TAW – Week 7:
In Week 4 we are tasked with writing our own Artist’s Prayer, or adapting the one presented towards the end of the TAW book. I didn’t actually get around to this until Week 5 though, as the page reference for the example was wrong and I couldn’t find it! [In my 1995 edition, it is on page 211 - not page 207-8].
I decided to adapt the example, and wrote it out into my notebook – and then referred to it almost every day during the following three weeks. I want to share my version here, but also an updated reflection from 20th June:
Reading my personalised Artist’s Prayer once a day has a really spiritual, calming and nurturing effect on me. I find reading it out loud is more impactful/meaningful … I feel like it is a daily reminder of how important writing is to me.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: creativity, daily habit, grace, gratitude, journey, prayer, spiritual, TAW, The Artist's Way
TAW – Week 7:
I had wanted Lady Gaga’s new album “Born This Way” since I caught her headline performance for BBC Radio 1′s Big Weekend, so I was delighted that Task 2 gave me a great excuse for buying it.
Whilst I’d enjoyed Poker Face and a few other popular tunes, I didn’t really know anything about her. So my curiosity was piqued by this superstar who arrived on stage 30 mins late – and – the BBC changed their broadcast schedule so they could still cover it all live!
I can only say the performance was worth waiting for Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: album, anthemic, authenticity, BBC Radio 1, Big Weekend, Born This Way, Edge of Glory, Lady Gaga, luxury, music, Poker Face
Yesterday Chris & I recorded a podcast to be published that same day. What was unusual about it was that I was actually down in London at the time – so we were able to record face-to-face, instead of virtually via Skype.
Since I began coaching back in 2006, I’ve always been amazed by how much I learned to “hear” via phone or Skype when working with a client. I could “hear” when someone smiled, when they were deep in thought and sometimes even sense when they were physically in pain… Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: action, appreciate, co-creation, coaching, confidence, global, London, podcast, recording, Skype
I think what matters most to me is that people fall in love with the characters when they read my book – that they develop genuine care for them!
Perhaps this is because when I read, it is the characterisation that I love and devour – the storylines and scenarios serving to contextualise the characters and give them a multi-dimensional feel, rather than being significant in & of themselves.
So one of the best bits about writing Wildcat Whispers was giving the characters the opportunity to come to life. But contrary to popular thought – whilst the manuscript is “my baby”, the characters are quite their own selves Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: characters, destiny, love, manuscript, writing
TAW – Week 3.
In Chapter 3, The Artist’s Way talks about synchronicity or serendipity, and the idea that the universe aligns to help you when you truly commit to what you want to do.
I’ve certainly experienced this many times over the course of my life, and refer to this synchronicity as “mini miracles” – daily occurances that are too magic to be written off as coincidence.
I still get a bit overwhelmed by them at times – it can be hard to believe when you are facing multiple-miracle days! So I find myself dissolving into (usually tear-filled) gratitude when this magic shows up in my life, as my way of coping and embracing the latest gift.
So it was amusingly ironic to read about synchronicity in TAW this morning, given that I was graced with another mini miracle just yesterday. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: accepting, allowing, gratitude, help, juggling, magic, miracles, overwhelmed, serendipity, synchronicity, TAW
Paul, Chris, Gina and I have been working together (mostly virtually) on ActionPodcast for over 2.5 years now.
We originally connected because of an idea Paul had, that resonated with and excited each of us – and in the time since we’ve created something pretty special.
But what I love most about the team – even now that we know each other so much better than we first did – is that I am always intrigued by our different perspectives, opinions and experiences; and I consider this to be one of the core strengths of our collaboration.
It doesn’t seem to matter what topics we pick – I can simply trust that Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ActionPodcast, collaboration, different, experiences, gratitude, perspectives, team, unique
TAW – Week 2.
I really believe that in order for something to best serve us, it is our prerogative to tweak it to fit.
With few exceptions, there is no single right or best way to do something; and my own experiences, as much as my coach training, have taught me that no one thing works for everyone.
We are all different. We are all motivated by different things. We are all the sum of our different experiences and our very own unique perspectives of them.
So it makes sense that any solution, tool or task would be best adapted for us individually in order for it to be most effective!
And whilst I won’t deny Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ActionPodcast, affirmations, awareness, ease, grace, guilt, Holosync, meditation, Morning Pages, motivation, perspectives, rebellion, resistence, road less travelled, self-sabotage, status quo, TAW, tweak
This is a short story I wrote to share with the P6 class, on the first day I met them:
Once upon a time, a little girl – of four, going on five – once asked a question that would change her life forever.
The question was directed at her mother, but remained un-answered and rattling around inside her for years to come.
The question was asked when this pretty little girl saw someone abandon a tiny kitten by shoving it out of a car into the grounds of a nearby primary school. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: animals, cats, creativity, curiosity, primary school, questions, short story
Last November I undertook a crazy challenge, and wrote a children’s book of 30,000 words in just 30 days!
Read about my wild journey and how I wrote Wildcat Whispers here – CuriosityCats.
Tags: book, challenge, CuriosityCats, journey, Scottish Wildcats, website, writing