The news can be addictive. You know why? Because it’s all bad. Bad news is seductive. You like it—even if it makes you miserable. Despite cellphones, space travel, and Axe deodorant spray, […]
How to Be Creative When the News Kills Your Muse
August Siren Salon: Does the Latest Breaking News Kill or Cure Your Creativity?
Does staying informed tune you into the zeitgeist or plummet you into paralysis? Are you able to stop the 24-hour news monster from gobbling up all your writing time? Do you secretly fear that if you unplug, your art […]
Hack Your Mood With Two Surprisingly Simple Tools
One of coolest things I ever did was design a Nature Writing Class for Eckerd College. We held class outdoors in nature preserves all over the county. My aim was to help […]
Does Magic the Therapy Horse Really Care About People?
Debbie Garcia-Bengochea, the bestselling author of Mini Horses, Mighty Hope and cofounder of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses, recently sat down with me for a special episode of the This Animal Life […]
The Truth About Why You Love to Love Animals
You love animals, but have you ever wondered why they have such a dynamic hold on you? If you’re like me, you ask “why?” about everything, so let’s get started.
Why I Wrote a Young Adult Novel About a Little Known Disorder
This past March, my debut romance young adult novel PROM THEORY was published by Simon and Schuster. I took a leap with this book by making my main character a young woman with a little known learning disorder — NonVerbal Learning Disorder.
What She Said, May 23: Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” –Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
What She Said, May 22: Jenny Lawson
“We come back [out of the grips of a depression] . . . as survivors. Survivors who don’t get pats on the back from coworkers who congratulate them on making it. Survivors who wake to more work than before because their friends and family are exhausted from helping them fight a battle they may not even understand. I hope to one day see a sea of people all wearing silver ribbons as a sign that they understand the secret battle, and as a celebration of the victories made each day as we individually pull ourselves up out of our foxholes to see our scars heal, and to remember what the sun looks like.” –Jenny Lawson
What She Said, May 20: Cara Delevingne
“Vulnerability is actually a strength and not a weakness–that’s why more and more mental health is such an important thing to talk about. It’s the same as being physically sick. And when you keep all those things inside, when you bottle them up, it makes you ill.” –Cara Delevingne
What She Said, May 19: Rachel Griffin
“Dear Person With Mental illness,
You are not a monster. You are a valuable, unique, wonderful human being who deserves everything grand that this life has to offer. Come out of the shadows and stand proudly in who you are. You are not damaged. You are whole, regardless of having a mental illness. I like you the way you are. I wouldn’t change you. I see you differently than you see yourself. I am not afraid of you or your illness . . . I am amazed by you. I am amazed by your courage, willpower, gifts, and talents. I accept you, and your worlds of light and darkness.” –Rachel Griffin
The Gloria Sirens 