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Turn on the news and you will notice that the world is presented as a fairly ugly place.

The bottom line is: words often fail us. They are…limited.

People get upset and use words as weapons. Next thing you know, we have divided humanity rather than uniting us.

I am not crazy about the headlines or the manipulation of the media to provoke reactions from the masses.

But there is one thing I am over the moon about, and that is the surge of beauty and creativity I find online these days.

Fire up Pinterest and Instagram, and you will notice that beauty has become a global movement and creativity is at an all time high.

And guess who the beauty movement leaders are?

Yup, you guessed it. They are women.

They know a little secret: flowers are powerful. They are quiet, yet transformative. They affect people in ways words cannot. Flowers heal us. Each and every single one shines with earth light.

And we could also shine with earth light, too, if we would slow down to the speed of life.

Maybe like me, you have always adored flowers and yet always found the traditional floral businesses to be rather old-fashioned and ho-hum. No longer! Flowers have become a creative medium, not merely a collection of old standards you can send to express congratulations or condolences.

Flower bouquets are the new poetry. And these poems are multi-sensual, colorful and awe-inspiring. The poets are artists who are also business women. Visual impact is valuable. Variety is something to celebrate.

So three cheers for flowers! I am a big fan myself and I do my best to share the wealth of beauty growing in our yard. The women below are leaders in the flower power movement, and I have nothing but respect for them. Please check them out, if you haven’t already. I’d love to hear what you think!

Armload Of Flowers: Erin Benzakein

Wildflower Worshiper: Katie Daisy

Flower Petal Artist: Bridget Beth Collins

Flowers For Transformation: Katie Hess

When I have something to say, this blog is the place where I give myself permission to say it. Though I often write about writing and creativity, I also write about issues that are important to me. I help folks become more creative for personal enjoyment, professional development and transformational growth. I am a veteran journalist, author and coach with over a decade and a half of experience and a wealth of techniques to share. Whether you are a professional creative or hope to become one some day, I can help you embrace your personal strengths, explore your creative possibilities, and evolve incrementally into your most inspiring self. If you are ready to achieve creative consistency in your life and career, email me about monthly coaching calls. Looking for more fun in your life daily? Then join us for Collaging For Self-discovery, my online accountability group. To learn more about increasing your creative confidence, please check out my online school. Stay tuned for ways to save money by becoming a Beta User for my next new course by subscribing to The Prosperous Creative. And don’t forget to get these blog posts delivered to your inbox, so you never miss a post. If you appreciate my work—school, products, blog and social media posts—you are welcome to make a contribution of any size at any time. Thank you for your support!

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A while back, I took a poll on Facebook asking what kind of shoes people find comfortable because my feet were killing me.

When I was pregnant with Samantha, many moons ago, I gained a bunch of weight and my arches collapsed.

Yes, it was as painful as it sounds.

Fast forward sixteen years later and not surprisingly, my feet often hurt.

I tried going to the podiatrist and was not impressed with the value of help for the cost.

So I put the question out to my Facebook peeps and I was impressed with the voluminous response.

Apparently, if you have sore feet, you are not alone. It does not matter why. What does matter is finding and wearing comfortable shoes as soon as possible.

Here are some brands to help you get started. If you order online, be sure to read about sizing first.

Most Comfortable Shoes For Women

Abeo Janet walking sneaker (I wear these with the Walking Company’s best insert) their website

Vionic on Amazon or at their website

Clarks on Amazon or at their website

Dansko on Amazon or at their website

Finn Thing on Amazon or at their website

Chacos (Ped Shed) on Amazon or at their website

Born on Amazon or at their website

Taos on Amazon or at their website

Naot on Amazon or at their website

Spenco on Amazon or at their website

Olukai on Amazon or at their website (Ohana Sandal was recommended)

Fit Flops on Amazon or at their website

Allegria on Amazon or at their website

Keen on Amazon or at their website

Wolky on Amazon or at their website

Merrell on Amazon or at their website

Ahnn Hiking Shoes on Amazon or at their website

Oofos on Amazon or at their website

Sofft on Amazon or at their website

Soft Spots (professional style) on Amazon or at their website

Bella Vita on Amazon

Comfortable Sneakers For Women

Brooks on Amazon or at their website (Trail Running Shoe was recommended)

New Balance on Amazon or at their website

Comfortable Shoe Stores

The Walking Store (if you go in person, know what you need and plan to spend at least an hour trying on shoes)

Zappos Women’s Comfort

Jay’s Wide Shoes

Shoe Inserts

Superfeet Green Inserts on Amazon or at their website

Next shoes I’m going to get…Taos Crave Boot.

Still haven’t decided on summer sandals, but I’d better decide soon! Let me know if you have specific suggestions.

