Category Archives: Inspiration
Remember Your First Love
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
Whenever I need a boost, I reread Write Smart, Write Happy by award-winning author Cheryl St. John. Here’s an uplifting excerpt:
Sometimes a book is merely a job. Sometimes a book is not enjoyable to write. But we love being writers, or we wouldn’t do this. We love having written something that will touch and inspire others. We love the magic of stories and creating worlds and people we can manipulate to draw emotions from our audience. We love being writers.
Sometimes it’s an effort, but we must remember our first love; we must transport ourselves back to those days when we first knew we had to put those people in our heads on paper and create stories for them. Whenever I’ve been discouraged or questioned my choices, I’ve always asked myself the same question: What would I rather be doing?
Even before I was published, I was frustrated and wondered if I should keep pursuing this dream of being a writer. I sometimes wished I could be content to do something else, something with a quicker payoff and a visible reward for the effort. But in my heart of hearts, I knew I would not be satisfied until I’d given writing my very best and written stories that touched readers the way so many books have touched me.
So, if you believe you’ve lost your love of writing or have become discouraged, ask yourself, What would I rather be doing? If there’s something else that fills that place in you, by all means do that thing. If not, remember your first love. Find the joy, the awe, and the inspiration and discipline to move forward.
Source: Write Smart, Write Happy by Cheryl St. John, p. 78
On Staying Present and Positive
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
A long-time fan of bestselling authors and coaches Marc and Angel Chernoff, I look forward to reading their emails and blog posts. Here’s an excerpt from a recent post:
Growth can be painful, change can be painful, but in the end nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong. So be selective with your energy today. If you can fix a problem, fix it. If you can’t, accept it and change your thoughts about it. And whatever you do, don’t attempt to invest more energy than you have tripping over something behind you or something that only exists inside your head.
Of course, there will be times when it seems like everything that could possibly go wrong is going wrong. You might feel like you will be stuck in this rut forever, but you won’t. Sure the sun stops shining sometimes, and you may get a huge thunderstorm or two, but eventually the sun will come out to shine. Sometimes it’s just a matter of us staying as present and positive as possible in order to make it to see the sun break through the clouds again.
And remind yourself that the trick on the average day is to enjoy the little things. Don’t wish away all your days waiting for better ones ahead. Just do your best to appreciate where you are. You’ve come a long way, and you’re still learning and growing. Be thankful for the progress and lessons. Take them and make the best of things right now.
Note: I highly recommend subscribing to Marc & Angel’s website.
Listen and Course-Correct
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
In her empowering guide, Be Mighty, Jill Stoddard offers practical advice and support to women who struggle with stress and anxiety. Here’s a thought-provoking excerpt:
As you pilot your plane through life, despite a carefully crafted flight plan, the sky will get dark, the weather will get stormy, and a bird may even fly into your engine. Hijackers will show up, further attempting to steer you off course with their taunts: “Stop navigating toward health, self-care, and authenticity—you don’t deserve it, and who are you kidding, you can’t bear cravings or stress, you have no idea how to handle real problems.”
The hijackers have pushed your detonator, so now what! You could grab your pinot and pizza parachute, abandon your aircraft, and allow it to blow to smithereens. Or you could send a Mayday signal to air traffic control, turn up the volume on your headset, and listen for some wise guidance: “Remember the flyer you admire. Now hold the yoke steady and persevere through the turbulence; pull back with your determination and courage to climb above the storm. Your integrity is illuminating the runway.” Air traffic control—your values—will always be there, 24/7/365, to guide you and keep you on course through the roughest of conditions. All you have to do is listen and course correct.
Source: Be Mighty, p. 86
Joy in the Midst of Sorrow
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
Here’s a thought-provoking reflection from international speaker and bestselling author Joyce Meyer:
If you are experiencing emotional or physical pain—no matter how big or how small—it can seem overwhelming. But here is something to hold on to: a struggle or personal loss doesn’t have to overshadow every part of your life. You can still have joy even in the midst of sorrow.
Joy isn’t always extreme hilarity; sometimes joy is simply a calm delight. And you can delight yourself in God and in his promise to always be with you even when times are difficult—especially when times are difficult.
The key is to trust God. He knows what you’re going through, and if you trust Him, He will restore your joy. You may not see how it’s gong to work out or how you’re going to get over it, but know that God is in control, and He can do the impossible.
Source: Quiet Times with God by Joyce Meyer
Make Art That Tells the Truth
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
Writer Julie Duffy shared the following thought-provoking advice in a recent post on the Writer Unboxed blog:
It’s hard to take our eyes off the endless news coverage, but the world needs us to peel ourselves away from the outrage machine, and instead make art that tells the truth.
Fiction doesn’t have to preach a political message.
But even if you’re writing about fairies or aliens, fiction cannot help being political because everything you write reflects your values and mirrors your experiences.
Don’t be afraid of that.
And don’t think your writing doesn’t matter, because there are “more important issues right now.”
There is no more important issue that opening someone’s heart to subtlety, to nuance, to the fact that every human being contains multitudes and that it is possible to hold two opposing ideas inside you at the same time.
The Hamas attack on Israel was horrifying and the death toll and famine in Gaza is horrifying.
Two very old men are running to for a second term as President in the US and we have to elect one of them because that’s how the system works.
Some young women love Taylor Swift and have discovered that being part of the fandom for a football team is fun.
As a writer you help people to turn away from the shrieking “this or that” of social media and welcoming them into the complex world of fiction that deals with all the parts of being a human in community with other humans.
It is important work.
It is healing work.
The Fourth Quarter
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
In 2006, Burlington author and retired school principal Lewis Raymond Long released a book of rhymes and reminiscences entitled The Fourth Quarter. A keen follower of the Hamilton Tiger Cats, Ray felt the title related to the fourth quarter of his life.
Here’s the introductory poem to the book:
Happy Earth Day!
A Minor Bird
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
April is National Poetry Month, a month set aside to celebrate poetry and its vital place in our society. Today, and for the next Wednesday, I will be sharing thought-provoking poems I have discovered this past year.
The following poem was written by Robert Frost.
A Minor Bird
I have wished a bird would fly away,
And not sing by my house all day;
Have clapped my hands at him from the door
When it seemed as if I could bear no more.
The fault must partly have been in me.
The bird was not to blame for his key.
And of course there must be something wrong
In wanting to silence any song.
A Poem with an Intriguing Backstory
April is National Poetry Month, a month set aside to honor poetry and its vital place in our society. First celebrated in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, this event has grown into a national movement that inspires millions, from the youngest children to the oldest readers. All forms of poetry from sonnets and romantic ballads to haiku and limericks to free verse are shared throughout the month.
Today, I am sharing one of my favorite poems, “Comes the Dawn.” I recall first seeing this poem in the early 1970s. At the time, the poet was Unknown. Since then, I have learned that several poets have been credited with creating this inspiring poem.
Joanne Guidoccio 