune system.
7. If you like dark chocolate, keep some readily available and slowly savor a tiny bit on a regular basis. The given pleasure will probably off set any potentially harmful affects. That’s a risk worth taking!
8. Absolutely DO NOT act your age. Retaining childlike behaviors probably goes a long way toward staying vital, alert, and healthy. If you have supposed that to be true, applaud yourself, dance a bit, and invite a friend for a play date.

Happy New Year to one and all!

Namaste,
Diana

Boosting Your Creativity

Published on May 10, 2010 in Author Blog, cathartic writing, Creativity, General Information, inspiration, Journaling, Journals, Musings, Notebooks, Passions, writer blog, writing and Writing, journaling. Tags: , , , .

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Whether you’re  a writer, artist or businessperson, chances are creativity is vital to some part of your profession. Some of you may already have tricks on how to tap into your creativity, but what I suggest is to start with keeping a notebook or journal or daybook, whatever you choose to call it. These days many people, especially those in my son’s Generation X, take notes on a computer or iPhone—but what I’m suggesting is to use the old-fashioned method of a notebook.

There are many books with directive learning modalities and tools to hold your hand through the process, such as Julia Cameron’s, The Artist’s Way and Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones, which provide a more in depth immersion into the process—both excellent resources.

However, here’s,  a free crash-course:

Buy a notebook or journal from a book store, pharmacy or grocery store. Choose your favorite pen. Put the date on top of the page. Do some longhand writing. Do some doodling or drawing. Whatever tickles your fancy. Stay in the moment. Write what is on your mind. You can start by writing, “Right now I am thinking about …” Let your words flow and if one thought leads to another or takes you in another direction, that’s fine too. There are no rules and spelling and grammar don’t matter.

It’s a good idea to make this a daily practice. You will see that your ritual will tap into your creativity. Writing is a great way to cultivate a constant flow of ideas. Feel free to include other people’s ideas in your writing. What you are doing is brainstorming on the page instead of in a conference room or sitting area.

Sometimes I journal in this way before beginning a new project thinking it might result in a new opening—but it often becomes what I call my ‘throat-clearing’ section which is typically discarded. It’s akin to piano scales, stretching before exercising or dashes before sports.

This free-writing gets rid of all the junk in your head—the neurosis, the deflating comments, the negativity. It’s difficult to be creative if this junk is kicking around your head creating all this unwanted noise. How can you create with noise, anyway?

Another bonus to writing is that it gives you some down time and quiets your mind—it can be meditative.

The page can also help you try out new ideas. It’s a place to write down the pros and cons. You can write, “What if …” to describe the various possible scenarios.  If you are not happy, write about what would bring a smile to your face and see if you can make that happen.

Most successful writers have ritual/s before they start their creative work, whether it’s getting rid of all the junk, getting a cup of coffee or answering emails. It’s your prep time. It’s a time for your muse to be invited into the wide open green pasture which has been cleared of its weeds.

The other great thing about having a notebook is convenience. How many times have you had ideas at the most unexpected times—walking the dog, working out, driving or at a dinner party. That’s the muse visiting you and even if you think you will remember the message, chances are you won’t. If you don’t have a notebook available, that thought will be a fleeting one.

Some other creative exercises:

1) Write about your most creative challenge. 2) Write about where you want to be in five years.

3) If you could be doing one thing now, what would it be? 4) Write a letter to someone who passed away.

The most important tip is to do is to write for at least 20 minutes. After you invite this routine into your life, you will see that it becomes sort of like an addiction – a healthy one. Imagine that!

The New Journal – Author Blogging

Published on April 26, 2010 in Author Blog, inspiration, Journaling, Journals, Musings, Passions, writer blog, Writers and Their Notebooks, writing and Writing, journaling. Tags: , , , .

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Dear Reader ~

The art of being an author means that it is no longer enough to craft a compelling manuscript and submit to an agent or publisher. We are now told that no matter what the size of our publishing house we need to do our fair share of marketing.  We must now be excellent promoters of their work and with this revolution comes the relatively new interface of the author blog.

