I’m going to quote my grandfather and say it was a pretty dandy week. I accomplished a lot, my children were able to start playing sports and the change in temperature meant more walks in the beautiful weather. Finally!

What I’m Reading:

I love all things Elizabeth Gilbert, so it might be pretty shocking to know that I had not yet read Big Magic. Until this week. 

I used to be one of those people who said they didn’t have a creative bone in their body: I couldn’t draw or paint, my singing was only good enough for the shower and I couldn’t ‘make things’ that my more creative peers could. I’ve slowly learned what creativity is and what it isn’t, but this book just blew everything I knew right out of the water. We are ALL creative.

It all started with her view on ideas: what they are, where they come from and where they go next if not nurtured. I devoured every word, trying to figure out how I’d nurture my own creativity (after I figured out what it was, of course) until Gilbert wrote about moving away from passion and toward curiosity. Every fiber of my being was at attention when she described how a tiny interest in keeping a garden ultimately led to her writing The Signature of All Things….simply by saying yes to the trail of curiosity. Now THAT I can relate to. I want to fill my life with lots of little yesses that ultimately lead to a live well lived, because we never know where one little yes will take us. Big Magic. 

When I turned the last page, I felt a tingly sensation through my whole body, a giddiness that I now knew was the feeling when inspiration arrives and an idea is knocking on your door. Her final line has stayed with me: the treasures that are hidden inside you are hoping you will say yes. And I am. =)

One more thing: Did you know that March is known as Middle Grades March in the book world? Neither did I! But now that I do, I’m moving some middle grades books to the top of my TBR stack for next week.

What I’m Writing:

My writing this week reminds me of Spring cleaning for my quarantine-brain. My notebook is filled with lists and ideas: things to do, things to clean, ideas to try, workflows to create, calendars to be created….you get the idea. But after stumbling upon this essay from Annabelle Gurwitch, I decided to get a bit more creative and think about this: What does the view from my Zoom room say about me and how I live? Is it what I want it to say? Please read this…you’ll laugh out loud at paragraph 13. I promise. 

What I’m Learning:

Are you ready for this? My brain has been feeling a bit broken lately. And I’m not alone. We’ve survived a global pandemic, blurred the lines between home and work and might be filled with debilitating decision-fatigue by the end of the day. The fix? Less multi-tasking, more time outside, delegating and creating new systems for ourselves. Which will you try for yourself this weekend?

You know what else helps? Choosing the right fork. Really. 

What I’m Loving:

When I told you it was a dandy week, I meant it was a dandy week. And I have the links to provide it. Here are the links that brought a little love to my literate life this week:

I instantly fell in love with this series from the NY Times. It’s called Letter of Recommendation and celebrates the overlooked and underappreciated. These quick, celebratory reads are exactly what my soul needed.

I also found a new podcast that does the same thing: Tiny Victories. Annabelle Gurwitch and Laura House invite listeners to “adopt a TINY victory frame of mind, and share tales of fleeting joys and minor accomplishments in this majorly messed-up world.” We all need this podcast. 

One more thing: remember I told you I was attending a workshop on the fabulousness of chocolate with Start Over? Well, I did. And now, I have some new books about chocolate on my TBR stack and a tasting box on its way to my mailbox. That hour fueled my soul. AND GUESS WHAT? I’ll be hosting a Start Over session, too! It’s called Bibliotherapy as Self-Care and we’ll explore these questions:

  • Why is a strong reading life essential to our physical and mental well-being?
  • What is bibliotherapy and how can we use it to help us live curiously and grow through what we go through?
  • What are some simple, yet impactful, ways to cultivate our reading life and which books might we start with?

I am a wee-bit excited and hope you’ll join me for this free session!

There you have it! I hope this inspires you to make space for more reading and writing in your own life. What are the highlights from your literate life this week?