When I have something to say, this blog is the place where I give myself permission to say it. Though I often write about writing and creativity, I also write about issues that are important to me. I help folks become more creative for personal enjoyment, professional development and transformational growth. I am a veteran journalist, author and coach with over a decade and a half of experience and a wealth of techniques to share. Whether you are a professional creative or hope to become one some day, I can help you embrace your personal strengths, explore your creative possibilities, and evolve incrementally into your most inspiring self. If you are ready to achieve creative consistency in your life and career, email me about monthly coaching calls. Looking for more fun in your life daily? Then join us for Collaging For Self-discovery, my online accountability group. To learn more about increasing your creative confidence, please check out my online school. Stay tuned for ways to save money by becoming a Beta User for my next new course by subscribing to The Prosperous Creative. And don’t forget to get these blog posts delivered to your inbox, so you never miss a post. If you appreciate my work—school, products, blog and social media posts—you are welcome to make a contribution of any size at any time. Thank you for your support!

~ Photo by Erik Odiin on Unsplash

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Every once in a while I need to write about timely things I love.

One thing I love right now are lilacs.

My lilac bushes are in bloom and our home is filled with vases of lilacs large and small.

Why do I love lilacs so much?

They were not part of my childhood. You know how sometimes you discover something later in life and you are like, where has this been all my life? This was the story of lilacs and me. Our yard had a lilac bush for the first time about ten years ago, and the rest is a deep romance.

Others tell me that lilacs remind them of someone they loved who grew lilacs.

I am always happy to give away some of my lilacs while they are blooming because I always have more than I can use and lilacs are better when shared.

What if you do not have any lilac bushes or your lilacs are not blooming yet?

Here’s an idea. Go over to Instagram and type in the hashtag: #lilac. Watch what happens.

You could scroll all day, right? Unless, you have your own lilac bush, in which case you will probably want to go outside and hug it.

Now try the same thing on Pinterest. You won’t regret it!

With Mother’s Day coming up, you might want to pull together a lilac care package. Here are a few lilac-related products to help you get started:

Mrs. Meyer’s Lilac Products

Lilac Hand Cream (any type)

Nail Polish In Lilac Colors

Lilac Essential Oil

Lilac Body Wash

Lilac Bath Bomb Fizzies

Lilac Blossom Rollon Perfume

Lilac Candle

Lilac Girls, A Novel by Martha Hall Kelly

Lilac lipstick

Lightweight Lilac Shawl

Lilac Tote Bag

Lilac Craft Paper

Embroidered Lilac Pin Brooch

Lilac Stud Earrings

Lilac Necklace

One Dozen Homemade Lilac-decorated Sugar Cookies

Lilac Paintings

It’s spring, so go ahead and surround yourself with lilacs and lilac-related things. You won’t regret it.

I know I don’t!

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I attempt to collage daily in my Joy Journal. What this means is that I collage most days. Collage journaling is a straight path to self-discovery, inspiration and everything that makes me tick. What I love most about collage journaling (which I call Joy Journaling) is that it helps me stay up-to-date with myself.

What do I like, want, and need? I can find the answers by flipping through my Joy Journals.

When I stay up to date with myself, life is an exciting adventure. When I don’t keep up to date with myself, it’s too easy to fall into serial monotony. I don’t want to live a life of serial monotony, and that is the primary reason I have a daily creative practice.

While I recognize that there are many possible daily creative practices, I enjoy collaging at this juncture in my life. Since I’m a professional writer, I can use all of the daily inspiration I can get.

I am grateful that supplies for joy journaling are readily available locally and online. I make an effort to use what I have on hand or can find inexpensively around the house in my Joy Journal. Since my journal reflects me uniquely, it makes sense to find scraps from my life. However, it’s also important to choose supplies that make collage journaling fun and inspiring, since that’s the whole point.

Here’s a quick list of supplies I use regularly.

Old magazines: Stop by your local library to see if you can purchase their old magazines. Ours has magazines on a rack in the library store. Visit library stores in surrounding towns, if you want to acquire a bunch of magazine on the cheap. Also consider asking your local friends to drop their used magazines on your stoop when they are done with them, or ask professionals who have magazines in waiting rooms if you could pick up pubs they no longer want. You can subscribe to magazines you love inexpensively at https://www.magazines.com/.

Scissors: I use the orange-handled Fiskars most often, but I also have several types of scissors on hand, including hair-cutting scissors. Try gathering up all the types of scissors you have in the house and test-driving them until you determine what other types of scissors you might need. https://amzn.to/2JIYtty

Cutting pad: I use a pink, self-healing cutting pad from Michael’s. Check out these cutting pads. https://amzn.to/2KoyWqx

Exacto Knife: I use the Fiskars Heavy Duty Die Cast Craft Knife. Choose your own cutting knife. https://amzn.to/2jlLKlu

Bins/Storage Boxes: I use a storage bin from IKEA that slide into cubes from IKEA. But you could also use a paper sorter or a plastic bin. Paper sorter: https://amzn.to/2jnJ4ng Plastic bins: https://amzn.to/2HLm6Ry

Elmer’s Disappearing Jumbo Purple Gluesticks: These are my favorite gluesticks, and I like that they are inexpensive. https://amzn.to/2JJA8Ue

Strathmore Sketchbook, 100 Sheets: I use this sketchbook for my collage journaling. I used to use a drug store variety, but I prefer the sturdier pages that this journal provides. https://amzn.to/2w5nzRe

