From the category archives:

Writing & Editing

Stop Waiting for the Perfect Time to Follow Your Bliss

by Corinne on November 7, 2011

Last night, the little one finally went to sleep around 11PM (sigh). I wanted to do the same. Instead, I went downstairs, soaked in the quiet, and hunkered down to work on my website for a couple hours.

Today, I’m reminded of the great satisfaction and focus that is possible when you seize the opportunity to work toward your goals whenever it presents itself. When I was writing my first novel and dreaming of finding a literary agent, I was also working a full time job, which included massive travel, weeks away from home and many long nights. Yet, I still found the time to write a book and find an agent. I worked late at night, on weekends, in the car, on planes, during vacation, and at cafes.

Client work, family, the house, friends, motherhood and more are all crying out for attention. So when do you find the time to blog, write your own books, and build your business? Stop scheduling and start doing.

I’ve been writing and editing client work for the past three hours at a local cafe. Honestly, my brain is a little fried. In 15 minutes I need to pack up, drive home and pay the babysitter. It would be easy to just close up shop, blow off this blog, grab a cupcake and go home. Instead, I’ll continue to write.

Fast forward to midnight. Again, my husband and babe sleep soundly upstairs and I’m on the couch, focused on writing this blog.

I’m even more fired up this evening because of my third CitizenU group coaching session with Tara Gentile. I finally caught hold of the concept for my ebook during our call. I sat on the floor in Audrey’s nursery, which used to be my office, and the idea poured out of me.

All of these stolen moments don’t seem like much on their own. Leaving the cafe early, going to bed when my family turns in, passing up group coaching because I didn’t know if I should spend the money or the time…I could have made all of those choices and stood still. I could have made the decisions that seemed easier in the moment. But I didn’t and that’s a big reason why my biz is growing.

You might be waiting for the perfect time to start writing the novel that’s been stewing in your head for years. You might be waiting for the appropriate time to leave your job and start your own business. Maybe you’re waiting for the proper time to take the trip you’ve always dreamed of.

Please stop waiting. There is no perfect time. You’ll never feel 100% ready. And by just starting you often realize you want something completely different anyway. You learn along the way. Waiting is wasting time, not using it wisely. Your gut is telling you something, so listen.

Books are waiting to be written. Clients are waiting to be served. Shops are waiting to be opened. It’s all out there for the taking. My advice? Take it.

Happy Bliss Chasing,
Corinne

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Just Listen: Fuel for Your Work

by Corinne on October 21, 2011

The simple act of listening to someone’s life story can be transformative. When I’ve felt hopeless or fearful about moving forward toward my goals, whether it was writing a novel or becoming a yoga teacher, I’ve turned to people who I admire. I’ve learned more from their journeys than I learned in two years of graduate school.

Their wisdom and humility has held me together every time I wanted to give up or didn’t believe in myself. When I realize the humble beginnings of people like Stephen King or the fact that Ira Glass wasn’t always creating the award-winning work he puts into the world today, I regain perspective.

If you can find people who speak to you and your truth, you’ll never be alone and you’ll always be able to move forward toward your dreams.

Here’s some of my go-to pick-me-ups to get you started:

1. Stephen King’s On Writing (I highly recommend listening to the audio version!)

2. Ira Glass on Storytelling (and good taste)

3. Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird

4. A Conversation with Ray Bradbury

What lifts you up?

Happy Bliss Chasing,
Corinne

Tagged as: following your bliss, inspiration, Writing & Editing

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Getting Over “Not Good Enough” & Believing in Yourself

by Corinne on October 14, 2011

In the fifth grade, I wrote an essay at school about fire safety. I thought it was the cats pajamas, but when my uncle took a look at the rough draft, he told me exactly what he thought of it. Basically, that it was terrible. I can still remember my astonishment. My ego was bruised and my confidence shaken.

Of course I still ended up becoming a writer, but that crushed fifth grader shows up in my heart and my head when I become too emotionally attached to my creations. It’s difficult to find a balance between dedication and healthy boundaries when you love what you do and care about your clients. Lately, I’ve found that the key to finding this balance is a firm belief in the quality of my work.

Unless you’re living your life in a super safe bubble, criticism is inevitable. If I still thought like my fifth grader self, I’d lose traction, confidence, and an opportunity for growth, every time someone pointed out a way that my work could be better. Even the best can be better!

No matter how many people praise your work, it will never be enough. I can’t count the number of times I’ve thought that I’d finally be legit once I conquered the next goal on the horizon. Except, each time the horizon would move a little further away, leaving me in a perpetual chase.

I write this knowing that I still have insecurities. At the same time, when I look back to just a year ago, I realize that my perspective has shifted greatly in a very short amount of time. Part of this transition has come from striking out on my own as a writer. The other main factor has been my daughter. Since becoming a mother and business owner, I’ve let go of some negative habits and ways of thinking in favor of being more present with my family and in my career.

A few observations on how I made these strides:

1. Less procrastination: Avoiding work, especially when it seems challenging and intimidating is a one-way ticket to misery. As soon as I sit down and face my to-do list, I’m taking the power back. Insecurity, doubt, and stress lose their power over me. What I once looked at negatively, turns into a positive experience that I can see as an achievement.

