This essay was eye opening for me and reminded me how important it is to do things because I want to improve my life or the lives of others, not because I hate someone. A bit of a long read but well worth it.
Author: Rohvannyn
Rohvannyn Shaw, an Arizona author and illustrator, runs the blog Mindflight and also the art site, rohvannynshaw.com. Educated at the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Visual arts degree, she comes from a family of writers. She has edited several books, both fiction and non fiction, collaborated on three poetry chapbooks, and illustrates stories and poetry as a sideline. Her recent novels, Rageth and The Dice of Fate, are available on Amazon.com. Her ebook, Quests of the Avatar, is available free on Mind-flight.org. Her new book of comedy, How to P!ss Off The Customers, is out now and available. More to come!
Tips for creating a great author website
Originally posted on Blue-Collar Bookworm: The inflexible reality of the self-publishing boom is that author websites are everywhere. Whether you’re publishing through traditional channels or independently launching your book as the flagship product of a one-person press, you need a website that immediately grabs the casual visitor’s attention—in a good way. Your author website can…
via 5 Ways to Create an Effective Author Website — Memoir Notes
Someone else’s drudgery might be your dream job
A job that someone else might consider a shallow waste of time might be your best place for this moment in time. A job that you find shallow might develop hidden depths as you think about it.
Anyone in the working world has experience with grindingly boring jobs. Some of us have always had satisfying, fulfilling work but we have witnessed boring jobs. Okay, now the rest of us (99.999%) have had one or more boring, unfulfilling jobs.
The strangest thing is, I’ve learned that kinds of work I’ve heard others complain endlessly about, and haven’t expected to like, are actually boatloads of fun for me!
For example, I pretty much always thought I wanted to be an artist or designer for a living. However, I didn’t know what that meant. I’m not good at being creative each and every day, and I’m not always the best with deadlines. Also, I hate selling so I’m not the world’s most amazing self promoter. I recognize these things about myself and I’m okay with that. I know what I need to work on.
I thought that data entry could be about the most mind numbing job imaginable. Call center work was scariest and most horrible, but data entry had to be the most boring. Fast forward quite a few years and I find that call center work is actually pretty fulfilling if you work inbound lines, and I just took a job as a claims analyst that involves a lot of data entry. Yet, it’s great! It’s like doing a hundred puzzles a day and it’s always new and fresh! I never would have found this out if I’d clung to my old ideas about the perfect job.
The moral of that story is to stay in tune with the kinds of work you like, and your personal strengths, so you know what you’ll actually be a good match for. That way you won’t take the job that everyone else wants but you might hate. Here’s an example. I thought I wanted to be a trainer at a call center. I thought it would be great – I’d be off the phones, I could share my experience and help mold my students into great reps, and oh, did I mention I’d be off the phones? Once I knew more about the position I realized I’d be going slowly crazy there. A job where I was assisting other reps on the phone as they asked me questions about product and navigation was a whole lot better for me.
What if you hate your current job and can’t get out of it?
Been there, done that, got the lame corporate T-shirt. I’m not sure what you should do in your situation but here is what I’ve done to make it easier on myself.
See the humor in the situation. There’s something funny about everything, even if all you do is sort frozen fish on a conveyor belt and throw out the green ones. How funny is a green fish?
Find the places where you make a difference. In my dull customer service jobs, one thing that’s kept me going is knowing I was making a difference in many people’s lives. Even if I was just telling them why their pills were going to be late. At least I could give them one more positive interaction than they would have had.
Find ways your current job can build your skills. I would sometimes take on extra work or do extra training if I knew it would develop me. This has gotten me into better and better jobs.
Always look for opportunities. You won’t see them if your eyes are closed.
My motives aren’t hidden
…not like this cat is, anyway. She does such a good job of blending in!
I’m taking a bit of time here to explore the goals of this blog, because everyone who follows should have access to my thoughts about why it’s here. What’s going through my head, what my plans are, all of that.
