If you scroll through my Instagram feed, it won’t take long before you’ll see quotes on pictures, quotes with colored backgrounds, sourced images and my own snapshots all jumbled together. It’s not pretty. You’ll see travel pictures and book after book lying on a marble table, which is one of two or three decent backdrops in my home. The captions vary. Some are long, … [Read more...]
#PlayProject Jan 2016 – Week Two Update
This week I cranked up Earth, Wind & Fire and started hooping—you know, with a hula hoop. I'm not super flexible, nor do I dance well, but I can spin that hoop in both directions. When I turn up music and that hoop is in motion, I feel free and fun. It offers a perfect play break, especially after an unexpectedly un-playful week that included a series of … [Read more...]
The Play Project: A Month of Fun for Anyone (especially writers and other creatives)
In a recent podcast, I encouraged play as a way to energize a writer's work, and a week ago I zeroed in on the need to take your play history to identify what brought you joy in childhood, in hopes of incorporating it into your life today.I shared with you about the care and keeping of crickets, but the more I worked on my play history, the more I … [Read more...]
Take Your Play History
When I was about ten years old, I found a library book about creating habitats for salamanders, frogs, toads, turtles and crickets. I pored over that book, resolving to find everything necessary to assemble a creature-friendly container that I could keep in my room. Right next to my bed. Growing up on a farm, I had access to a murky pond and pond-like critters. … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Enjoy Everyday Fun with Chores
Daily life can be such a drag, so blah. The chores can be tedious. The drive to work, dull. Some days can be reduced to scrub, swipe, fold, wash, rinse, repeat; others, to conquering an overwhelming to-do list or in-box. One way to approach the daily grind is simply to take a deep breath and dig in, applying self-discipline, determination, willpower, and grit. … [Read more...]