Category Archives: inspiration

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. [John Lubbock] Do this: Lie on the grass under the trees or listen toContinue reading “open invitation no. 92: lie on the grass”

I realize there’s something incredibly honest about trees in the winter, how they’re experts at letting things go. [Jeffrey McDaniel] It’s summer and the trees are beautiful in my corner of the world. They are sturdy and lush-green. It seems inappropriate to use this quote to inspire writing. Still. I like the thought of honestyContinue reading “open invitation no. 89: honest”

The art of living lies in the fine mingling of letting go and holding on. [Havelock Ellis] My friends recently moved into a new home. They’ve been gathering art. Some was moved from their own home and some is newly purchased. When I came across this Ellis quote, it made me think about their artContinue reading “open invitation no. 83: art”

Flowers don’t worry about how they’re going to bloom. They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful. [Jim Carrey] Stand still and turn. Open your eyes wider and look for the light. Name it. Name the light in your corner of the world. Now turn toward it. The invitationContinue reading “open invitation no. 79: turn toward the light”

Nothing shakes the smiling heart. [Santosh Kalwar] I think a lot about what stories are mine to tell. We are all connected, and yet, there are some stories that are not our own to share. It matters to me that I tell stories that are mine to tell. I also think a lot about tellingContinue reading “open invitation no. 77: a smile”

/’kaCH,frāz/ noun: a well-known sentence or phrase [Dictionary] Catch phrases are a great way to show a person’s personality rather than tell about it. See if you can weave a catch phrase into your story this week. Or, write about the catch phrases in your life—your own or someone else’s. (If you think you don’tContinue reading “open invitation no. 71: catch phrase”

Grace comes in many ways. Offer it. Accept it. My friend sent this to me. She included a note about how I’ve likely read it before, but it reminded her of me. This is one of my favorite gifts to receive! When someone reads something, sees something, experiences something, tastes something and they pass itContinue reading “open invitation no. 66: grace”

What do you love about home? In January Julie Cox wrote a blog post with the simple title, “Home.” It took my breath away and was one of those bits that tucked into my heart, and my writer’s spirit played with the ideas and the words. I’ve been thinking about writing on the topic ofContinue reading “open invitation no. 52: home”

Capture a Slice of Life. I remember writing slices before it was a thing. Back when there were just two teachers who loved teaching and loved writing and wanted to write alongside one another about teaching writers, even though they were 865 miles apart. A lot has changed since then. The magic of a slice,Continue reading “open invitation no. 48: slice”