Blisscraft Life With Christina Katz

Luckiest photo opp ever. We just happened to be where they were planning to pose for photos on during out last night at the park.

We just returned from a family/dance trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

This is the 60th Anniversary of the park and Disneyland is really going all out to celebrate their Diamond Anniversary, including special events in California Adventure Park.

To be honest, if my daughter’s dance team had not been planning to perform in one of the parks and at Downtown Disney, as well as taking a dance workshop there, I doubt our family would have made the trip this summer.

I am not sure if simply knowing it was the 60th anniversary would have been enough to compel me to go. But now that we have gone, I think skipping a visit during the Diamond Anniversary would have been a mistake.

Before we left, I remembered how much I was inspired by Disneyland the last couple of times we went. But on this visit, I could not help feeling that every creative person really needs to go to Disneyland at least once in their lifetime to reap the rewards. And the Diamond Anniversary Celebration is an extra-inspiring time to go.

Nobody invited me to write this post to promote Disneyland and California Adventure Park. This is purely my opinion as a longtime creative. If you are also a longtime creative, here are a few reasons why you might want to attend:

1. Creativity needs inspiration. There are probably a handful of exceptionally creative people, in my opinion, who maximized their creative gifts in their lifetimes. For me, Walt Disney was definitely one of the most creative and visionary men who ever lived. And any creative person attending the 60th celebration will catch the creative wave that Disney created and feel buoyed up by it.

2. Walt Disney was a creative visionary and a business person. I have been teaching creatives to become more professional since 2001. Disney did not combine the two skills perfectly all the time, but I have yet to meet anyone who does. Most creatives I know can stand to expand their professional skills. But you can’t help but think of your creativity as a business after a trip to Disneyland.

3. It’s fun to feel like a kid again. Taking your family to Disneyland is a lot of work. No matter how large your family, there is no way to avoid some of the logistical stress that accompanies any cross-country family vacation. But you know what? About fifteen minutes after you enter either of the two parks, Disneyland or California Adventure, you will forget about everything except how much fun you are having.

4. We live in cynical times. We compartmentalize things. We intellectualize. We justify feeling stuck by calling it “being a responsible adult.” But in doing so, we cut off our access to the magic that might otherwise seep into our everyday lives. At Disneyland, the staff is trained to turn up the magic. And this is a feeling you cannot help but catch and enjoy during your visit.

5. You are probably stuck in the ways that you think. No matter how much I already appreciated the way Disney used to think, and no matter how much I have always been inspired by previous visits to Disneyland, I am always struck by just how eye-opening the experience is each time. And to make matters better, I notice and appreciate new things every time I go.

6. Disney was global and multimedia before it was easy to accomplish either goal. Today, we can go global in the touch of a few buttons on a laptop. What would Disney have accomplished if this had been the case for him? And yet, despite the challenges in creating a progressive, evolving business model, he found ways to make it work. Check out this two-hour documentary on Walt Disney, below, for more background information.

7. It all started with a drawing of a mouse. Then Disney animated the mouse. Then he produced a few short films with the mouse. Then he produced Steamboat Willie. Then he kept doing more smart things with the mouse like adding merchandising and launching The Mickey Mouse Club. Eventually Mickey Mouse earned Walt Disney an honorary Oscar. All of this took time, of course. None of it happened overnight. But nothing happens overnight. And when you visit Disneyland, you will see for yourself what sustained commitment and consistency can produce.

Maybe you are cynical. Maybe you think Disneyland is kid stuff or a giant marketing machine.

You’d be right. It’s both. The price to get to Anaheim and enter the parks and keep your family fed and rested is high.

But as a creative business person, you really can’t afford to not go and experience it for yourself, whether it’s your first time or your tenth.

Besides, your kids will love you for it.

If you like, enjoy this two-hour documentary about Walt Disney produced by The Walt Disney Family Foundation. It’s called, Walt, The Man Behind The Myth.

You don’t have to be a die-hard fan to get inspired by Walt Disney and Disneyland.

You don’t even have to go on an anniversary year, if the timing does not work for you.

Are you planning to go to the Diamond Anniversary celebration? Why or why not?