Washi Tapes: Recently I started collecting washi tapes I come across on sale. I stick to color schemes that appeal to me. Adding washi Tape to almost completed journal pages provides a fun flourish.
Narrow washi tapes: https://amzn.to/2FxUL3e
Regular width washi tapes: https://amzn.to/2JLbhzv

Baggies: I use clear plastic Ziploc baggies to divide my materials up into categories. I currently have bags for small images, words and quotes, and ephemera. Keeping everything sorted allows me to work on my journal in phases without getting overwhelmed by too many choices. https://amzn.to/2HKanmm

Ephemera: Start collecting scraps of tissue paper, wrapping paper, ribbon, doilies, cup cake wrappers or any other type of flat materials you can use to embellish your joy journal pages. Keep these in their own baggies or in plastic storage bins. You can also find fun ephemera collections for sale on Etsy.

Round Vase: I use a large round display globe to store my washi tapes so I can easily see them and dump them on the table when I want to use them. Mason jars also come in handy for holding scissors, glue sticks and and pens or markers. https://amzn.to/2reDcRq

Feel free to make suggestions for collaging supplies, and I will add them to this post!

When I have something to say, this blog is the place where I give myself permission to say it. Though I often write about writing and creativity, I also write about issues that are important to me. I help folks become more creative for personal enjoyment, professional development and transformational growth. I am a veteran journalist, author and coach with over a decade and a half of experience and a wealth of techniques to share. Whether you are a professional creative or hope to become one some day, I can help you embrace your personal strengths, explore your creative possibilities, and evolve incrementally into your most inspiring self. If you are ready to achieve creative consistency in your life and career, email me about monthly coaching calls. Looking for more fun in your life daily? Then join us for Collaging For Self-discovery, my online accountability group. To learn more about increasing your creative confidence, please check out my online school. Stay tuned for ways to save money by becoming a Beta User for my next new course by subscribing to The Prosperous Creative. And don’t forget to get these blog posts delivered to your inbox, so you never miss a post. If you appreciate my work—school, products, blog and social media posts—you are welcome to make a contribution of any size at any time. Thank you for your support!

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There are really no words to describe how much I enjoy my Joy Journaling practice.

As I collage regularly, I reap the benefits of connecting with myself in ways the world does not provide for me.

This is what I hope to address in my work: bridging the gap between women and daily self-expression for its own sake.

The world is never going to offer ourselves to us. Instead the world is going to provide a new distraction, a new goal, a new thing to buy, new breaking news, new gossip, and a new list of shoulds to get us to conform to today’s trends.

But the world is also full of awe and wonder, and our collage journal becomes our map to what matters most to us. So my collage practice helps me filter an overwhelming amount of data by helping me become more aware of what I care about.

I care about the earth, women, girls, mothers, kids, self-expression, art, creativity, writing, gardening, theatre, film, health, personal transformation, feminine power, and spirituality most. But there is no limit to the number of things I am allowed to care about.

My collage journaling process has an impact on me and then I have an impact on the world. It’s incredible how much your perspective can change when the only person you have to impress is yourself.

What if the only person you had to please was yourself? How might your life look different?

Women are deeply trained to become pleasing machines instead of individuals guided by intuition and passion.

Life starts to look completely different and a lot more fun, when you let your heart help you navigate a distracting world.

Do you know what you want out of this life? Do you do what you love? Do you embrace the day?

If you are not sure of the answers to these questions or if you feel caught up in the daily grind, having a Joy Journal can help.

I offer a monthly Joy Journaling group by subscription. You don’t have to be actively journaling to join. You can be getting ready to journal or simply be ready to take some baby steps.

You are welcome to join by paying what you can each month and participate as much as your schedule allows.

I used to do work that involved putting the pressure on. But now I do work that involves taking the pressure off. Pressure is just not helpful or sustainable.

What kind of life do you want to live? A life of pressure and shoulds or a life of honest, organic choices?

I want to live in a world where women can be more authentic and honest. I want to live in a world, where groups of women can share self-expression from all over the world.

And that’s the world I am creating. I hope you will join us!

When I have something to say, this blog is the place where I give myself permission to say it. Though I often write about writing and creativity, I also write about issues that are important to me. I help folks become more creative for personal enjoyment, professional development and transformational growth. I am a veteran journalist, author and coach with over a decade and a half of experience and a wealth of techniques to share. Whether you are a professional creative or hope to become one some day, I can help you embrace your personal strengths, explore your creative possibilities, and evolve incrementally into your most inspiring self. If you are ready to achieve creative consistency in your life and career, email me about monthly coaching calls. Looking for more fun in your life daily? Then join us for Collaging For Self-discovery, my online accountability group. To learn more about increasing your creative confidence, please check out my online school. Stay tuned for ways to save money by becoming a Beta User for my next new course by subscribing to The Prosperous Creative. And don’t forget to get these blog posts delivered to your inbox, so you never miss a post. If you appreciate my work—school, products, blog and social media posts—you are welcome to make a contribution of any size at any time. Thank you for your support!

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Broadway could not have produced a more timely musical than Mean Girls, based on the movie Mean Girls, based on the book by Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman.

