The scope of the community building process is so large that there is a space for everyone to contribute their talents, whatever this talent might be. One can imagine my relief to know that my love for writing can be used for this same purpose. The question of course then becomes how. There is always… Read More Writing about the Normal Rather than the Abnormal
A few years after I started writing, encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive feedback, I submitted my work for publication. A quick Google search will demonstrate that my attempts have yielded, to date, one publishing deal. I took the publishers’ lack of interest as my writing being unworthy of being published. Of course, that is not… Read More Talented vs. Delusional: The Conundrum of an Indie Artist
When reading about the habits of highly successful people, a couple of things seem universal. Most of them seem to have a rigorous routine. Most of them delegate unimportant tasks. When possible, a large part of them simplify their lives so that they are able to focus on the more important things. Highly Successful People… Read More Building Coherence: Writing to Contribute to the Betterment of Society
NaNoWriMo 2014 came to a close on 30 November, but I was lucky enough to reach the goal a couple of days before. Although I don’t know if all of them will make the final cut, I managed to write over 50,000 words of the sequel to the Spirit Within Club. I had discussed at… Read More Did I Win? Some Thoughts on NaNoWriMo 2014
As mentioned in my review of the book, I found between the covers of Jackie Nastri Bardenwerper’s Populatti a story that created a safe environment for a conversation on social media’s role in our relationships. The story delves into the increasingly complex maze of interactions that defines high school in the age of social media.… Read More Author Spotlight: Jackie Nastri Bardenwerper
Under the pen name Claire Sandy, Bernie Strachan wrote a wonderful book I recently had the pleasure of reviewing. What Would Mary Berry Do? is a delightful tale about a happy family trying to live life in a better way, namely by the female head of the household reaching out to her new found touchstone,… Read More Author Spotlight: Bernie Strachan
I am lucky to count author Sieni not only as a friend, but also as one of those with whom I have had many a fantastic chat on the role writing fiction can have on personal and community development, which resulted in many an undone chore. What can I say – sacrifices must be made.… Read More Author Spotlight: Sieni A.M.
I discovered author Melissa Cistaro’s Pieces of Me through NetGalley late last year. Although I posted a review in January, the story remained for quite some time on my mind. I was struck by this story of a growth daughter dealing with the imminent passing of her mother, with whom she has had quite a… Read More Author Spotlight: Melissa Cistaro
A couple of my artist friends and I, concerned with the well-being of our communities, have been trying to figure out how to balance out a desire to create the kind of art that contributes to building a better world while at the same time making it a financially sustainable career path. In other words,… Read More Art as Service: The Importance of Leading a Coherent Life
While the kind of drama found in reality shows can be appealing, it leaves me dissatisfied, much like junk food does. And so when books like author Kristyn Kusek Lewis’ Save Me come across my desk, I take the time to savour every page. In this case, I particularly liked the study in the subtlety… Read More Author Spotlight: Kristyn Kusek Lewis