Why not share your favorite memory or inspiration from Disneyland in the comments?

Today is the last day to register for the next round of my Become Your Own Writing Coach program.

The next coaching video and worksheets will arrive in your inbox on Tuesday, July 7th.

Here’s what folks are saying so far…

The video is really cool!

I like the flexibility.

The worksheets are enormously helpful!

Learn more here.

Hope you can join us!

In Blended: Writers on the Stepfamily Experience, editor Samantha Waltz does an excellent job of collecting stories by talented writers on the challenges and triumphs of the stepfamily experience. Here’s a description of the book:

I am sure that anyone who has ever been a part of a stepfamily will feel like there is finally a book that captures the essence of the stepfamily experience. A variety of points of view is key to the success of this book, as is the fact that the contributors are each skilled and seasoned writers.

The courage to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is what you will find in these pages. I especially enjoyed the back-to-back essays by married writers Kerry Cohen and James Bernard Frost. And any writer would admire the brave self-disclosure in Jessica Page Morrell’s essay. But it was Samantha Waltz’s opening essay that really struck a chord with me. She talked about the naiveté of the new stepparent and the way things don’t always turn out the way you’d expected, but somehow they still turn out.

Here’s an excerpt from Waltz’s essay that I particularly appreciated. There is no doubt in my mind that readers will enjoy the quality of writing and insights in this book, whether they are part of a stepfamily or not.

A stepparent can also become the target of a stepchild’s displaced anger with a mother or father. Unfair? Of course. A difficulty that can be overcome? Sometimes, but not always. The stepparent has usually done nothing except stand in the line of fire.

And then there is the power of the mythology about evil stepmothers and wicked stepfathers that has existed since before the Brothers Grimm. Family problems feel clammy on stepparents’ skin and they aren’t sure what they’ve done wrong or how to proceed, but they must somehow prove themselves the good guy over and over…

Read more at Brain, Child

If you have read Blended: Writers on the Stepfamily Experience, feel free to share your responses here. I’d love to hear them.

Happy summer reading, everyone!

Summer presents a unique work challenge for writers of all stripes. For those of us who make our living with our words, summer does not necessarily herald a huge block of time off. For many of us, summer means increased challenges making time for our writing and therefore for meeting our deadlines.

On the one hand, the kids are out of school, the teachers are out of school (in my house), summer activities kick in and disrupt the usual routine, kids immediately become bored, daily chores still need to get done, vacations that have been planned need to be taken, and despite all the weeks stretching ahead, it will be back to school time before we know it.

So, while it’s tempting to celebrate summer and all the R&R that it brings; it’s also tempting to have a hissy fit because we have no idea how we are supposed to get everything done today or any day when all of these people are clamoring around in the house.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I don’t love summer as much as the next person. It’s just that summer presents unique challenges that must be reconciled if mommy is going to be happily productive during summer work hours.

Because if mommy isn’t happy, well, you know what that means.

So here are some tips for taking back your sanity before it goes galloping off into the sunset:

1. Face Reality. You either need to work this summer or you don’t. If you don’t, good for you. Have a great time with a lot less responsibilities. As for the rest of us, we need to deal with what is. Repeat after me: “Even though many kids and adults are not working right now, I am working, and it’s okay to work during summer. Say it and believe it.

2. Make Work Hours To Suit. Okay, so you have to work this summer. How much? How many hours per day will you be working? Will you take weekends off? Will you work shorter days? Will you get up earlier or go to bed later to enjoy the sunshiny hours? Come up with a schedule for your needs that will work for everyone. It does not have to be the same schedule as the rest of the year.

3. Enjoy Your Work. I teach writers to enjoy their work, so it’s not like it’s the end of the world to have to spend time doing what you enjoy. What I know for sure is that you won’t write well if you are beating yourself up or feeling guilty. So remind yourself that you write because you love it, and then get right back to work.

4. Keep An Eye On The Bottom Line. Even with all of the advice above, it’s still somehow tempting during summer to lose sight of your bottom line. But don’t. Your ability to keep writing is dependent on hitting your goals, feeling like a success, and earning what you need to earn. If you need help hitting your monthly goals, I hope you will check out my new monthly Dream Team. Folks are already raving about it.