Across America, moms are talking to moms about the mean girl nightmares in their own backyards.

And if moms across America are talking about mean girls everywhere we live, then what we have is an American bullying epidemic, that can’t possibly get enough ink.

Although I am certainly thankful to the many experts who have shined a light on mean girl behavior in the past, having a few experts on this topic is not doing enough to turn the tide.

We need a kindness movement that redirects bullying behavior in a healthier direction — or at the very least interrupts it.

We do not need an anti-bullying movement, because when you feed what you hate with attention, it just gets bigger and worse. And that’s what we have right now.

Girls don’t need me to tell them what meanness in schools is like. If you are a girl in America, you have experienced meanness and it is likely an everyday occurrence. If you are a parent in America, no doubt mean girl behavior has brought you to your knees more times than you care to admit.

I have an idea. If we want mean girls to stop ruling the schools, we need a kindness, dignity and respect movement among girls. And we need it now. Powered by girls. And perpetuated by kindness.

Moms could also use a movement. But let’s save the girls first. I think we can all agree that the girls, and their futures, are worth preserving. (Boys too, but one group at a time.)

Let’s pull together and create a plan for confronting mean girl behavior as it happens girl by girl, and let’s start today. However, in order to do this, girls need to learn to confront each other with kindness, dignity and respect or all the confrontation in the world will never do any good.

These are my suggestions for dismantling mean girl power trips. I will update it over time with feedback from readers. I hope you will post your insights and suggestions in the comments.

TIPS FOR GIRLS, TWEENS & TEENS

1. Recognize that mean girls have false power. In the fairly tale, the emperor had no clothes, and it’s the same with a mean girl operating on the premise. “I am popular, therefore I am powerful, and you will all carry out my will.” Once everyone stops doing this, the mean girl no longer has power. So stop letting mean girls tell you what to do, what to think, and how to behave. It’s called giving your power away. Why not discuss this idea with your parents today, so you can stop doing it tomorrow.

2. Bravely stand up to mean girl false authority in the moment. If someone is directly mean to you, you have a responsibility to stand up for yourself, whether others support you in the act or not. Good things to say are, “Why are treating me so badly?” or “Why don’t you stop being so mean?” If nothing else works, you can say, “Have you ever considered being kind to others instead of being mean?” The goal is to take the mean girl aback. It’s a bit of a shock and awe approach, so don’t stick around waiting to be thanked. Say what you have to say, then turn on your heel with dignity and walk away. You are not waiting for an answer to your question. It’s her job to hear you. You can’t make someone hear you if she does not want to. But if you speak your mind, then you can at least feel proud of yourself.

3. Let a girl who is mean get confronted by other girls. If you are one of a mean girl’s devotees, constantly there to reassure her how hot, awesome and superior she is while she is treating others badly, then you are part of the problem. Stop doing that. If you are acting like a minion, you need to reconsider your role in perpetuating your mean girl’s rule of terror. Maybe you are just as terrified of getting on the bad side of a mean girl as nice girls are. But guess what? Nice girls can’t change the climate without you. So pick a side, meanness or kindness, and know if you choose meanness, then you also need to be confronted and likely will be confronted.

4. Look for better behavior, without expecting it. When mean girls change their behavior and treat others with kindness, dignity and respect, be the first one to say, “Thanks, I appreciate your kindness.” Don’t throw the mean girl out with the mean girl behavior. Yes, it’s true that most girls are pretty much who they are going to be by the time they turn fourteen, and you should not necessarily try to change a mean girl into a nice girl. Also, you can’t. But if a mean girl decides for herself to behave more nicely, you want to be the first one to appreciate her efforts. Of course, don’t expect a mean girl to transform overnight, but encourage mean girls you know to keep trying to make the kind choices, as they are given the opportunity. They might even thank you for the support some day.

5. Girls, for goodness sake, stop acting like members of a mafia. Be an individual rather than relying on a devoted posse. Your popularity is not who you are. Your integrity is who you are. Integrity means you love yourself and you are not afraid to be authentic, honest and vulnerable. Self-compassion means you can cry without it meaning that someone has to pay. It means, you embrace a range of emotions in yourself and others with acceptance and tolerance. It means you recognize that in life you win some and you lose some and your worth is not made or destroyed depending on those outcomes. It means you stop trying to control the world. It means, if you do not love yourself, you work on that instead of ex-communicating, stonewalling, and punishing other girls according to your whims. At the end of the day, you are either creating a healthier, happier world or a more messed up one. School is practice. Which side are you on?

6. Practice the assertiveness skills you need. The bottom line is that we live in a confrontation-phobic country. No one is teaching girls the skills necessary to confront others in the moment with dignity and mutual respect. As a result, we are raising a generation of terrorizing or terrified girls. Why are we so afraid of girls who can express themselves? We can’t and won’t have equality between the sexes as long as patriarchy keeps us valuing girls for superficial things such as appearance and popularity. Girls, if your parents are overly focused on your looks and how many friends you have, you need to tell them to back off. Tell them you already look good as you are and you’ll have friends when they are genuinely kind and caring people and settle for nothing less. We have a shortage of genuinely kind and caring girls right now and we need more joining the club. So start a club not a clique, and keep it permanently open to new members.

