I feel deep gratitude that my life allows me to write, to be in community with writers, to support writers, and to bring writing into the world. And part of being in writing community—writing with and alongside others—is knowing intimately how much can undercut and derail us as writers. Many pressures weigh on our writing and ourselves as writers. And, as writers, we often need inspiration to bring us back to writing. So, this post shares a form of inspiration: ... Read more ...
pacing
Reflection Questions for Sabbaticals (and Transitional Seasons of Life)
My coaching practice often involves questions about sabbaticals and how to move through these transitional times in intentional, reflective ways. Questions include: How do I find a different pace, a pace that’s more my own? How do I mark this new season of life or new season of career? How do I set boundaries with colleagues, family, and friends? What if I want to consider a career change? How do I make writing a priority when it’s been deprioritized for so long? What if ... Read more ...
Mid-Day Meditations: Pausing to Reflect and Reset
Guided meditations are part of the one-day writing retreats that I offer on a rotating and recurring basis. As a writer, I know the importance of getting grounded, setting intentions, and remembering what and why I am called to write before I begin. Similarly, as a facilitator, I find that contemplative practices—whether meditations or freewriting or other grounding practices—can slow down the tendency to jump into action, interrupting autopilot and urgency ... Read more ...
“Is This Burnout?” New Article Asking and Answering the Question
“Is this burnout or…? So many of us are asking this question and wondering if what we’re feeling is burnout. Is it burnout or exhaustion? Burnout or anxiety? Burnout or worker exploitation? Burnout or unreasonable expectations? Burnout or toxic workspace? Burnout or I’m 100% in caregiver mode? Burnout or over-capacity? Burnout or the world is on fire? Burnout or a breaking point? Burnout or …?” This is the opening inquiry of a collaborative article that Candace ... Read more ...
Intervening into Burnout, Building a Sense of What’s Possible
A new article, “Intervening into Burnout,” appears in Inside Higher Ed today. In this follow-up piece to “Honoring Ourselves and Each Other Through Burnout,” I offer examples of creative interventions into burnout. These examples are gifted to me through coaching, so I write with deep gratitude for people who are trying different ways of being, doing, feeling, thinking, relating and imagining in higher education. Here’s an excerpt: “Burnout is also never ... Read more ...
Behind the Scenes: What’s Changing with Heart-Head-Hands
October has been a BIG behind the scenes month. I’ve been making small shifts, acting on the recognition that I need more space and time for creativity and contribution. These shifts involve going slower, pulling back from activities, holding questions about capacity, practicing meditation, and prioritizing writing toward a collaborative book project. These shifts feel exciting—like they support me in showing up more fully, vulnerably, and with presence. And these shifts ... Read more ...
Slowing Down to Clarify Commitments
Earlier this summer, I had covid and slowed to a snail’s pace. Everyday care (like bathing and brushing) took incredible effort. Because I had such little energy, I had to make tough decisions about where to put that energy. In many ways, being sick provided time for review. That review clarified my commitments, helping me consider if where I’m directing energy is truly where I want to be putting it. For the most part, I could answer: yes. I am clear about my deepest ... Read more ...
Interrupting Writer’s Block: Writing (and Pausing) Through Resistance
This blog post responds to a question I received recently and offers some ways to interrupt writing resistance or writer’s block. My hope is that it offers support for writers (because we all face resistance, right?), while also providing a glimpse into one-with-one coaching. I offer this post with gratitude for the writer who shared permission to use the question and response. And I offer many good wishes to writers feeling the pressure of due dates. The Question: ... Read more ...
Reflection Questions for Committing, Creating, and Pacing This Summer
Recently, a Patreon subscriber shared that they appreciate reflection questions, and their feedback prompted me to consider which questions feel especially important for this summer (summer 2021). Spinning off the original Q&A response (shared as part of the Q&A newsletter for subscribers), here are some questions I’m sitting with. These are influenced by the CHANI app (“astrology for self-discovery, mindfulness, and healing” by Chani Nicholas and team). The app ... Read more ...
