As an author (Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival, German Awakening: Tales from an American Life) and podcaster (Courageous Wordsmith), I explore the intersections of creative process and healing in real life. As a story coach, book writing mentor, and founder of Courageous Wordsmith community, I guide real-life writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works. Lifelong Minnesotan.
🎧 [NEW EPISODE] WEATHER UPDATE: Little by little, big things get done.
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Hi! I'm sending this updated message because today we will have ice storms across Minnesota, and I'm postponing my appearance with Amy Sundby in Northeast Minneapolis. I still invite you to enjoy these treats from home. Dear Reader, Something has been coming up lately and I want to correct a misconception. Because I keep sharing big, completed projects, people seem to think that project completion comes easy to me. This is a fallacy. Anyone who knows me can tell stories about me falling asleep when I get overtired and sit down for a moment. When I talk about my new audiobook, it represents cumulative moments of showing up this past year. Tiny Altars represents fifteen years, total. I'm not saying that your book / collection / project will take that long. I simply think it's useful to keep in mind that every book and podcast and card deck and every big creative project that you admire... is the result of people showing up in small, simple steps. Some of us are work horses. Me? I can't do it that way. So I show up in three smallish steps pretty much daily and bigger spurts. That's one of the reasons that I'm a good mentor to fellow creatives. I've been there and built a sustainable creative practice over the longterm. I don't need to be smarter than anyone else. These are my particular gifts and lived experiences that I lean into. If I can do this, so can you. Because you also have meaningful gifts to share. Yes, really. Below I share three examples of what that might look like. ONE: PodcastThis was a fun conversation. K.O. Myers at Particulate Media joined me to talk about the process of recording Tiny Altars. Because he comes from a podcasting background, this was his first audiobook project, but not his last. That was in fact the reason I chose to work with K.O. I love creative adventures and talking about what I've learned. Whether you're (thinking of) writing a book, curious about the process, or interested in podcasting, we're sharing our behind-the-scenes insights. TWO: Story Finding Sessions, Holiday VersionI'm already piloting something behind the scenes with writers: an intermediate step between my Writer's Trail Map consultation and my Signature 1:1 Book Writing Mentorship. It's called Story Finding Sessions (a name I've been trying to find a home for years; this time it's finally landed). It's a series of once-monthly calls with me to seed writing and / or podcasts. There's a minimum four-month commitment to start. This season, I'm offering a BONUS fifth call for FREE. That's five hours of my 1:1 attention for $500, the lowest rate I offer. You name the project. TWO SPACES REMAIN at this price through December 24. THREE: Taking a (freezing) rain check on today's Art ShowAfter I sent this invitation yesterday to Amy Sundby's Studio in Northeast Minneapolis, I found out that we're going to have ice across Minnesota throughout the day. I will not be driving across the Twin Cities, and I urge my fellow Minnesotans to stay home. BUT... there will be an opportunity yet to preview Amy's first deck of oracle cards that she designed with me as proud editor. You'll find many of the featured images on Amy's Instagram. Please take a look. Amy's use of images found in nature is a powerful way of reframing what you think you know. (That's my experience...) Amy's still looking for a name for this deck, and we'd love your input. I'll let you know when we have another date. Travel safely. Love, Amy |
Courageous Wordsmith
As an author (Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival, German Awakening: Tales from an American Life) and podcaster (Courageous Wordsmith), I explore the intersections of creative process and healing in real life. As a story coach, book writing mentor, and founder of Courageous Wordsmith community, I guide real-life writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works. Lifelong Minnesotan.
Dear Reader, This year, more than ever, I wanted to honor Black History Month, at a time when attempts have been made to erase it. So I invited my friend Terry Newby to help me do that. As a white woman in America, I loved literature, but I did not grow up reading many marginalized voices. While I knew the name James Baldwin, I couldn't have told you what he stood for. And now? I know him as a Black man and a gay author. And what else? I've admired his interview clips. He feels important. How...
My 100th Episode Boundaries Make Things Possible. Dear Reader, I recently came across my final project from my Master Coach Training in the fall of 2017. It was a PowerPoint-presentation meets-screen-recording in which I told everyone what I had done all summer, which was... branding my business, curating thematic images, and amassing a mess of unfulfilled goals. It was humbling. I had to upload something to our group forum by midnight Eastern Time (I am on Central) and I had run out of time....
Dear Reader, I released a new / old podcast episode this week, and it feels very timely. Let me explain. This episode, in which my dear colleague and peer Orla Collins interviewed me in 2023, introduces my 52-card Tiny Altars oracle deck. I didn't release it back then. My books are available through distributors other than me, and I haven't been interested in opening a storefront to sell these decks. I already tried that with my first book and my first products, and I could do that again, but...