5. When You Are Not Working, Do Not Work. When you leave the office, leave the office. Nobody in your family (or on Facebook) wants to hear you complain about your deadlines or your work angst. If you are in the habit of kvetching, make sure you understand it’s a bad habit. It’s one that does not only take up your time; it also takes up other peoples’ time. Guess what? When you are working hard and enjoying your work, you stop having so much to grouse about and so much extra time to do it.

6. Ask For Constructive Help With Your Work. There is a constructive way to get more work done this summer and that is by asking for help from the right people. If you need more support from your spouse because you are home with the kids all day, ask for it. If you can involve your family in constructive conversations about your writing, do it. If you have mentors or writing friends who can help you, ask them for help. Just remember not to ask others for more than you can reasonably give back. Writers who take regular classes increase their skills quickly without incurring reciprocation time.

7. Feed Your Writing Joy. Okay, it’s summer and you want to get your work done quickly and go out and play. But don’t forget to allow your writing to be play, too. If your writing becomes all drudgery and no fun, you will stop wanting to do it. I’m offering a great antidote to writing burnout called, “Writing Prompts For Summer Stories: 200 Word Prompts & 7 Ways To Make The Most Of Them.” This PDF ebook is full of five-minute writing prompts and easy ways to use them to create longer works. Five minutes is not going to break anyone. Five minutes of writing on an otherwise hectic day can put a smile on your face and help you enjoy the folks you’re with more. And, if you have older kids, why not try doing daily writing prompts together? It’s a great way to combat the summer slide.

8. Give Yourself Credit For What You Do Accomplish. It’s quite likely your overall productivity will go down because it’s summer. This is especially true if you are a mom. If you know this will be the case, brace yourself for it and plan to give yourself credit for what you do get done. Every time you get something done, even if it’s only five or ten minutes, do a little happy dance and say, “Go me!” Let your kids see you encouraging yourself and soon they will be cheering you on, too. They will also learn how to encourage themselves by your positive example.

Don’t forget, writers, when you pursue and achieve your dreams, they have positive benefits for your whole family. It may not always feel this way. In fact, some days you might not be able to recall a single benefit of what you do. But remember that you are human, writers. And just like other humans, writers get discouraged sometimes. Just remember that it’s your job to turn that negative voice into a positive voice.

On days when doubt weights heavy on your mind, find a way to refocus. Light a candle. Pour yourself a cup of tea. Workout for 30 minutes. Smudge your office. Consult some Tarot cards. Read something short and inspirational. Take a shower. And then get right back to work.

Your work is worth it, writers, and so are you. You are the boss and the employee. And this is true in summer like all the other seasons of the year.

This post is taken from The Prosperous Writer ezine. If you like what you’ve read here, be sure to sign up for The Prosperous Writer ezine to claim your free gift and qualify for exclusive discounts on Christina Katz products.

Have you ever wished you could have all of your writing prompts in one place so they could keep you writing all summer long?

Well, look no further. I’ve done all the prep work for you!

Writing Prompts For Summer Stories is a collection of 200 seasonal words that will prompt a myriad of nonfiction and fiction story ideas.

This short workbook also includes seven ways to use the prompts that will help you become a more productive and prolific writer.

So if you are ready to write your heart out all summer, look no further for ideas than right inside this handy PDF workbook that can travel with you everywhere this summer.

All you need is this handy prompt list and a portable journal or laptop and you’ll become an idea factory all summer long.

No time to write? Spend ten minutes a day brainstorming ideas and putting them in the notes app on your phone.

Or record your ideas into your voice memo app and email them to yourself for later use.

Stay tuned for more great seasonal writing workbooks by Christina Katz!

Writing Prompts For Summer Stories,
200 Words & 7 Ways To Make The Most Of Them
So You Can Write Your Heart Out All Summer
By Christina Katz

$12.99 in PDF Format

Did you know my website has a shopping cart?

If you put something into your cart in error, no worries. You can take your time, look around, and select items until you are ready to check out. To view or alter the contents of your shopping cart, click the button below.

Good news. This is not one of those you-snooze-you-lose situations.

