Blisscraft Life With Christina Katz

When the going gets tough, those who are committed become more determined.

On the other hand, when the going gets tough, that’s when a lot of folks quit or find something else bright and shiny to focus on instead.

I like getting out and about in the professional writing scene because I catch a glimpse of the writers who didn’t give up. And I would like to write about one of those writers today.

I met Gary Corbin at the Willamette Writers Conference eleven years ago. We were both there, in 20o5, to pitch our book concepts. We both pitched well and we both made an impression on pitching practice agents and editors. But then, somehow, I got a book deal for my nonfiction book and Gary didn’t get a book deal for his novel.

Flash forward to earlier this year. Gary should have given up by then. After all, over a decade had gone by and he still did not have a book deal for his novel. This means traditional publishing wasn’t smiling on his idea, his writing or him. That may sound like a harsh way of putting it, but I suspect this is probably how Gary felt.

But guess what? Traditional publishing doesn’t get to have the last word on your book concept, your writing, or you. You get to have the last word. And right now, Gary is having the last word, and then another last word, and then another, and another, and another because he’s taken the success of his novel into his own hands. And he’s doing so well that he’s self-published his second novel, and he’s working on his third.

Earlier this year, Gary self-published his novel, Lying In Judgment, and committed himself to getting the word out about it. When I interviewed Gary at the Willamette Writers Conference as an impromptu part of my presentation on platform development for writers, he said that every time someone said they didn’t think they could sell his novel, he would think, “I know how to sell it.”

For years, he kept getting rejected, and they kept saying the same thing. And every time they did, Gary kept thinking that he knew how to present, position, and sell his book. And in the interim he made his book better. A lot better. He said over a dozen people had read the book and given him feedback before he self-published it. And this was smart. Because maybe those people, who were saying no all those years were too polite to say, “We don’t know how to sell this, and oh, you need to make it better, too.”

Writers are not exactly inclined to make things better unless someone asks them to. I mean, we are always hoping, wishing, and praying that our last best effort was good enough, right? And sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t. In Gary’s case, after over a decade of working on his novel, he zoomed past the finish line to publication-quality writing.

A lot of writers don’t know what publication-quality writing is. And that’s okay. The key is, if you don’t know what that means and you want to be published, either by yourself or by a publisher, you need to not only find out what publication-quality means, you need to write that way. And learning to write well enough might take you some time, and money, and classes, and practice–lots of practice.

Even in the Internet age, I think some folks are still confused about writing and publishing. I think they still want to believe that writers just sit down, write crap, wave a magic wand over it, and then they are done. But that’s not how it works at all. Writers craft in drafts. Writers draft and draft and draft. And then they draft some more. And in between those drafts, they get feedback. They get feedback from professionals, not pals. They work with folks who can help them become better writers, who often cost money to hire. These people are always picky and sometimes are even fairly ruthless on the page. Ruthless, for example, in eliminating typos or word repetitions. Because most writers need someone to be blatantly honest about the quality of their words.

I don’t know how often Gary paid or didn’t pay for editorial feedback on his novel, but I do know this: Gary works as a professional editor. So I am thinking maybe if you hear that a professional editor needed feedback on his novel, you will also be motivated to get some feedback on your aspiring-to-be-professional work, as well, whether you are an editor or not.

Recently, someone suggested to me that Gary might not be ready to present his success strategies to other writers because his success was so fledgling. To which I want to gamely reply, Like heck it is! Gary’s success goes all the way back to 2005, when he got in the game with the other professionals. He has been in the publishing game for the long haul. What we are seeing now is the payoff of over a decade of affirming to himself that he could sell his book better than anyone. Apparently, that is exactly what he needed to prove to himself because that is exactly what he is doing.

So, I’d like to offer a standing ovation to Gary Corbin for sticking with his dream of publishing his novel, Lying In Judgment, for making it better, and for knowing when it was time to take his success into his own hands. Well done, Gary. You are a terrific example for all writers, and especially for novelists who are only a few decisions away from deciding to approve of themselves.

Oh, and by the way, I have jury duty this week, and I swear to God, I didn’t do it. But what if I had…?

