It’s All Saints Day, and while they don’t give a hoot about Halloween, nearly every Italian has today off. So I asked Angelo if there are any special celebrations. ‘It depends how Catholic you are,’ he told me. ‘You either go to church, or you simply enjoy your day off.’

Angelo and his family fall into the latter category. Perhaps you wonder what category I fall into. Well, like 90,000+ other scribes worldwide, I have accepted the NaNoWriMo challenge, as well as the NaBloPoMo challenge. So, while that doesn’t make me Catholic, it’s apparent that I have a lot of faith! Read more »

One day as I was venting to a friend about a job I despised, she interrupted and grandly proclaimed, “I hereby give you permission to quit your job and do what you truly want ”

I had to laugh. Her words made me realize that the only thing keeping me stuck was that I hadn’t given myself permission to do otherwise. So now, whenever one of us is hesitant about the next step in our lives, the other will say, “Would you like a permission slip?” It’s our playful way to remind each other that the only real limitations come from within.

Since then I have made it a habit to write up a “Cosmic Permission Slip” for myself from time to time. Here’s what I do:

Read more »

In “What is Free-writing & How to do it” I explained the simple steps you can take to make free-writing part of your daily routine. Now it’s time to talk about why you should even bother!

Here are five ways free-writing can help you:

1. Makes you a better writer - There’s no need to publish every scrap of paper you write, just as there’s no need to record every note a diva sings in rehearsal. Even so, practice and warm-ups are as necessary to writers as warm-ups and rehearsals are necessary to singers, athletes and professionals in any field. Simply put, you won’t get better if you don’t practice, and free-writing is a great way to get that practice.

Read more »

What is Free-Writing?
One of my favorite creativity techniques is so simple that its value is easy to underestimate:

• The surrealists of Paris in the 1920’s called it “automatic writing.”

• Renowned author and writing teacher, Natalie Goldberg, calls it “writing practice.”

• Best-selling author of The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron, calls it “morning pages.”

Whatever you want to call it, free-writing (as I learned to call it) can be a very powerful tool. It’s one of those habits, like flossing your teeth, that is incredibly simple and effective. And yet, perhaps because of its sheer simplicity, people often resist it - at first.

Like other beneficial habits, if you stick with it for a few weeks, you will eventually find yourself looking forward to your daily free-writes. You may even, like me, feel cranky and unfocused on the days you skip this habit.

How to Free-write

If you’re curious about the benefits of free-writing, check out next week’s article, ” 5 Ways Free-Writing Can Benefit You” otherwise, read on to learn this simple technique for yourself:

Read more »