Happiness 8-15
woken by a crash of thunder; arriving at the temple of Banteay Srei in Cambodia; the grapes ripening.
Tag: writing and life
Happiness 8-14
the horse and the donkey; a series of unexpected events that leads to amazement; curled up on a window-seat with a mystery.
Happiness 8-13
four quartz crystals in a pool of water; opening the drawer and finding a mysterious charm bracelet; the shepherd home from the hill.
Happiness 8-12
setting down the pen with a deep sigh of relief; an island of good luck; tending to your baby llama.
Happiness 8-11
the sweetest moment of all; diving into a mountain lake at dawn; the train pulling out of the station.
Happiness 8-10
the foundation as deep as the steeple is high; partying with treefrogs all night long; flying into the wind.
Happiness 8-9
the birth of the white bison; the stranger taking your hand and leading you out of there; kissing the inside of her elbows.
Happiness 8-8
sunshine on the pomegranate tree; that long talk with a fox in a field; a hand on your shoulder.
Happiness 8-7
the fragrance of Mediterranean fig; wainscotting; transcendence at the bottom of the sky.
Happiness 8-6
holding a mirror up to the sky; swimming to the underwater pyramid at Yonaguni-Jima, Japan; a half-open yellow rose.
Happiness 8-5
two queens talking in the summer house; climbing to the top; seeing things as they really are.
Happiness 8-4
cavorting with crickets late into the evening; entering the stage; mangoes warmed by the sun.
Happiness 8-3
the smallest key in the world which opens the biggest door; hearing a sound you can’t hear; finding a cool place in the forest in the heart of summer.
Happiness 8-2
lying on a warm stone; opening your wings to the sun; laughter floating past.
Happiness 8-1
a softly purring lioness; absorbing the sky; a cornucopia of plenty.
WriteSpa #71 – Transitions
I wonder whether we pay enough attention to the delicate time of transitioning from one thing to the next. Moving from playtime to bedtime can bring on a tantrum. Moving from one job to another… […]
Nourish Your Writer’s Soul
Since spring is almost here, I’m offering “Writing through the year – Winter” as a free gift till March 21. Let me know if you’d like a copy – I’ll send you a SW coupon or the mobi file for your kindle.
Here’s what it’s about: […]
WriteSpa #63 – A Place of One’s Own
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
As I was conversing with a WriteSpa client, and we were discussing assignments and goals, I asked her where she wrote. She hesitated, then said, “It’s a bit problematic…I don’t have a laptop and my computer’s in the living room. I don’t really have a place for it.”
From the way she spoke, I could tell that using “the computer” was for her a chore, a bit of a nuisance, something that she ‘should’ turn on and use, like a vacuum cleaner, perhaps. I knew that for her to have a satisfying relationship with Mr. Write, the ambience surrounding the area where she worked was crucial. […]
WriteSpa #51 – Thanksgiving
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
Although Thanksgiving appears to be a uniquely American holiday, the mood now all over the world feels hectic, festive, familyish, planning ahead to the end of the year – and it sometimes can feel dark. Very few holidays are not based in some way on seasonal or pagan rituals – whether they are secular, as is Thanksgiving, or religious. In northern climates (in days long ago), this might be the last time you could see families and friends till spring. In agricultural civilizations, it’s the celebration of the end of harvest. It’s okay to feast now; by February there may be very little left. Nowadays we don’t have that worry; instead the anxiety has crept inwards, and emerges as family-related issues: passionate reunions, guilt, or nostalgia. This time of year can be fraught with tension, excitement, friendliness, food, warmth, light, depression, and so on. […]
WriteSpa #50 – Inspired by Fragrance
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
Your sense of smell is possibly the oldest of the five primary senses, and, fascinatingly, it is most intimately associated with the formation of memories. In those old days (a million years ago), it was crucial to forming our experience of food and sex; but by now it’s evolved to an art of perfumes and fragrances. […]
WriteSpa #46 – Great Dialog (part 1/3)
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
We talk most of the time – except for when we’re not. The gift of language is part of our existence. We communicate with words far more often and easily than we do through writing or even through an expression like a glare or a smile. And yet much of the time, in conversation as in life, things are not what they seem. Words don’t necessarily mean what you think they do, or what they mean when you’re writing narrative prose. That’s because in dialog the words themselves are colored by the people who are using them. […]