So much inspiration, so much time! Please subscribe to the Create, Share, Prosper blog and sign up for The Prosperous Creative ezine for exclusive discounts you won’t find elsewhere. Click on the Enter School tab above to put your creativity to prosperous use right now. Join my monthly pep talk video series because all the other prosperous writers are doing it. Like words? Check out my Etsy shop. And you haven’t seen anything, if you haven’t seen all the helpful offerings in my online shop. Thanks for reading and thanks for sharing this post with fellow creatives!

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Three cheers for hunker down and write time. Set some goals to be more happy and productive than you’ve ever been! Now begins a great time of year to write your heart out.

Sweater weather, yay! Wrap yourself up and go for a walk on a brisk day so your creative mind can get into the flow. Observe the fall beauty and see what comes up for you. (Check out handmade sweaters on Etsy–they are just fun to look at.)

Happy homecoming! Whether you are a big football fan or not, I wrote an inspirational take on the fall ritual of homecoming in my latest ezine (which has recently undergone a name change). See what you think!

Bring the outdoors in with a little nature meditation. What do you have on hand? Grapes, gourds, apples, acorns? Whatever you can harvest from the yard or markets, bring it in, and make a little display out of it. Check out autumn display ideas on Pinterest for inspiration.

Get a head start on that next book. Start thinking about your NaNoWriMo topic now, if you are planning to participate. I am thinking about it. Excited to consider the possibilities.

Autumn scents are awesome. I heard about some cool candles from Makers Of Wax Goods that have crackling wicks that I want to try. But if you know of any other awesome fall candles, please add your suggestions to the comments. (With wicks only, please, no wax melters.)

Dig into some daily rituals. Morning pages? Afternoon tea time? Daily exercise? Planting bulbs for spring? Play time with the pets? Which rituals help you feel grounded and happy? Whatever the answer is, those are the right things to do.

Want to earn more? This seems to be on every writer’s mind lately. That’s why I created my online video course on The Art Of Selling Articles Like A Seasoned Pro. This is the show-me-the-money-course for journalists.

Get ready for winter. Throw yourself into some of those fall chores that just have to get done before the cold weather hits. I know they don’t sound like fun, but sometimes focusing on an methodical external task can do wonders for your creativity. Now that I can spin like Julie Andrews in the Sound Of Music in the wood shed, I am here to tell you that it just feels good, too.

Activate your creativity. Take a look at creativity books from my bookshelf that I highly recommend. I took some time to round them up for you.

Think autumn. I’m featuring autumn-themed posters in my Etsy shop right now. Check them out, if you like digital download wall art.

Do something new daily. I’m doing a #daily #decor post on Instagram and I’m enjoying the routine, as well as the opportunity to take a closer look at my surroundings (which I so often ignore when I am absorbed in my writing).

Celebrate fall and then write about it. So many of my articles have been inspired by personal experience. Either something happens and then I later write about it or I plan an activity and write about it. Check out my autumn idea prompt book for your own stories and articles.

More ideas! I wrote a post on Autumn indulgences for writers a few years back. Click here for more inspiration.

Spruce Up That Platform. Last but not least, fall is a great time to consolidate your online platform and then update it any ways that might be needed. I’ve written about this and I teach three video courses that will help you clarify and communicate all that you offer.

Christina Katz, a veteran writer, author and coach with over a decade and a half of experience and a wealth of techniques to share, is focused on making the world a saner, more expressive place. She helps folks become more creative for personal enjoyment, professional development and transformational growth. Whether you are a professional creative or hope to become one some day, Christina 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 her about monthly coaching calls. To learn more about increasing your creative confidence, please check out Christina’s online school and stay tuned for ways to become a Beta User for her next new course. Subscribe to The Prosperous Creative for the latest news and discounts and get these blog posts delivered to your inbox so you never miss a post.

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A little over a year ago, I wanted to figure out how to use the most current technology to create a monthly coaching series. I had some ups and downs in the first year, but I’ve settled into a happy groove over the past few months and I think more writers will love what I am offering.

The idea behind BYOWC is that everyone wants a writing coach but not everyone has a budget for personal coaching. For example, my phone consult rate is $150 an hour, and I recognize that not everyone wants to spend that much.