7. Ask your school to give out awards for kindness, caring and emotional intelligence. Varsity letters and top of the class are so 1950’s. If we want to create a future where everyone is not a raging narcissist, it needs to start in families and be rewarded in schools. Right now kind families are sending their girls in to school to get their butts emotionally kicked by mean kids. Enough already! If schools don’t change what they recognize and value, then teaching kindness is a waste of time and the future belongs to the female Trumps of the world. How’s that for something to look forward to?

Don’t just sit around hoping that mean girls at your school get hit by a bus.

They won’t. And they won’t feel bad about being mean either, unless they are confronted about it.

Kind kids can outsmart mean kids by throwing them off their games with directness instead of snarkiness, with honesty to disarm their self-absorption, and by making room for bullies at the table of personal responsibility, if and when they choose to join.

Kind girls of the world, my money is on you. It’s time for you to step up and speak up. Learn how to confront others. It’s time to work together to push back and create a more compassionate world, where there is acceptance for a broader range of types of girls, without as much complicity for girls treating each other badly.

When I have something to say, this blog is the place where I give myself permission to say it. Though I often write about writing and creativity, I also write about issues that are important to me. I help folks become more creative for personal enjoyment, professional development and transformational growth. I am a veteran journalist, author and coach with over a decade and a half of experience and a wealth of techniques to share. Whether you are a professional creative or hope to become one some day, I can help you embrace your personal strengths, explore your creative possibilities, and evolve incrementally into your most inspiring self. If you are ready to achieve creative consistency in your life and career, email me about monthly coaching calls. Looking for more fun in your life daily? Then join us for Collaging For Self-discovery, my online accountability group. To learn more about increasing your creative confidence, please check out my online school. Stay tuned for ways to save money by becoming a Beta User for my next new course by subscribing to The Prosperous Creative. And don’t forget to get these blog posts delivered to your inbox, so you never miss a post. If you appreciate my work—school, products, blog and social media posts—you are welcome to make a contribution of any size at any time. Thank you for your support!

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

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I have been making the transition to middle-age for a while now, and let me tell you, it has not always been smooth sailing. Now that I am firmly in the middle years, I have some advice about supplements. The good news is that taking vitamins and minerals can make a big difference in your health and quality of life.

I am not a doctor and these are not medical recommendations, however all of my traditional doctors refuse to discuss the benefits of vitamin and mineral supplements, and instead focus on prescriptions medication and surgery.

I believe that any person of any age can benefit from a few choice vitamin and mineral supplements. I feel that more conversation about supplements is needed. I would also like to reward companies that focus on women’s needs and invest in research and product development for women’s health needs.

The scales have been tipped towards men’s health for too long. I hope you will comment and share this post, so we can help balance the scales back out.

For women, managing mid-life, or younger women dealing with hormone-related issues, these are my recommendations.

If you are fatigued, get your blood work done and ask about anemia. You don’t want to take extra iron unless you are anemic. Anemia has been my greatest health issue throughout my life, and I have needed to take iron for it, off and on since I was a teen. I have written about some of the products I’ve used in this post. These days, I keep one brand on hand in case I need it or my daughter needs it. (I also highly recommend all of the Vitanica products, so I hope you will check this women-centric company out.)

I take this product to help suppress too much estrogen in my system, and I always feel better when I am taking it. I feel that it helps reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flashes, which can be a real pain.

Women need to get enough calcium. If you have depleted calcium caused by medication or if Osteoporosis runs in your family, check out this calcium product. Absorbancy is an important issue with calcium, and that’s why I chose this product, which is super-absorbable.

Turmeric capsules are good to take for any kind of inflammation. I get mine at Trader Joe’s, but you can get them anywhere. This product looks good.

If hot flashes are making it challenging to get a good night’s sleep, try taking the lowest dose of Melatonin each night right before bed. Be mindful to read labels, as there can be a big jump between lowest dose and the next dose up. I use this brand from Trader Joe’s.

Take a high quality daily supplement. This is the one I give my daughter from Vitanica. I suggest you search their products and choose supplement that is right for you.

Generally speaking, mood is not a challenge for me. However if you find yourself feeling down, discouraged or even mildly depressed, and you think the cause is hormonal, try this product from Vitanica and see how it works for you. Of course, if you are consistently or seriously depressed, please consult your doctor.

Finally, we live in a fairly distracted and distracting world. If focus is a challenge for you, I highly recommend taking L-Theanine. You can pick it up just about everywhere, but I suggest you use a natural brand. I get mine at my local grocery store, but this one looks good. It really makes a difference when you need to sit down and focus for several hours at a time, as most writers do.

What supplements have you taken that have helped you navigate mid-life more smoothly? Feel free to comment!

