Conquer Procrastination & Get It Done
Hot Pink Ghosts
Another block to creativity are the ghosts of failures past. A client once told me, “I’m afraid to get my work out there because the last time I tried, I was sabotaged and betrayed by a group of women I had trusted.” I said, “I’m so sorry that happened. That must have...
Does It Have to Be You?
Exercise: 1. Write down all the activities that you typically do in a day, such as: drive in the car pool do laundry pay bills make phone calls write work out get the mail read work with clients play with the kids plan upcoming travel coordinate volunteers for charity...
Where Will I Think to Look for This Later?
Asking yourself the question “Where will I think to look for this?” might be the single greatest organizational step you can take. Asking yourself this question puts you in a state of awareness about your organizational style and creates an automatic mnemonic so you...
An Ode To The Overwhelmed
And as you stand there Late again Because you forgot to allow time to park And the elevator was slow And you left 10 minutes late to begin with With your shoes that pinch And your pants that are a little too small Since you started eating white bread again And as you...
The Couch and the Closet
Peter is a sweet-tempered screenwriter with a tendency toward pessimism. He usually works on his scripts while seated in a corner of his big couch in his living room. As a consequence, his coffee table is covered with papers and CDs, and there’s usually a pile of...
There’s No Such Thing as a Single-Discipline Creative
I’ve never met a single-discipline creative. Every creative person I know says things like, “Well, I’m a writer. But I also sing in a choir and play bass guitar and drums and embroider and do needlepoint, but I don’t do counted cross-stitch anymore, and of course...
A Prayer for Hoping against Hope
And as you stand there Hands clasped in front of you Eyes downcast Concealing the disobedient pounding of your heart It dawns on you: Here we go again. And while you no longer allow yourself the long, elaborate daydreams in which everything works out perfectly, You...
Make a “Could -Do” List
Get out a piece of paper and write “Could Do” at the top. I like “could-do” lists because I find “to-do” lists too dictatorial. They make me feel pressured and antsy and reluctant and even belligerent — like a pouting high schooler who’s being harassed to do her...
It’s Not All about Talent
Here’s another hard truth: your talent doesn't entitle you to anything. You will not be surprised to learn that talent is not enough. Every artist is (or believes herself to be) talented. Talent is the price of admission, kids. You’d be amazed how many...
Sometimes We Get Stuck in Regret
I should have done things differently. Now it’s too late. I’ve missed my chance. I screwed it up. I should have known. I say: baloney. You did the very best you could do under the circumstances and with the information you had at the time. Honestly, I’m not...
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