“If I have more than one creative pursuit that I want to promote, do I need more than one newsletter/social media account/website?” While some creatives are little laser beams of light and love for that one special art form, most of us are following bunny…
Author: LA Bourgeois
“Are you ready for your life to begin?” asks the judge on the reality television show, glowing as she looks at this young person who just belted out a verse of Proud Mary. Do you think, Yes! I’m so ready! And it will begin when…
We spend a lot of time making our creative work perfect. Diving in, we find the perfect word, the perfect note, the perfect brushstroke. We test and try and spend hours tweaking this look or phrase or shape. And we worry that our clients will…
In the depths of grief, horror, and panic, are you finding your regular paths to creativity closed? Even when you actively search for a way in, are the gates unassailable? Unfortunately, that is natural. Usual. Boringly normal. Join the club. Here’s a comfy chair! Would…
Teardrop-shaped aspen leaves flickered against the blue sky as I wiped my cheeks, looking up to help stop the flow. Instead of hanging out with the other hospice volunteer trainees during our break, I’d fled to this outdoor haven to stop weeping and call my…
As I approached this piece, I looked at the blank screen and wondered, what if I insult people? What if I give people the wrong idea? What if I don’t write it “Right”? I sat and stared at that white screen and “what if”ed until…
As I was considering what my creativity exercise would be for this week, I realized that I’ve been meaning to waste time creatively! What the what?! How could I have forgotten? And then, I found myself feeling guilty. Guilty that I’d not wasted time RIGHT.…
The lead magnet. The opt-in offer. Bribes. Freemiums. Gifts. Lots of names for one simple thing—something you give away in return for someone signing up for your email list. I’ve received PDFs that give me instructions on how to improve my Instagram presence, writing skills,…
Do you feel pressured to fill every moment of time with a useful activity? Me too. In fact, as I started thinking about how wasting time could be beneficial to my creative process, I made the bed in our guest room. The clean sheets had…
As I write this essay, news travels around the country that a beautiful, accomplished, successful, strong, and seemingly happy young woman ended her life over the weekend. Two of the anchors on the morning news program we watch were almost in tears as they discussed…