Field of Streams

After several failed attempts at writing a book, I'm taking another crack. To give myself a pep talk, I consulted writers and scoured the internet for advice on the first draft and have concluded tha…

Wouldn't it be great if you could order courage from a catalog? Not just bravery, but a whole Life Package that equipped you with all the tools you need - bravery, judgement, curiosity, etc. - to be …

Part riff on a Shakespearian soliloquy (hat tip, Hamlet Act 3) and part riff on finding out that bees can count, here is the text from an imagined letter by a drone bee to his Queen requesting reassi…

Why is it so hard to believe in ourselves? Much easier to believe in UFOs and flat earth theories - but let's cut it out! Here is your pep talk for the day.

This is an audio reading of the post "Fait…

If you were an alien tourist, visiting Earth in a humanoid rental body, would you know how to ask for help? Specifically "Where is the toilet?" Luckily, there is an alien tourist guide for that. Take…

There are things you should care about and things that you should not. Do not expend energy on pointless trivialities! Direct those energies on empathy and understanding. Take a listen to my list of …

How much of your own life - your memories your experiences and your time - do you use in your creative work? What else do you steal? In this episode, I ask for forgiveness from all those things I ste…

Recognizing opportunity when its right in front of you can be a challenge. What does it look like? Is it really a chance at something, or is it not right for right now? Only you can decide, but when …

Did you know there’s a difference in the composition of tears shed from cutting onions when compared to tears triggered by emotion? Today, I read a piece of my writing inspired by weeping. Listen in…

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Do you have a penchant for putting yourself through hard physical and mental challenges? You might be a masochist. If you make/create art of any kind, you definitely are. Let's talk about why being a…

Did you watch the most recent total eclipse? It got me thinking about how it's a chance for the Sun and the Moon to talk to each other without Earth butting in. So that's what this episode is - us hu…

Are you good at spacing out? Do you think that spacing out is an essential part of the creative process? Let's talk about it. (Oh, and if you are good at spacing out, I'll clue you in to a place wher…

Inspired by the story of a man who shoved a Guinness record breaking number of matches up his nose and training his nostrils to accommodate such a feat, (I won't spoil the surprise of how many, but I…

The bird, the middle finger, the one-finger salute. It is a power gesture in the real world, but what about in your creative life? Here's a piece describing the different breeds of (metaphorical) bir…

If human beings are made up of items pulled off the supermarket shelves of Life, what are two essential ingredients everyone should put in their basket? In today's episode, I advocate for "Cat food a…

Do foundational elements of a creative persona exist? As artists, do we use these elements - Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Aether - and how does each element affect our creative style? Let's talk abou…

Do you know "The Swimming Song?" by Loudon Wainwright III? To me, it speaks of risk and the importance of taking risks and practice. The lessons in this song can so easily be applied to the creative …

Inspired by a Francis Bacon quote (the painter, not the philosopher), today I dig into the glitter of the mouth AKA words. Words can stick, so choose your words wisely.

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As a TV-addicted Gen X kid, I can tell you that quicksand seemed like the greatest threat to humans out there. But what ever happened to using it as a plot device? Why is it a joke of a TV and movie …

The first and last lines of a book are important. How you start and how you finish - it's like nailing that perfect first and last bite of a meal.

This is an audio reading of the post "The Last Bite …