Artificial constraints and mindset shifts to overcome story paralysis
There are probably more than one million and one articles on how to overcome Writer's Block.Â
Typically, the essays or listicles are a variation of "How can I overcome Writer's block? Oh, I know, write about Writer's Block...
A Screaming Goat Wins Four Grammy Awards (3/3)
I am hyperaware of those things now with my daughters, especially with my oldest. I am complimentary of anything she does because I truly believe that kids (and adults) need less feedback and more encouragement.
If you pursue any craft long enough, ...
A Screaming Goat Wins Four Grammy Awards (2/3)
What strikes me most about this story is how often it repeats itself and how some teachers who are supposed to encourage little ones make unsupportive comments about their students' pursuits.
However, it is not only teachers who make these comments;...
A Screaming Goat Wins Four Grammy Awards (1/3)
I grew up one block away from Shakira.
Okay, let me clarify this: Shakira didn't grow up there. But I grew up a block from where Shakira bought an entire apartment building for her parents.
The building and the block it was on remained empty most of...
Most of the time, I'm not thinking about whether or not I'm going to include someone in a story because when I do, it will end up being playful and in good nature.
But when an essay is a little more thorny or raw, and I feel uncomfortable about what I have to say about a person, I use a handful o...
Oh, man. What is this word that I'm looking for?
What did this MirĂł painting evoked in me?
This painting is so...
So...
Oh, I know.
So dumb!
What a fucking dumb painting?
Listen, I have to admit to you. Sometimes, what critics call high art is just above my limited intelligence.
This canvas, whic...
Next week, I'm hosting a monthly in-person storytelling circle in Petaluma at Grand Central Coffee Shop. I'm producing this show with two friends, and one of them invited me to present it to a group of artists she guides through Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way.
I thought, "I can pitch an event a...
And I'm doing it again!
Five minutes before my Facebook Live started, I realized I had already gotten myself into my pajamas. So I quickly ran to my closet to get a sweater to look presentable from the waist up.
I sat at my computer. I needed to run the workshop from there because I was showing ...
When I perform at story slams, I typically have people approach me after the show and ask me if my story is real.
The thing about most story slams is that the stories you tell need to be real. Some people choose to make up stuff.
I don't.
Life is plenty bizarre without any help from me.
Then they...
There is a funk going around, isn’t there?
In almost every conversation I am having, people are feeling a bit down.
Maybe it is the fact that even after making a conscious effort not to follow politics, Musk and Trump still manage to do something outrageous that can pierce your information barrie...
It is the only option you have if you are a busy person
There is very little hope for a day when, at 6:15, someone you love screams in your face at the top of their lungs, kicks you in the balls, and punches you in the stomach.
There is no better adjective to describe such mornings than 'shit." ...
Incorporating an important step from the Montessori workflow
There is a difference between authoritarian and authoritative communication models.
Authoritarian communication is one established through fear and coercion. If this model had a motto, it would be, "Because I said so."
Authoritative com...