But for just $10 a month, paid by subscription, you can look forward to a ten-minute video pep talk on a specific writing-related topic in your inbox on the first Tuesday of each month. Subscribers also receive a tips lists, summarize the key points in each pep talk, and a goal-setting sheet for the month, which they can update to track goals.

Examples of topics include: finding your voice, getting paid on time every time, and how to do effective research without wasting time.

It sounds so simple, a pep talk, some tips, and a goal-setting worksheet, but writers needs are complex these days. There have never been so many distractions online. All of my tools for creatives center on offering encouraging words and advice for busy creatives. Sometimes we just need someone to remind us how simple it is to succeed in this business. Sometimes we just need someone to help us focus our attention. And sometimes we just need to hear some encouraging words from someone who knows what we are going through.

So what are you waiting for? Why not sign up now for Become Your Own Writing Coach and I’ll send you the pep talk and tips for How To Get Paid On Time Every Time. You’ll have to wait for your first subscription to get the goal-setting worksheets, but they are worth waiting for.

I have been teaching writers how to identify and reach their goals for over 15 years. Writers like working with me because I combine just the right amount of inspiration with just the right amount of butt-kicking.

Nobody offers the level of focused care that I offer. And no one can do what I do. So what in the world are you waiting for? Sign up for your subscription today and I will send you the video and tips that will help you get paid on time every time.

Other coaches and experts offer formulas. But those formulas are not customized to your needs and dreams. My Become Your Own Writing Coach program lets you stop beating yourself up for what you haven’t yet accomplished, and start discovering what you truly long to accomplish.

So much inspiration, so much time! Please subscribe to the Create, Share, Prosper blog and sign up for The Prosperous Creative ezine for exclusive discounts you won’t find elsewhere. Click on the Enter School tab above to put your creativity to prosperous use right now. Join my monthly pep talk video series because all the other prosperous writers are doing it. Like words? Check out my Etsy shop. And you haven’t seen anything, if you haven’t seen all the helpful offerings in my online shop. Thanks for reading and thanks for sharing this post with fellow creatives!

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I heard about these illustrated autobiographies from Brain Pickings and I am utterly charmed by them.

I added a couple to my short list for holiday gifts and thought they might appeal to some of my like-minded friends.

So here you go.

Library of Luminaries: Friday Kahlo, An Illustrated Biography

Library of Luminaries: Virginia Woolf, An Illustrated Biography

Library of Luminaries: Coco Chanel, An Illustrated Biography

Library of Luminaries: Jane Austen, An Illustrated Biography

Aren’t they fun? Let me know what you think!

So much inspiration, so much time! Please subscribe to the Create, Share, Prosper blog and sign up for The Prosperous Creative ezine for exclusive discounts you won’t find elsewhere. Click on the Enter School tab above to put your creativity to prosperous use right now. Join my monthly pep talk video series because all the other prosperous writers are doing it. Like words? Check out my Etsy shop. And you haven’t seen anything, if you haven’t seen all the helpful offerings in my online shop. Thanks for reading and thanks for sharing this post with fellow creatives!

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[I am creating a great school right here at ChristinaKatz.com. Stay tuned for more updates now that school is starting back up! This awesome poster is newly available in my Etsy shop.]

As you may have noticed, I’m refocusing my blog on creative prosperity and I’m super-excited about this change.

I will be test-driving a lot of potential new looks over the course of September, so don’t be surprised if things seem a little topsy-turvy around here.

What I do has not changed. I’m still 110% invested in helping creatives prosper by putting professionalism at the center of their careers.

What has changed is my approach. I take a more joyful approach than I used to. You will find this tone reflected in my classes and in everything I offer.

Basically I’m looking for a more expansive over-all thrust of what I do, to better reflect who I am.

But don’t worry. I am not going to stop doing many of the things I’ve been doing.

In fact, I just slashed the prices on all of my classes in my school for the month of September. So if you are ready to get back to writing or platform building, I hope you will take advantage of these amazing prices.

And don’t worry, my amazing writing and platform classes are not going anywhere. In fact, there are many more coming down the pipe.

