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We have all stared at the blank page when we sit down to write and it can feel daunting and hard to get started. We feel like we need a big slot of time, or we need to have all the conditions just right (if you are anything like me - quiet, a cup of … Continue reading Why is writing so hard?  

We procrastinate about writing because we inevitably do not feeling like writing. We need to plan ahead of time to manage not feeling like writing until it becomes more automatic for us. Here are four steps to stop procrastinating when writing: Ask yourself why you are writing and write down your compelling reason for writing. It … Continue reading 4 steps to Stop Procrastinating When Writing

Acknowledging that you don’t feel like writing is part of becoming a writer. The space between not feeling like writing and writing a page is writing even when you don’t feel like it. When you start to write, even if you like writing or want to write, you will very rarely “feel” like writing and … Continue reading Why Don’t I Feel Like Writing?

Deadlines create a sense of impending doom that is motivating - it’s called fear. Our brain loves fear. It knows exactly what to do with fear. Take action or hide. When I wake up with an external deadline looming that I am behind on I have a sinking feeling in my belly and, after I … Continue reading What is Really Happening When You Have a Writing Deadline

Did you know that Da Vinci shared some of his artwork but his drawings and designs were not shared as he was creating them. He used sheets of paper to draw, make notes and observations,  which were later bound as books. He had 100s of inventions that were before his time – from a flying … Continue reading Do you have something in common with Da Vinci?

My colleague and I take the train together every day and about a month ago she noticed something kind of unusual about what happens when I am packing up to go. She had been watching me stuff my laptop, files and lunch bag into my backpack and squeezing the zipper up each day, she asked … Continue reading Getting Stuck Ahead of Time

Early in the morning I make notes for my daughters and husband before I leave the house in silent steps while they are sleeping. One day I left Maggie and Alice notes that I would think of them during the day whenever I saw a certain colour:  yellow for Maggie (her favourite) and orange for Alice … Continue reading Even the Smallest Intentions Blossom into Meaning

When I tell other scientists that writing my Master of Science thesis was what I loved most about my Masters experience, they look at me like I am crazy. "Really?!", they say "Most scientists would rather be in the lab."  For me, I had created a writing haven. I was in a 2 room attic … Continue reading Two Sides of Writing

Why is it that we work so hard for others and not for ourselves? When there’s an expectation of completing a task or a project for someone else it is easier to push ourselves to get something done and we are way more likely to work hard to complete it. When someone is depending on … Continue reading Completing Our Commitments to Ourselves

As we are coming into the harbour in our 34 foot sailboat, with 4 adults and 3 kids aboard, my husband suggests that I take the dinghy ahead of the sailboat to the dock. The dinghy--named Dongseo--is our small, outboard motor boat. It trails behind the sailboat attached to a long line and we use … Continue reading A Dinghy Ride Gives a Lesson