You can still jump into my all-new Accountability Dream Team any time this month, as long as you sign up by the 28th.

Check out this page for all the info and then register so you won’t miss the next recording.

If you are wondering what kind of coaching content you will receive in each recording, let’s put it this way. These tips are pretty much the best of the best of my accountability advice after five and a half years coaching writers in Dream Teams and 14 years of teaching writers in classes.

But what about the June 2015 recording you missed last week? Do you need it?

Yes. You definitely want to hear what I said in the first recording. But more good news — you can still get it.

Just click the button below to order the June 2015 recording and the worksheets and video link will arrive in your inbox immediately.

I have to charge a bit more for folks who did not sign up for the subscription plan, but the cost is still super-cheap for the quality of the advice you will receive. And even if this is the only recording you listen to, you will still get a ton out of it.

The cost for the missed Dream Team recordings is $12.99, while the cost of the monthly subscription is $10.00. My hope is that you will listen to the missed recording and like it so much that you will sign up for the subscription. Then you will have a new recording and a new worksheet arrive in your inbox each month and save $2.99.

So, what are you waiting for? If you have ever wanted one-on-one coaching with me but you did not feel you could afford my hourly rate, this is your chance to get it at a fraction of the price. And you will have the satisfaction of setting your goals each month and learning how to reach them in a calm, cool, and creative manner.

There’s an awful lot of hype out there, folks. In my all new Accountability Dream Teams, you won’t have to deal with any of it.

You take care of setting your goals and doing your work and watch the results add up.

Folks who follow my advice create empowering results because creating empowering results has always been my intention. And now you can become a member of my team of productive writers, who look to themselves to create the results and success they crave most.

Learn More About My Accountability Dream Team

You may also like…

• The Writer’s Workout
• Writer Platform Video Courses
• Creative Rx Video Affirmations

If you like what you’ve read here, be sure to sign up for The Prosperous Writer ezine to claim your free gift and qualify for exclusive discounts on Christina Katz products.

Photo: http://deathtothestockphoto.com

I had a second coaching call with a new client yesterday, and I could not help noticing how much fun we were having. Also the time flew by. We were so immersed in what we were discussing that the call just went by in a big whoosh. Fortunately we were still able to get a lot accomplished.

When a writer has a great idea for a “book” and I can help that writer see all of the possibilities available to them from the get-go, instead of the writer feeling like writing a book is the only option, that’s when the conversation gets lively.

Don’t get me wrong. Books are great. But most writers I work with for the first time are not ready for traditional book deals.

The pool of traditional authors is getting smaller and more exclusive. Last time I heard, this group was doing more work for less money. Last I heard, many were dropping out and turning to self-publishing. Let’s not pretend this isn’t happening.

The compromises authors are being asked to make by publishers are getting larger. And new authors are the most vulnerable to saying yes, rather than losing the opportunity. Experts are not talking about this enough, at least not enough for aspiring authors to know what they are getting themselves into before they start dreaming of that ever-elusive book deal.

Unfortunately the book-deal dream is often in writers’ minds already, and there are plenty of folks who will take advantage of this predilection. It was already hard to become a traditional author ten years ago. Today, your chances have diminished considerably.

Furthermore, I do not feel that traditional book deals are right for every writer. For most writers I work with, self-publishing and branching out into other types of projects offer so many more fun, playful, and expansive opportunities. And when you are having fun, it’s easier to attract and keep readers.

When you combine a playful approach with a genuine desire to serve the world, the writer moves away from I’m-nobody-unless-I-get-a-book-deal into the most empowered position a writer can be in. Saying “I can do it myself,” is a stage that every child goes through over and over on the road to more personal power. And we need to watch out for folks who would want to interfere with a writer’s ability to say, “I can do it myself.”

There are things I can’t do myself, of course. I know this to be true. But each and every day, thanks to technology, there are more and more things I can do. I also know that my potential to do things for myself is growing all the time, if I take advantage of it.

Writers, do you have any idea how much you can do yourself and how much easier it is today to reach a global market than it used to be?

What if doing your work was play?

What if you could be professional and play at the same time?