If you are not sure which course is the right for you, feel free to contact me.

Happy first day of September! If you are gearing up for a super-productive and expansive school year, you are in the right place! I am here to help you create, share, and prosper in your freelance career!

So much inspiration, so much time! Please subscribe to the Create, Share, Prosper blog and sign up for The Prosperous Creative ezine for exclusive discounts you won’t find elsewhere. Click on the Enter School tab above to put your creativity to prosperous use right now. Join my monthly pep talk video series because all the other prosperous writers are doing it. Like words? Check out my Etsy shop. And you haven’t seen anything, if you haven’t seen all the helpful offerings in my online shop. Thanks for reading and thanks for sharing this post with fellow creatives!

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Home office organization, bookshelf organizing, home office decor, how to fit as many books as possible on your shelves

Is it time for a home office overhaul?

I just redid my office this summer and it feels great now that we are on the brink of fall!

As you are about to discover, I do not operate on the paperless office principal by any means. As a visual, tactile person, I thrive on using actual paper in my office.

If you also like paper, you might appreciate these practical home office organization tips. These are some tools I have used with success:

Hang papers you rotate. My hanging wire has been up for years and I change out what I hang on it monthly, so it has to be secure. Picture wire strung across an entire wall and secured with screws works well for this. Don’t use nails and secure your screws with anchors if you have drywall. Also be sure to use at least medium-gauge picture hanging wire that won’t bend or kink. I use mini clothes pins to clip my work to the wires.

Clip papers to display. If you are like me, you enjoy changing out the inspiration in your home office regularly. I’ve hung six clipboards on the wall at eye level so I can look up and be inspired by what I clip on them. The nice thing about clipboards is that they can be plain and cheap or fancy. Back-to-school time is a great time to shop for decorative clipboards but you can find a huge assortment virtually anytime.

Sort papers you’ll use or file. A traditional office paper sorter works great for this. This is what prevents my office from being over run with all of my notes and ideas. These can also come in handy if you are writing a book and need to sort large volumes of paper. I chose something like this sorter but they come in a variety of sizes. If I were purchasing one today, I would get this one.

Box items to sort later. Sometimes you just need a place to toss things. I use IKEA cardboard boxes and store them in IKEA cubes. I have 8 cubes in my closet and five rolling cubes. These boxes are great for storing collage supplies, of which I have many. I also toss repetitive mail in these boxes, for examples recorded monthly coaching sessions that I don’t need to sort right now but wish to keep. I use cardboard boxes with covers instead of fabric cubes because I have cats in my office and I don’t want my bins scratched or full of cat hair.

magazine storage for journalists and writers, home office storage, decor, organization, sorting magazines by season

Store magazines by season and type. Another thing I like about IKEA cubes is that they work well for storing magazines, of which I have many. Magazines don’t stand up well on regular book shelves, so I lay them flat in IKEA cubes and put matching sets in magazine sorters. IKEA has great prices on a variety of styles of magazine sorters, but you can find them anywhere.

Display magazines to read. I like to have a place where I can grab a quick seasonal and topical magazine to browse on my way out the door or upstairs. I have never found it practical to store magazines in the bedroom, where they just seem to pile up and get dusty. There may be some wisdom in storing magazines in the bathroom, but of course they can get  soggy in there, so my solution is to store them just outside the bathroom. Since I visit the bathroom as often as the next person, this gives me ample opportunities to check out my magazine selection, which is also close to the stairs and the front door. Magazine sorters are made of many materials. Mine just happens to be made of orange fabric.

magazine storage tips for journalists, magazine reader organization, turning magazines into decor

Sort papers in process. I have a couple more fabric sorters in my office that are blue and are perfect for sorting bills to open, pay and file. I also keep folders of projects in process and papers related to upcoming speaking gigs there. Again, any kind of wall-mounted paper sorter can work, mine just happen to be made of fabric.

Bind loose papers to keep. All of my old clips, classes, correspondence, and publicity are stored in three-ring binders with plastic page protectors. I use 3-inch binders for my article clips because there are so many. Ditto for thank you notes and publicity clippings. Courses are printed out and compiled in smaller binders. I am not even sure why they make round ring binders. I much prefer one-touch, heavy-duty slant ring binders that last.