Over the years, my journals have been a conglomeration of personal and impersonal—

scribblings which sometimes lead to published work, but other times include lists of things to do and books to read. Now that some of my scribbles have gone public, I find myself a little more reflective. I try to keep my blog entries general enough so that those who are not authors will also find them stimulating, but those particularly interested in the writing life will gain some personal insight into their chosen field.

In general, there continues to be an intrigue and mystique associated with the writing life. I learned this while editing my last book, Writers and Their Notebooks (The University of South Carolina Press, 2010), and how fascinated readers are to hear about how the writer’s mind works. Even though we don’t get paid much, many people still say they would love to be a writer if they had time. In fact, yesterday I had lunch with a dear friend whose son asked her, “Mom, if you could be famous for anything what would it be?” She turned to him and in spite of working in a completely unrelated field, said, “I would want to be a famous writer.”

Surely everyone else’s grass looks greener, but if you love to read you probably would be proud to call yourself a writer. OK. I’m veering from the subject of blogging, but also making a point that there are different types of author blogs and it’s beauty is that it gives you a chance to ramble and muse. Alas, I have made a promise to my readers that my blog will never exceed 1000 words, and most often they hover around 700. Long blogs will loose readership. We simply all have too much to do.

Many authors already have blogs, but if you are considering one, here are some things you should know about the different types of blogs:

Daily Blog – Even though at first, this may seem like a wonderful idea because it inspires regular writing, these types of blogs are very difficult to maintain over a long period of time. The idea is that writing your blog should not be a chore, but something you actually look forward to doing. You also want to make them stimulating and interesting to read, unlike the journals you kept as a young child. In your first draft, you can start by writing, “Dear Diary,” and write from your heart, write about what really interests you and chances are it will also interest your readers. Then go back and cut what might not be interesting.

Weekly Blog – This is what I do, because a week’s time frame presents itself with enough material to filter through and find something captivating to write about. If nothing happened or sparked your interest in the past week, then write about something in the news which interests you. Write about what you’ve read. Write about a movie you saw.

Subject-directed blog – This is a good type of blog, particularly if you are a nonfiction writer who specializes in a particular topic, whether you’re a politician, scientist, activist, photographer, fashion designer, medical practitioner, painter or filmmaker. These types of blogs stir up the most controversy and will probably get the most comments.

Group Blogs – This is a good way to go if you are unable to make the commitment to a weekly blog. You might want to gather a group of authors together who write similar books and take turns blogging. If you choose this route, make sure you have a list of guidelines laid out in the beginning. In addition to my personal blog, I am a guest blogger and columnist on a few other blogs and I enjoy the occasional and refreshing nature of this arrangement.
What makes a powerful blog? This is an important question because unlike diaries, there’s really no use for a blog without readership. I suppose we should ask our readers, but many of mine have told me that they were just thinking about the subject I blogged about, which I guess means that my blogs are very timely. So here are some tips I live by which might help you:

1 – Have your finger on the pulse on the times.

2 – Let your personality shine through. Readers are attracted to passion in writing.

3 – Write well and compelling text. Sometimes a good writer can make an uninteresting story or life sound very interesting. It’s all in the writing.

4 – Update regularly. My readers expect my entries on Monday.

5 – Stay ahead of yourself. Typically I am one week ahead, just in case and I cannot blog on a Monday, I always have an entry in the hopper.

And the best news of all, (before this blog entry gets too long), is once in a while we hear that blogs can sometimes lead to a book contract – now wouldn’t that be a perk?

The Month of Love

Published on February 8, 2010 in Journaling, Journals, love, Musings, New Year, Passions and Writing, journaling. Tags: , , , , , , .

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This month presents a few issues to contemplate on the subject of love – a perfect discussion to fill up the pages of your journal. I will share my entries with you here. It’s interesting to study the evolution of love and relationships. No matter where you live, whether in an urban, suburban or rural area, you can hardly get through February without being reminded of Valentine’s Day. This was a holiday we always celebrated when I was growing up because my father managed a general merchandise store (akin to Woolworth’s) and Valentine’s Day cards and gifts were already displayed the moment the Christmas aisle was cleared. So, my beloved father, was reminded every working day to bring home Valentine gifts for my mother and I. Each year he bought me one of those padded chocolate heart boxes filled with assorted chocolates and a card which read, ‘To My Daughter.’ Even though I knew lots of other daughters cross the country got the same, I appreciated his loving gesture and came to expect it.

