You know the training montage sequences in films like Rocky, where Sly Stallone runs through the snow up a mountain, does sit ups while someone punches him in the abs and some fancy moves with a skipping rope? That’s kinda like my life right now. This book WILL BE FINISHED! I can dooo eeet!
In the meantime, I’m thrilled to be sharing a guest post over at Amy Oscar’s lovely blog today.
No pain!
So, I met a deadline last week, scooted off to my sister’s place so i could soak in some nephew love — and promptly fell ill. I saw that one coming a mile off. So while i recuperate, and also work on a new deadline (the fun isn’t over yet!) I wanted to share something really cool with you guys today.
You remember lovely Jamie Ridler who guest posted here a few weeks back? Her e-course, Sparkles, launches today with some fabulous giveaways over on the site — and I have one scholarship to the course to giveaway here!
What is Sparkles?
Sparkles is a creative e-course. For 31 days, you’ll go on an adventure designed to awaken your creative spirit and fill you and your days with sparkle. Each day, you’ll receive a quick-to-read, quick-to-do inspiring creative exercise in your inbox. Lessons come from an amazing array of creative guides from a wide range of disciplines (e.g. photography, writing, painting, sound, dance – even food!) They’ll show you how to get creative, even when you feel like you have no time at all!
How the e-course works…
- Register whenever you are ready to begin.
- You won’t need any super-special supplies. Just something to write on, something to write with, some way to play music and a camera. So, with a journal, some markers, pens and crayons, an MP3 player (or anything that plays music) and a camera, you’re all set.
- Within a couple of days, you will start receiving a Sparkles lesson in your in-box every day for 31 days. Each sparkle is a creative prompt (an invitation to dance, write, scribble, imagine etc.), a quick and easy exercise to awaken your creative spirit in 5 minutes or less.
- Dive into each new sparkle and let the magic begin!
Sounds like fun, non? I’m proud to say I’ve contributed a sparkle prompt*, along with thirty other fabulous teachers, including Jen Louden, Patti Digh, Claudine Hellmuth, Tracey Clark and Fabeku Fatunmise.
To win a Sparkles scholarship, simply leave a comment on this post and i’ll announce the winner on Friday. And when you’ve done that, head over to the Sparkles site to enter into the big draw there too — Fabeku (who we all adore!) is offering a 200-year-old Himalayan singing bowl to one lucky winner …
* which means I am also an affiliate for the course because, ya know, i’m in it ;-)
I probably should have said this last week, but I’m trying to wean myself off the shoulds — I’m taking a micro blogging break over the holidays while I dig into the chapters I’m currently writing. Can i just say for the record that writing a book is challenging and hard. It’s also amazing, don’t get me wrong, but these days I’m getting a daily derriere kicking as I mine my healing journey for nuggets of wisdom. The irritating who do you think you are? voice is having so much fun with me, it’s not true. When authors quip they put ‘blood, sweat and tears’ into their book they’re not kidding. When this book reaches your hands just know that you’ll be holding a little piece of my heart – seriously.
In other news, I’m sad I haven’t had more time to do the #Reverb10 prompts because they’ve all been fabulous! Perhaps when I’m deep in procrastination mode I’ll pull one out to blog. I’ll definitely be back next weekend for a Wobble update (reindeer costume, people!), and also for New Year’s Eve because I’m excited to share my word for 2011.
In the meantime, some links to peruse if the holidays are making you crazy… consider my blog a safe haven of linkie love :) Happy holidays, everyone! xo
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(Above) Four years of photos shared on Flickr, made into a 3-minute slideshow at pummelvision.com – shows me how my eye has developed
This hilarious clip needs to be watched DAILY – what animals are really saying
Grandmother turned caped crusader
Fish-eye and macro/wide-angle lenses for iPhones
New app obsessions: Instagram :: Inception :: Cartolina :: Kindle :: Instapaper :: PlainText :: iPeriod :: Google (voice-activated searches!)
On my wish list: Pema Chodron on Unconditional Confidence (audio)
Loving Tara’s free ebook, Jen’s inspiring work space, Sas’s winter mixtape, Clare’s Women in Business manifesto and Neil’s Fifth Annual Blogger Christmalhijrahanukwanzaakah online concert!
DVD gift vouchers burning a hole in your pocket? Can heartily recommend Fringe, Lie to Me and Flashforward
“Coffee, it becames my passions.”
Magic is possible with the Impossible film
Inspiring: Tony Porter’s TED Talk – A Call to Men
Zenning out with Fabeku’s Don’t Lose Your Shit Kit
Reminder of how amazing the world really is: Timelapse of the Aurora Borealis
And finally, say hello to Abi, my hair colourist :)
December 11. 11 Things
What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? (Author: Sam Davidson)
1. I no longer need to purchase every business teleseminar that is being offered. Especially when I never have time to listen to them so they pile up on my hard drive like internet roadkill. In fact, i no longer wish to purchase any teleseminar or audio class as that style of learning just doesn’t suit me.
2. I no longer wish to view my body as defective. It works, it’s fairly healthy and it’s only got 37 years on the clock — no need for an upgrade just yet.
3. I no longer need to doubt that love will find me again. Even though i have no evidence to the contrary, I know that my current attitude is keeping cupid away (as is my work load.)
4. I no longer wish to be a non-driver. It’s getting embarrassing now, not to mention inconvenient. 2011 will be the year I pass my test.
5. I no longer need to define myself by my grief story. It is a key part of why I’m doing what I’m doing, and why I know what I know, but it’s no longer the only story I have. There is so much more to me now.
6. I no longer need to feel guilty when I eat chocolate. I am not six years old. I am a grown woman and can eat what the hell i like, when I like.
7. I no longer need to worry about not shaving my legs, because really — who cares?
8. I no longer need to say yes to every request made of me. It’s okay to say no once in a while.
9. I no longer need to listen to the voice that tells me nothing I do is ever good enough.
10. I no longer need to call myself an ex-smoker — I am now a non-smoker. It’s been two years (two years!)
11. I no longer want to be not writing poetry. 2011 will be the year of the Polaroid poem.