Shelve all those books. Of course, the largest amount of paper in my office is contained within the covers of books. Some folks indulge themselves in gorgeous shelving with lots of decorative accents. But my bookshelves are crammed-to-bursting with all of my writing, creativity, inspiration, and decor books. When I can’t fit them all across the shelf, I stack them up on the ends so I can jam more in. I have been making two cheap variety store office shelves work for me for over a decade. Some day, I will replace them with heavier duty shelves that have more shelves per foot so I can squeeze in even more books.

Now it’s your turn. Do you have papers to sort? If so, I hope this post has inspired you.

If you liked this post, I recently wrote another on “10 Ways To Recharge Your Office After Summer Vacation.” Check it out!

I also wrote “A Continuous Quest For Joy Is What My Creative Writing Process Is About,” which you can read here.

So much inspiration, so little time! Please subscribe to the Create, Share, Prosper Blog and sign up for The Prosperous Creative Newsletter for exclusive discounts you won’t find elsewhere. Click on the Enter School tab above to put your creativity to prosperous use right now. Join my monthly pep talk video series because all the other prosperous writers are doing it. Like words? Check out my Etsy shop. Thanks for reading and thanks for sharing this post with fellow creatives!

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Hi folks!

I posted a photo on Instagram that prompted a few questions.

Here’s the photo:

So the questions are about how do I label my paper sorter and what is in those cubbies and on my clipboards?

What you are seeing here is the result of how I inspire myself in my home office. There is no secret formula to how I label my cubbies. At least, there is no secret formula that has ever worked for me. Maybe you can figure out how to label your cubbies in a way that will inspire your writing productivity. What I have reconciled myself to is the idea that my paper sorter is for filing papers I may want to find in the future. And then mostly I don’t look at them.

So, yes, I keep all of my Dream Team notes. I print out inspiration for future article ideas, when I come across it. I have a couple of cubbies with printouts of interviews with me and quotes folks have favored, etc.

But most days I don’t look at any of it. So I would say that these cubbies are not driving my creativity as much as my creativity is filling my cubbies.

On the clipboards above the paper sorter, I can easily print and clip a quote I come across that I fancy. I do that sometimes. I also sometimes combine quotes I like with images like those postcard-sized images to the left.

I hang my published articles on two clothes lines for a few reasons. One, it inspires me to see a steady stream of my work hanging up in my office.

Two, I can see how I’m doing each month at a glance depending on how full or not full my clotheslines are. I guess this habit is working because my clothesline is usually pretty full.

Three, I really appreciate the professional publishers and editors I work with, so displaying my articles allows me to appreciate the work they did to get my writing to look so awesome.

I change these articles out each month, when new ones come out in print. And then old ones go into a three-inch three-ring binder, which I fill annually.

You can’t see it in this photo, so I’ll post another, but I hang covers of magazines I’ve written for all around the top of my office walls. How can I feel anything but successful if I walk in and see these every day?

The things you see in these pictures are helpful for sorting and displaying the results of my process but they are not the full story.

One thing you can’t see in this photo or in any photo in my current possession is how much joy I experience in my creative process while I am writing.

Any insights you might be looking for in trying to closely examine my photo are not in the photo itself. I have a wall full of articles and covers and stacks of professional results because I take joy in my creative process. It’s the joy that fuels the productivity and the joy that has inspired so many different results.

I felt that same joy while writing a brand new piece today. I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Soon the published version of my new piece will be up on the wall. That motivates me.

But don’t follow what I do too closely. Your wall should look different. The cubbies in your paper sorter are going to be labeled in the way you feel called to label them. And it’s not going to be my cat in your photo. It’s going to be yours, I hope. (That’s Smudge sleeping, in the photo above, by the way. And that’s Aspen, sleeping in the photo below. I also have a cat sleeping in the closet and probably one sleeping in the nearby bathroom.)

The bottom line is: go straight to where the joy is in your creative process and spend more time there. If you do, and you relish the feeling, and you let it carry you forward, you too will create a cool office like mine. Only it will look like yours.