Needless to say, I continued this ritual with my own kids, although my husband is not a great fan of this universal holiday when card and flower companies dictate that it’s time to celebrate our love. He believes the commercialization has gotten out of hand and on some level I agree with him. He will make his point by buying me flowers or a card either the day before or after February 14th, but not every year – and only when the whim strikes. That man has always kept me guessing!

This makes me wonder, also, about those who do not have romantic love in their lives. How do they cope with cupid following them around the stores for six weeks after the Christmas season ends?

Yesterday, the New York Times feature an article entitled, “Better Loving Through Chemistry,” which addresses the new way of finding love through internet dating services—which as many single people are well aware, has become an online task. (In fact I have two cousins who found the love of their life through such services.) The article discusses how a handful of dating Web sites are competing to impose some science or structure on the quest for love using various kinds of tests in the selection process. For example, ScientificMatch.com created romantic chemistry via genetic testing. The site matches couples based on certain genetic markers for their immune system, believing that we are attracted to those with different immune systems. Wow. This is amazing. Companies like eHarmony suggest potential matches based on areas of compatibility, such as values, beliefs, important experiences, family background and personal values, which they believe are all predictors of successful relationships.

Chemistry.com, on the other hand holds yet another view. As I think about those I know in successful relationships, I find this to be quite accurate. They say those with decisive, straight-talking temperaments, called ‘directors,’ tend to be attracted to empathetic, intuitive types, called ‘negotiators.’ Spontaneous types, called ‘explorers’ tend to be attracted to their own kind, and traditional pillars of society called ‘builders’ also tend to be attracted to their same kind. Think about this and let me know what you think. (I’m not telling you which category I fall into, but those who know me can probably guess!)

When you think that this is a $976 million annual industry, you realize that people do want love in their lives. So, this year, let’s take the time to bring love and caring into another person’s life, whether it is for a moment, a day or a lifetime.

Happy V-Day!

Happy First Day of Fall — Fall Into Your Passion

Published on September 21, 2009 in inspiration, Journaling, Journals, Musings, Notebooks, Passions, seasons, The Fall and Writing, journaling.

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There’s no time like the start of a new season to try something new—either for yourself or for your community. If you are a writer like me, you are probably compulsive about your craft. It takes a sort of obsession to be a writer—an obsession to start and finish an article, story or book. Perhaps, it takes this type of personality to bring any type of project to fruition.

After many years of being a writer, I also understand the importance of making the leap out of the office and away from the computer, journal or legal pad to wander into the real world in order to bring some awareness to an issue in the community or do something which unites your spirit with the community and/or the world.

For me personally, I have the need to inspire and teach others the power of writing, whether it’s for publication or to heal personal wounds. This has been an ongoing mission and passion of mine. Not all authors have the need to bring awareness to a particular subject. For example, in a recent Time Magazine interview with author Janet Evanovich (June 22, 2009), she was asked if she felt inclined to use her success to bring awareness to a certain issue. She said that she thought it was appropriate for some authors, but it didn’t seem appropriate for her. She explained by saying that she saw herself as an entertainer and that’s what she liked to do. I admire Janet’s honesty in knowing what is right for her. I also know that perhaps because of my past profession as a nurse, that I have an instinct to help and teach others. Today, I have decided to teach journaling to teenage girls at Girls Inc. in Carpinteria. They are excited about my visit and I’m excited about sharing my passion. It’s a win-win situation for us all and I hope the beginning of a series of similar events.

Think of what you might do that is different this Fall. Do you have a passion you would like to share with others? Is there a new hobby you want to bring into your life? Today is a good day to pull out your journal and jot down any ideas you may have and turn over a leaf of paper as the first colorful one change colors on your backyard tree.