“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” — Howard Thurman
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Posts Tagged ‘creativity’
Come Alive!
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, art, creativity, inspiration, life, Thoughts, Writers, writing on September 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Creatively Making
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, action, art, creativity, inspiration, Thoughts, writing on September 24, 2026| Leave a Comment »
“Everything depends on the individual human being, regardless of how small a number of like-minded people there is, and everything depends on each person, through action and not mere words, creatively making the meaning of life a reality in his or her own being.” — Viktor Frankl
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You’re Number One!
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, Thoughts, unique on September 20, 2026| Leave a Comment »
“No one is better than you, because no one else is you.” — Megan Bannen, The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam
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Fiction and Empathy
Posted in Entertainment, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, Fiction, television, Thoughts, writing on September 17, 2026| 1 Comment »
Today I’m thinking about the last two minutes of the Reacher season 4 finale. I won’t spoil it for anyone, but Jesus. I’m going to go donate to our local food bank and think about the contribution of fiction to the many dimensions of empathy.
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How to Start a Novel
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, fiction editors, Thoughts, Writers, writing, writing advice on September 14, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Some writing advice from agents, via Chuck Sambuchino:
What NOT to Do When Beginning Your Novel: Advice from Literary Agents
Just as important as knowing how to begin your novel is knowing what not to do.
In case you’re interested in some professional perspectives!
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Just Start
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, inspiration, persistence, Thoughts, write anyway, Writers, writing on September 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »
“Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it.” — Madeleine L’Engle
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A Book in the Library of Life
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, #WhyIWrite, creativity, inspiration, Thoughts, Writers, writing on September 9, 2026|
Why write? It’s a question writers get asked a lot. There are a lot of challenges to writing, both internal and external, and overcoming them can take persistence and focus and a good handle on what and why. So I periodically ask myself just that: why write?
Here’s one author talking about her history with writing: Patricia Cornwell, novelist: Imagination saved me
Jamie Coomarasamy speaks to Patricia Cornwell, one of the world’s best-selling crime writers, whose books have sold more than 120 million copies worldwide… Her imagination became a refuge during difficult years, shaping the stories and characters she would later create.
Ann Patchett’s The Getaway Car is another interesting look into the author’s development as a writer, but everyone’s answer is different.
My version of why tends to revolve around an essential truth: I want to be part of the worlds I’ve loved since I was a child. I want to be a book in the library of life.
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Embrace Your Enthusiasms!
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, curiosity, inspiration, nerds, Thoughts, Writers, writing on September 8, 2026| 1 Comment »
“Because nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff… Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can’t-control-yourself love it. Hank, when people call people nerds, mostly what they’re saying is ‘you like stuff.’ Which is just not a good insult at all. Like, ‘you are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness’.” ― John Green
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Yes, And
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, rethinking, Thoughts, Writers, writing on September 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Like many people, I sometimes flash back to mistakes I’ve made in writing or elsewhere. It’s annoying, how they pop up unbidden, their lessons knocking gently (or otherwise) as if I’d forgotten.
I’ve come to the conclusion that it may be easier to move on from those moments if, instead of trying to ignore them, I respond with “yes, and…” It’s a classic technique in improv comedy, of course, but it can also help mitigate the sting of past negatives by acknowledging them while also making space for the positive. Balance out the scales.
“Yes, that thing that’s been swirling around in my head for a week was kind of a silly thing to do, and remember when I also did that other thing that was awesome?”
A little trick I find useful:)
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Clearing the Decks
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, #GettingThingsDone, creativity, projects, reflection, rethinking, Thoughts, transformation, writing on September 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »
It’s end-of-summer, change-of-season, back-to-school time, and for me that means taking a moment for a little reflection and reassessment. I also like to use this time as an opportunity to clear the decks.
I don’t know about you, but I tend to accumulate mental notes to myself, project plans, ideas that have persisted over the course of the year. Now is a great time to cross those items off my list. Maybe an idea is so small that it seems not worth doing, but it’s been taking up space in my mind. Time to get it done. Maybe it’s so big that I’ve been avoiding it. Time to decide if it’s worth tackling or if it should be deliberately shelved in favor of other projects. Either way, I get it off my list and out of my head.
And once the decks are cleared? I can look forward to a new season and new ideas.
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