When I have something to say, this blog is the place where I give myself permission to say it. Though I often write about writing and creativity, I also write about issues that are important to me. I help folks become more creative for personal enjoyment, professional development and transformational growth. I am a veteran journalist, author and coach with over a decade and a half of experience and a wealth of techniques to share. Whether you are a professional creative or hope to become one some day, I can help you embrace your personal strengths, explore your creative possibilities, and evolve incrementally into your most inspiring self. If you are ready to achieve creative consistency in your life and career, email me about monthly coaching calls. Looking for more fun in your life daily? Then join us for Collaging For Self-discovery, my online accountability group. To learn more about increasing your creative confidence, please check out my online school. Stay tuned for ways to save money by becoming a Beta User for my next new course by subscribing to The Prosperous Creative. And don’t forget to get these blog posts delivered to your inbox, so you never miss a post. If you appreciate my work—school, products, blog and social media posts—you are welcome to make a contribution of any size at any time. Thank you for your support!

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This post is for Nathalie. Here you go, Nathalie!

Are you a flower-lover, who wants amazing, colorful gardents without spending tons of money?

I feel like I have discovered gold in terms of seed companies, and I want to share the information with you.

I have been dabbling in gardening for years. I would usually purchase the cheapest seeds, throw them down without much thought, and then hope for the best.

Needless to say, the best is not what I usually got.

As the weather warmed and seeds did not pan out, I would reach for annuals and perennials that were already started at garden stores with pretty much the same results. Sometimes the plants would take and sometimes they wouldn’t.

Oh well, at least I was learning what liked to grow where. But the lessons were costly and I always felt frustrated by how much bare dirt I could not afford to fill in with plant starts.

I always felt happiest if a plant was a perennial, biennial or was self-seeding, so it would live on in my garden year after year. That was a good investment in my mind. But I could not really wrap my head around purchasing annuals and having them only survive one season.

Then last year, I discovered Botanical Interests seed mixtures. And what a huge difference in my gardens this seed retailer has made!

I have one area in my garden, in particular, where I could never get anything to grow. The space is underneath a tree in one of my garden beds. I had planted seeds and flower and ground cover starts, but they never seemed to take.

I had pretty much given up on that part of my garden when I stumbled on the Made In The Shade collection of seeds from Botanical Interests.

Fortunately, a couple of shops in my local area are selling these seed packets but you can also order them online from Amazon or from the company website.

As usual, I tossed them down, but this time, instead of mostly not growing, it seemed like every single seed grew.

But then, guess what happened? My husband was so used to nothing growing under that tree except weeds that he mowed the starts down with the riding mower as soon as they all sprang up.

Needless to say, he did not hear the end of this move for a while.

And yet some of the flowers blossomed anyway! It took them a little while to bounce back after being mowed, but fairly soon I had a steady assortment of delicate flowers.

Not only did I get awesome flowers, I got waves of awesome flowers.

The Made In The Shade seed packet is wisely mixed and it contains annuals, perennials biennials. So not only did I get steady flowers under the tree the first season, all new flowers came up to kick off the second season.

Apparently the key to my heart is to sell me seeds that actually grow. This was something I did not know about myself until I discovered Botanical Interests.

We can all have amazing gardens for little money, if we plant our garden from seed and wait for the magic to unfold.

Yes,if you grow them from seed, your gardens will need time to root and grow and blossom. But you are not going anywhere, right?

In the meantime, why not plant some window boxes, pots or planters with annuals that have already flowered to give you something to smile about while you are waiting for Mother Nature to do her magic.

Remember, it’s a lot less expensive to fill a planter with annuals than it is to fill an entire garden bed. You can also move planters around to different parts of your yard as the weather changes, which is convenient for flower longevity.

And isn’t it awesome that you can pretty much plant flower seeds year round except for the dead of summer and the dead of winter? As long as you have workable soil, you can plant seeds. Heck, you can even plant seeds when there is some snow on the ground.

So my good news is that there is hope for flower-lovers of all budgets with no green thumb or garden expertise required!

I have a few more tips for successful planting from seed:

  1. Weed and then seed. I weed about three times a year, and then seed after each time once I’ve raked up the soil a bit in spots where I intend to plant.
  2. Put the seeds where they are supposed to go according to the packet whether full sun, part sun/part shade or full shade.
  3. Mix seeds with potting soil and then spread them throughout your gardens by hand, aiming for the spots you wish to fill in. (Watch out for wind!)
  4. Plant seeds right before a series of rainy days. Then you don’t have to water and the birds won’t get as many.
  5. Apply slug bait frequently while the seeds are sprouting so they don’t become slug snacks.
  6. If you have serious trouble with birds, cover seeded area with netting until flowers are established.
  7. If you still have bird and slug issues, mix part of the seeds from a packet (rather than the whole packet) with a cup of potting soil and plop that down in one spot and cover it with a recycled clear plastic container like a roasted chicken cover. Leave the plastic in place until seedlings sprout and then remove the cover.
  8. Whenever any strategies work, repeat them. For example, I can grow Alyssum, English Daisies, Johnny Jump-ups, Columbines and Hollyhocks from seed with ease. (These seeds work for me whether I use Botanical Interests or not.) This is why you will find them all over my yard in increasing amounts each season.