Also:

• Quit groups that are claiming they can make you a better writer.
• Stop reading articles that promise insider secrets.
• Don’t take classes or courses or webinars that promise you systems or formulas for success.
• Tap into your desire to grow as a professional and stay there.
• Become more curious about what excites, inspires, and intrigues you.

Hang around more with people like me, who are not afraid to tell you that if you admire my results, maybe you haven’t spent enough time working on your own.

If you had, you would be sitting in your office appreciating your own creative inspiration. Right?

You think you are admiring the set up of my office. But probably you are wishing you could invest more time in creating your own results.

What would your inspired office look like? I bet you will think it was awesome!

I invested quite a bit of time, money and professionalism into mine. And I continue to on an ongoing basis.

Which sparks a few more tips:

• Get off the social media and go get in your creative process.
• Spend time there creating your own rituals, habits, and routines.
• When you find some that work for you, repeat them. When they stop working, switch them up.
• Hang out with people like me who want you to be more professional than you already are because professionalism is crucial and cool.

If writing (or whatever your creative practice is) isn’t joyful for you, I might be able to help.

Check out the offerings in my school. I have a reputation for kicking writers in the butt more than for holding their hands and I don’t plan on changing my approach any time soon.

What you may not realize about my approach to training writers, if you have not taken a course with me in a while, is my approach has evolved and improved. Writers who take classes with me learn how to inspire themselves from inside themselves. Once you learn that, you will never run out of joyful creative experiences.

Maybe you need a kick in the butt. I think we all do from time to time. But it should always be this kind of gentle reminder—a reminder to spend more time in your joy and less time scouring the Internet for secrets.

You know where the secrets are?

They are in your joy.

Go find them!

If you liked this post, I recently wrote another on “10 Ways To Recharge Your Office After Summer Vacation.” Check it out!

And don’t miss my post, “Paper-lovers, Practical Home Office Products To Inspire Your Next Organizational Update,” right here.

So much inspiration, so little time! Please subscribe to the Create, Share, Prosper Blog and sign up for The Prosperous Creative Newsletter for exclusive discounts you won’t find elsewhere. Click on the Enter School tab above to put your creativity to prosperous use right now. Join my monthly pep talk video series because all the other prosperous writers are doing it. Like words? Check out my Etsy shop. Thanks for reading and thanks for sharing this post with fellow creatives!

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I am pleased to announce that I’ve had my busiest month of sales ever in my Etsy shop, Words, Glorious Words.

And this was before I put my entire shop of posters on sale.

I am even more pleased to announce that between now and the end day after Labor Day weekend, you can get a free additional poster when you purchase two of your choice.

I have a large selection of posters in my shop, and although I do offer bundles of four posters for half price already, every customer has unique tastes.

My posters are perfect for your home, office, and classroom. For example, my three favorite posters right now are:

Create A Great Day

It’s Never Too Late To Make A Comeback

Stay Home & Write

These just suit my mood right now.

Which posters in my shop suit your mood?

This once-a-year sale allows you to pull together the three posters you’d really love to own right now and save money purchasing them.

Please let me know in the comments, which poster is your favorite and why. I’d love to hear what you think.

While you are visiting, please favorite my shop and share your favorite posters on social media.

I am in the encouraging words business. It’s fun and empowering to surround yourself with encouraging words. Won’t you join me in sharing some encouraging words today?

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To celebrate the Willamette Writers Conference, I am creating a reduced price bundle of my platform courses, and anyone can take advantage of it for a limited time.

From now until one week after the Willamette Writers Conference, purchase all three of my platform courses for the price of two.

You’ll get:

Power Up Your Platform Like A Pro LINK

Writer Platform Success LINK

Build A Better Bio LINK

Buy now to take advantage of this limited-time offer and build a platform you love.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

I’m also offering a free download of my Take 25 Actions After A Writing Conference Worksheet.

Take 25 Actions After A Writing Conference Worksheet

Print out this worksheet to help you turn the deluge of information you receive at a writing conference into an actionable list of next steps.

Happy conferencing, writers, wherever you are attending!

For another freebie, sign up for my monthly ezine, The Prosperous Writer.