What if you were not seeking legitimacy from outside yourself?

What if you were ready to say, “I can do it myself”?

Growth can be hard sometimes, but it does not have to be torture all the time. When you love what you are doing, you can enjoy the journey and grow and serve others with professional playfulness.

Professionalism can be play. Maybe it was not very possible before, but it is certainly possible now.

I am rolling out class after class after class this summer, and they all demonstrate how you can bring more play into your professionalism and more professionalism into your play.

Because if you are not having fun growing your writing career, then don’t do it. Two very wise men named Ben and Jerry coined that phrase and they were right.

And if you like what you do, but you are not having fun with it, then change your approach. You are in charge, after all.

Enough suffering, writers. Enough compromises all the time. Take your ideas and make the most of them.

Have fun with them!

Only then will you set yourself and the rest of us free…

If you like what you’ve read here, be sure to sign up for The Prosperous Writer ezine to claim your free gift and qualify for exclusive discounts on Christina Katz products.

Learn more about products related to this post:

• Power Up Your Platform Like A Pro Video Class Discount Coupon
• Writer Platform Success Video Class Discount Coupon
• Creative Rx Video Affirmation Series
• Phone Coaching With Christina Katz
• Permission Granted Ebook

Photo by Jordan McQueen.

June 1st by 9 pm PT is the very last day to sign up for my writing and creativity challenges in their current form.

I have loved creating and offering these challenges. Even though they have each been a lot of work, they were all labors of love.

Thank you to everyone who plans to participate this final round or who has participated in any of the rounds since they started in January 2013.

It’s definitely the end of a fun, educational era. If you think so too, I hope you will sign up for any rounds you have missed or even retake your favorite round again, since this is last call.

If you subscribe to my e-zine then you already know that I am concentrating the lion’s share of my energy into creating video classes going forward.

This does not mean video classes are the only way to work with me. But cutting back on other offerings helps me focus on being as productive as possible. Creating high quality video courses is a ton of work.

After this last round of challenges begin on June 2nd, there will still be several ways to work with me in addition to video courses. Here’s the list:

• You can receive my monthly e-zine, The Prosperous Writer (this is free and you get a free inspirational writing poster for subscribing).
• You can subscribe to my monthly Writing Accountability Dream Team, which arrives in your inbox on the first Tuesday of each month (this only costs $10 a month).
• You can register for one-time or ongoing phone consultations with me (just visit my registration page).

I’ve posted some of the response to my challenges below, and I want to encourage you to take one before they are gone for good.

Learn more by clicking on each badge and sign up by 9 pm PT on Monday, June 1st.

Hope to work with you!

Click on any badge to register:

Receive 21 excellent examples of great writing in your inbox daily for 21 days. Click on the badge to learn more and register:

Anyone who is looking to become a more facile and joyful parenting article writer should take my Article Writing Challenge.

Anyone who is looking to become a more thoughtful and skillful parenting essay writer should take my Essay Writing Challenge.

Anyone who is looking to become a more thoughtful re-writer and polisher of her own words should take my Grammar & Punctuation Challenge.

Anyone who is looking to become more brave about selling work should sign up for my Sell Your Writing Challenge.

The Article Challenge is a great way to help develop daily brainstorming routine. It also helped me to get going with outlining ideas so they can be fleshed out later.  ~ S. Yale

Christina’s Unwrap Your Creative Gifts Challenge jolted me out of the doldrums in terms of my writing and inspired me to start moving in new directions.  ~ E. Giles

Taking this article writing challenge has given me a bank of article outlines to begin the new year and a way to keep on creating more and more when I get to the end of my current list. I highly recommend it for the writer dry of ideas, needing some sort of method to keep her inventory supplied, or just starting out and learning how to create ideas for herself. The best $20 I’ve spent to further my career.  ~ C. Alexander

During 21 Moments I discovered ideas for many intriguing subjects I wanted to write about that had not occurred to me prior.​ An excellent kickstarter to writing for pleasure as well as potential profit.  ~ M. Clair