Please let me know in the comments if this post is interesting and helpful. I have plenty of more tips to share about inexpensive gardening.

When I have something to say, this blog is the place where I give myself permission to say it. Though I often write about writing and creativity, I also write about issues that are important to me. I help folks become more creative for personal enjoyment, professional development and transformational growth. I am a veteran journalist, author and coach with over a decade and a half of experience and a wealth of techniques to share. Whether you are a professional creative or hope to become one some day, I can help you embrace your personal strengths, explore your creative possibilities, and evolve incrementally into your most inspiring self. If you are ready to achieve creative consistency in your life and career, email me about monthly coaching calls. Looking for more fun in your life daily? Then join us for Collaging For Self-discovery, my online accountability group. To learn more about increasing your creative confidence, please check out my online school. Stay tuned for ways to save money by becoming a Beta User for my next new course by subscribing to The Prosperous Creative. And don’t forget to get these blog posts delivered to your inbox, so you never miss a post. If you appreciate my work—school, products, blog and social media posts—you are welcome to make a contribution of any size at any time. Thank you for your support!

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This sale has been extended until Friday, April 6th!

Expressing myself on a daily basis and encouraging you to express yourself is my biggest priority.

That’s why I’ve slashed prices in my school by 1/3 the regular cost.

It’s spring, and we are likely all feeling more restless and adventurous. So let’s bust out of our old winter routines and get into creativity mode.

You will find self-expression comes more easily when you take any of the courses in my school. These courses are all designed to increase your creative confidence by putting you through the paces of increasing your self-expression in various ways — always for fun and sometimes for profit.

Writing, platform development, essay writing, cultivating daily joy, and customized home decorating — I think you will be amazed by the variety of courses I offer.

Click Here To Visit The Course Directory

Use the scroll-down menus to find your course discount and then register. Taking my courses could not possibly be easier.

If you find yourself wishing for more creative momentum, you’ll increase it when you apply the curricula in my courses.

At the end of the day, we can all use a creative confidence coach.

This spring marks my 17th year teaching!

Find out why folks like my self-paced courses so much. You can read the FAQs here.

Happy spring, fellow creatives. It’s a whole new season for expressing ourselves anew! And I, for one, cannot wait!

Join me. Life is richer when you express yourself daily!

When I have something to say, this blog is the place where I give myself permission to say it. Though I often write about writing and creativity, I also write about issues that are important to me. I help folks become more creative for personal enjoyment, professional development and transformational growth. I am a veteran journalist, author and coach with over a decade and a half of experience and a wealth of techniques to share. Whether you are a professional creative or hope to become one some day, I can help you embrace your personal strengths, explore your creative possibilities, and evolve incrementally into your most inspiring self. If you are ready to achieve creative consistency in your life and career, email me about monthly coaching calls. Looking for more fun in your life daily? Then join us for Collaging For Self-discovery, my online accountability group. To learn more about increasing your creative confidence, please check out my online school. Stay tuned for ways to save money by becoming a Beta User for my next new course by subscribing to The Prosperous Creative. And don’t forget to get these blog posts delivered to your inbox, so you never miss a post. If you appreciate my work—school, products, blog and social media posts—you are welcome to make a contribution of any size at any time. Thank you for your support!

 ~ Photo by Chungkuk Bae on Unsplash
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Every writer and writing coach need to own and refer frequently to The Business Of Being A Writer by Jane Friedman.

There are a lot of people in the book publishing industry, and folks move in and out of this realm all the time. For me, there could be no more of a trusted authority than Jane Friedman. If you are in the book publishing industry in any fashion — whether as a writer, teacher, agent, publisher or service provider — you simply must have a copy of The Business Of Being A Writer on your bookshelf, whether that shelf is literal or virtual.

Jane was the impetus behind all three of my book contracts at Writer’s Digest, and has worked in publishing for 20 years. She is also no stranger to collegiate writing since she has been a professor of writing, media, and publishing at the University of Cincinnati and University of Virginia.

In case you are wondering if Jane has practiced what she preaches, I remember distinctly that after Jane left F+W Media and started working for herself, she was able to pay off the remainder of her college loans in short order. Jane is not only one of the smartest people I have ever met, she is also one of the most emotionally intelligent people I have been lucky enough to know. You probably don’t know too many people who have been awarded lifetime achievement awards while in their early 40s or who teach for The Great Courses while in their late thirties.

If your work has anything to do with writing, teaching writing or publishing, you simply must subscribe to Jane’s essential publishing industry newsletter for writers, The Hot Sheet. She also offers a newsletter through her website at JaneFriedman.com. While you are shopping all things Jane Friedman, you may as well add  Publishing 101: A First-Time Author’s Guide to Getting Published, Marketing and Promoting Your Book, and Building a Successful Career to your cart, as well.

Photo credit: Mark Griffin

Jane stays on the cutting edge of what’s happening in publishing in a way few experts do. She has delivered keynotes and workshops on the digital era of authorship at worldwide industry events, including the Writer’s Digest annual conference, San Miguel Writers Conference, The Muse & The Marketplace, Frankfurt Book Fair, BookExpo America, LitFlow Berlin, and Digital Book World. She’s also served on panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund.