2. Less obsession: After I’ve powered down my MacBook and stepped away from my work physically, I take a step away mentally too. In the past, I would think through a project again and again, not satisfied until someone else had put their stamp of approval on it. What a waste of time! It is so empowering to focus on the work in the moment and then let it be once I’m in another space.

3. Less attachment: I’ve started to draw a line between my self-worth and how the world perceives my writing and professional performance. I used to bank my entire career on each new assignment, thinking that if I didn’t knock this one out of the park, I was through. Today, I’ve built more confidence and I see my writing as something that can always be improved, but also something to be proud of. A strong track record has helped me get to this place and I’m learning how to own it!

4. More honesty: With myself and others. If I’m unsure about how a client is feeling about my work, I ask. Sometimes it feels safer to say nothing rather than hear criticism, but you’re probably just wasting your time and a chance to grow by skirting the issue. If the client is happy, I can move forward at ease. If they have concerns, I can address them and try to fix the problems. Realizing that you aren’t going to be able to please everyone (and that’s okay!), is freeing, not failure. Moving on isn’t the end of the world, especially if you do it with grace.

5. More focus: I’m figuring out what I do best and what will serve others the most. I am becoming more aligned with my passion everyday. This comes from experience, taking risks, and daily reflection.

6. More dedication: In this instance, I’m talking about dedication to my professional success. I know I love to write. I know I love working with passionate people to help them communicate their work to the world. I’m committed to learning how to deliver my services in innovative ways. I took another step toward this goal by signing up for Tara Gentile‘s CitizenU group coaching. Over the next five weeks, I’ll be working with 12 other small biz owners to build community and move our businesses forward. I’ll be sharing a lot of those lessons here!

Adios Bliss Chasers!
Corinne

Photo credit: madelinetosh

Tagged as: business, entrepreneur, motherhood, Writing & Editing

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Overcoming Writing Jitters Step-by-Step

by Corinne on October 5, 2011

Becoming stressed and overwhelmed is the fastest way to cut off your creative wings and turn your productivity to dust. I’ve found myself paralyzed by projects in the past because they seem too great to accomplish. Before I had even typed a word, I had already lost faith in myself. Even though these demons still sneak up, especially when challenging opportunities arise, I’ve learned how to approach them with grace. Changing my perspective has made my work much more joyful.

Here’s my system.

1. Get clear. I make sure that I’ve got a clear picture of my objectives before getting started so that I can move forward with confidence. If it’s a client project, I lay out the details in writing so that we’re on the same page. Still not clear? We talk on the phone. Same goes for freelance assignments. Even when working on my fiction, I talk through my goals with my agent before diving into a round of revisions. This saves a lot of time later!

2. Let go. Whether I’m writing a book or a 300-word article, I have trouble getting busy if I’m thinking about the whole journey. One step at a time!

3. Get educated. Usually my work takes at least a little research, so why get started writing before I feel confident about the subject matter? This is also a major time saver because it keeps me from writing in the wrong direction and having to rework and it later.

4. Keep the editing stage in mind. Knowing that I’m working on a draft helps me loosen up and write more freely, which is the place where the best stuff is born. I budget time for editing so that I can smooth out the rough edges and mold my work later when the big picture is part of the process again.

5. Sleep on it. Writing needs space. In best case scenarios, I give a rough draft at least a day to breathe before I go back and rework it. I’m refreshed, more patient, and ready to give the piece some extra love after we’ve had some space.

6. Let go, again. It’s not easy releasing your baby into the world, but eventually you have to do it if you want your creative work to grow. I find it’s easier to hand in an assignment when I’ve given it to a couple beta readers first (and done steps 1-5 above). I take their comments into consideration, tweak, proofread and then press send. Then, I take a mental vacation from the piece. It’s out of my hands and the best thing I can do is give myself a pat on the back while giving my brain a much needed rest.

Happy writing & bliss chasing,
Corinne

Photo Credit: slightly-less-random

Tagged as: Writing & Editing

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Just released! My FREE mini-ebook: Bliss Chaser

by Corinne on September 20, 2011

The past five years have shown me that “following your bliss” is more than an inspirational quote, it’s a way of living that will lead you to seizing your greatest hopes. It may sound corny, but isn’t it worth a try? I put together this mini-ebook to share how I went from sleep walking through my life to actually living my day dreams. I hope it will inspire you to do the same. Sign up for my list and the ebook is yours free.

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Writing Update!

by Corinne on August 31, 2011

The only professional path that felt natural and fulfilling postpartum was working from home as a freelance journalist and copywriter. It was the same feeling I had four years ago when I decided to study yoga at an ashram and months later as I started working for Kris Carr. I’ve never known exactly how I’d make these transitions work, but I feel blessed to know that working hard, staying focused, and following through has always led me to success.

I’m so excited to share the first few articles I’ve written since the little bean joined our family. The first piece covers two things that are very close to my heart–vegan food and Asheville, NC. This is the start of a series I’ll be writing for Vegetarian Times. I’ve also written two articles for GE’s brand new website, Ecomagination.com. And this week, I shared one of the biggest lessons I learned through childbirth and early motherhood at Crazysexylife.com. I hope you’ll check them out!

“Vegging Out in Asheville, NC“