Once again Christina has aimed her arrow and hit the bull’s-eye with a useful daily challenge. The Grammar & Punctuation challenge helped me efficiently revise current article drafts, keep an eye on tricky punctuation mistakes I shouldn’t be making, and hone my word choice and sentence structure. Writers can expect this challenge to be an effective continuing education tool to help them improve their overall writing.  ~ R. Franz

I like taking online writing classes or workshops, but by far I got the most writing out of 21 Moments. It really clicked with me, that a moment is just a segment of time. Since I don’t have a lot of time due to my day job and other commitments, doing the moments really fit into my schedule.  ~ J. Huspek

The Creativity Challenge is the best challenge yet! Very powerful!  ~ K. Chapple

What I like about the film Pitch Perfect is that it’s about women trying to compete in a man’s world, failing, and then ultimately changing the game inspired by one of their own.

Often we are so busy trying to conform our strategy to what’s worked in the past that we ignore the beckoning finger of the future. At the point where our potential meets the future, that’s where the really juicy growth is, because almost nothing is as compelling to human beings as first, brand new or never-attempted-before.

Here’s what we can all learn about creative empowerment from Pitch Perfect:

1. Don’t imitate. Be different. Be you. One thing Beca has going for her in the film is that she is clear what she is passionate about and she allows herself ample time to play around in that realm. It’s the time that Beca spends doing what she loves that makes her more compelling as a human being and more interesting to others.

2. Become great at what you do and share it appropriately with others. But Beca has a communication problem. She’s still hurting from her parent’s divorce and this makes her defensive and hostile. A lot of writers and authors also have communication problems, ironic as this may seem. We let ourselves play around doing what we love. We even apply ourselves to growth and improvement in our craft, but when it comes to sharing our passion, like Beca, we often falter. We either say too little, say too much, say it at the wrong time, or try to take over without being invited. The solution is to do what you love and share it at the same time. Don’t wait for a big reveal. Use your passion to pull folks in without overwhelming them as you go.

3. Offer your best work until the gatekeepers say yes. Beca is low on the power totem pole. She is a newbie freshman in a world of upperclassman entitlement. The upperclassman are not apt to be interested in what she has to offer. She has to adapt to the constraints of her situation while risking sharing her work, or her gifts will remain unknown. Finally she gets the nerve to share her mixes with Luke, the radio station manager. Low and behold, he likes what she has to offer. Her first leg up is not the big time. It’s just a little opportunity to play music at night over spring break. But it’s a chance for Beca to practice being heard (and do some soul-searching while she’s at it). Practice is good. It gives us a chance to reflect on how we are doing and what we really want.

4. Don’t only be about winning. Be about bringing out the best in others and taking things to a whole new level. The combination of honest self-expression combined with genuine humility is basically irresistible. Beca finds her balance when she apologizes to the Bella’s after sabotaging their set at semi-finals. It’s at this moment that the power dynamic of the group shifts. When Beca embraces her humanity, doors that were formally closed fly open. She can use her gifts to try to lead the Bella’s to victory.

5. Bring your A game and crush it. Whether you are competing directly with others or not, you are always competing with yourself. If you just do the same old set over and over, that’s boring to you and to everyone else. But when the Bellas maximize the strengths of everyone in the group, and then push themselves to reach their full potential, they become unstoppable. This is a great metaphor for the various aspects that exist within a writer. You need to rally your team of strengths and lead them to victory by bringing your A game. Nothing less is going to be compelling enough to crush it. You’ll get along better with others when you can better manage all the various aspects of yourself.

Ultimately Pitch Perfect is a film about teamwork. It’s about how the whole is stronger than the individual. But actually, it’s Beca’s gifts, which go from partly actualized when kept to herself to fully actualized when shared with others, that ultimately leads the Bellas to victory.

I find the message in Pitch Perfect so exemplary for writers and authors. Just remember, success is an inside job, just as it was for Beca.

Why not watch or re-watch Pitch Perfect again before you go see Pitch Perfect 2 and think about how the Beca and the Bella’s example might inspire your writing career.

There are so few movies in mainstream theaters about girl power, I hope everyone reading this will support Pitch Perfect 2 when it comes out this weekend.

I’m not sure what the message will be in the second film. But I hope it’s as inspiring and relevant to these times as the message in the first movie.