I met Jane Friedman over ten years ago, when she was still a fairly shy, but clearly brilliant book-publishing editor, who was not exactly thrilled about having to stand in front of people and present workshops at writing conferences. Back then, Jane had not yet done what she now asks writers to do to stay competitive in The Business Of Being A Writer. But today, a decade later, she has done it all, and in the course of stretching herself, she has blossomed into one of the most prominent experts in an entire industry.

But why not let Jane’s experience speak for itself? Here is an excerpt from the introduction of her essential book, The Business Of Being A Writer. See what you think!

From the Introduction to The Business Of Being A Writer by Jane Friedman (The University Of Chicago Press) with permission:

Thousands of people dream of writing and publishing full-time, yet few have been told how to make that dream a reality. Working writers may have no more than a rudimentary understanding of how the publishing and media industry works, and longtime writing professors may be out of the loop as to what it takes to build a career in an era of digital authorship, amid more competition—and confusing advice—than ever. Even instructors who are well informed and up to date on the practical aspects of a writing career may believe their job is to teach the art and craft, or feel that students shouldn’t allow business concerns to influence their voice or direction as writers.

The Business of Being a Writer takes it on principle that learning about the publishing industry will lead to a more positive and productive writing career. While business savvy may not make up for mediocre writing, or allow any author to skip important stages of creative development, it can reduce anxiety and frustration. And it can help writers avoid bad career decisions—by setting appropriate expectations of the industry, and by providing tools and information on how to pursue meaningful, sustainable careers in writing and publishing on a full-time or part-time basis. Because writing degrees may have little or no impact on earnings potential or industry knowledge, this guide is as much for students—or graduates—of undergraduate or graduate writing programs as it is for writers working outside such programs.

Despite ongoing transformations in the publishing industry, there are fundamental business principles that underlie writing and publishing success, and those principles are this book’s primary focus. Writers who learn to recognize the models behind successful authorship and publication will feel more empowered and confident to navigate a changing field, to build their own plans for long-term career development.

One underlying assumption in this guide is that many creative writers— particularly those pursuing formal degrees—want to build careers based on publishing books. It seems like common sense: literary agents sell and profit from book-length work, not single stories or essays; and getting anyone (whether a reader or a publisher) to pay for a book is easier than getting them to pay for an online article or poem. But book publishing is often just one component of a full-time writing career. Perhaps you’ve read personal essays by debut authors “exposing” the fact that the average book advance does not equate to a full-time living for even a single year. Such essays reveal unrealistic expectations about the industry—or magical thinking: I will be the exception and earn my living from writing great books.

This guide does offer guidance on how to get a book published, a milestone that remains foundational to most creative writing careers. But because very few people can make a living solely by writing and publishing books, it goes further, showing why this one pursuit should not constitute one’s entire business model. Earnings can come as well from other sectors of publishing, other activities that involve writing and the types of skills one picks up as a writer. Online media and journalism, for example, now play a significant role in even fiction writers’ careers, so this guide spends considerable time on skills and business models important to the digital media realm. When combining these skills with the entrepreneurial attitude and knowledge this guide teaches, a writer will be better prepared to piece together a writing life that is satisfying and sustainable. In the end, some writers may discover they prefer other types of writing and publishing—and not just because it’s tough to make a living wholly from books.

If you are a writer looking for the business education you feel you never received, I hope this book provides the missing piece. While I try to be encouraging, and want you to feel capable and well informed, I don’t sugarcoat the hard realities of the business. When you decide to pursue a writing career, you’ll experience frustration, again and again, and not just in the form of rejection letters. But it helps to know what’s coming and that your experience is normal. Writers who are properly educated about the industry typically feel less bitterness and resentment toward editors, agents, and other professionals. They are less likely to see themselves as victimized and less likely to be taken advantage of. It’s the writers who lack education on how the business works who are more vulnerable to finding themselves in bad situations.

Read more…

Learn more about Jane and all that she offers at JaneFriedman.com. If you are a writer, writing instructor or publishing professional, you will be happy to have Jane’s ongoing work on your radar.

When I have something to say, this blog is the place where I give myself permission to say it. So, though I often write about writing and creativity, I also write about issues that are important to me if I think my point of view might help others. I help folks become more creative for personal enjoyment, professional development and transformational growth. I am a veteran journalist, author and coach with over a decade and a half of experience and a wealth of techniques to share. Whether you are a professional creative or hope to become one some day, I can help you embrace your personal strengths, explore your creative possibilities, and evolve incrementally into your most inspiring self. If you are ready to achieve creative consistency in your life and career, email me about monthly coaching calls. Looking for more fun in your life daily? Then join us for Collaging For Self-discovery, my online accountability group. To learn more about increasing your creative confidence, please check out my online school. Stay tuned for ways to save money by becoming a Beta User for my next new course by subscribing to The Prosperous Creative. And don’t forget to get these blog posts delivered to your inbox, so you never miss a post. If you appreciate my work—school, products, blog and social media posts—you are welcome to make a contribution of any size at any time. Thank you for your support!

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