Mindflight is ultimately for people who create, or who would like to create but don’t think they can. As a blogger, I want to avoid anything that doesn’t help the reader in some way. I want to share stories that might inspire or educate, share skills that empower, give tips and pointers that help my fellow artists, and maybe cause a reader to think outside the box once in a while. I think that everybody has the chance to be a better person than they were yesterday, and have some fun in the process. I think that goes beyond creed and philosophy. If I can help an artist think about something in a new way, or a writer try something they never thought they could, I’ll be happy. In the process I find myself learning a lot too, and that’s a great thing! Like the site says, “together we soar.”
My “three pillars” are:
Inspiration, Development, Empowerment.
Each entry on this blog tries to do one of the three and that’s my pledge to you.
Hope you enjoy!
Here’s a better shot of Saia, the would be bobcat, exploring her “savannah.”
Great tips for improving your blog
This isn’t a new topic, but it seems worth a mention every now and then within the WordPress blog community. I love connecting with other bloggers and occasionally a website makes that hard if not impossible to do. Here are a few tips. 🙂 Definitely take a look at these if: You are leaving likes […]
Yet another wonderful collection from Flow Art – up close with wildcats
Caracal Leopard Cat Canada Lynx clouded leopard African Wildcat Serval Rusty Spotted Cat African Golden Cat Sand Cat Asiatic Wildcat Leopard Cat Jaguarundis Eurasian Lynx Fishing Cat Iberian Lynx Palla’s Cat Marbled Cat Melanistic (black) Asian Golden Cat Margay Genetta maculata Geoffrey’s Cat Flat-Headed Cat Mysterious Wildcats by Joel Sartore In this series for […]
Gateway to wonder – how to be positive when you don’t want to be
There’s something you can do right at this moment that will transform your life. It won’t suddenly make you wealthy, or get rid of all your problems, or give you the perfect job, but it will subtly change how you react and alter your relationship with the world.
What’s that?
A wise man once said “your focus determines your reality.”
So it does.
For the record, I often have trouble maintaining a positive outlook. A lot of people do. Yet, being positive about life and seeing it in a positive way helps you find opportunities, learn better, and deal with other people in a way that draws them to you.
There was a study done that demonstrated how a positive outlook helped people feel luckier, so that they were actually more successful in life. Being positive costs nothing and really isn’t as risky as our minds might try to say it is. It can open us up to the world in a way that lets success in, and lets us see the many good things we already have that we might have forgotten about. One of the most positive people I know was homeless for a while. Living in a cardboard box near a railroad track, they still took time to see the beauty in their life.
With all the information we’re given about how great positivity is, why do we still have so many negative thoughts? I wonder that about myself all the time. I think it’s because the familiar feels safer and easier for us to deal with. “Better the devil you know.” Change can be scary. Success involves change. So our brains often resist it. However, we do have control of our lives and our thoughts, and we can override that fear! Here are some tips to help get you started.
Being positive is more than just phrasing things positively, though that can help. Luckily, there are some shortcuts you can use to jump start a sunnier outlook, and they don’t rely on you having a good mood to begin with!
Tips for staying positive when you’re too busy to do anything
Breathe deeply. It’s physically harder for the body to be upset and anxious if you are doing that.
Smile. It actually releases neurotransmitters that make you feel better. Force yourself if you have to and watch it become genuine.
Make really silly faces. When you are in a bad mood, go off into the bathroom and make the lamest, stupidest faces you can think of. Within a minute or two the sheer absurdity of it all may make you laugh. Boom, more feel-good neurotransmitters.
Strike a “power pose.” If we stand up straight and extend our arms and legs to fullest stretch, then hold it for a minute or two, our brains make us feel more confident. Try this in private right before a big presentation or meeting.
Sit up straight. People who have better posture learn faster and have more confidence than people who slouch. By contrast, you may well worsen your mood if you start to slouch, even if you were feeling good at first. I’ve seen this first hand.
Focus on the task at hand. Worry about other issues can really dampen your mood. So focus on where you are and what you are doing. Thanks, green guy.
Practice positive self talk. Even if you don’t believe a positive affirmation at first, repeating it again and again can help program that marvelous computer you carry between your shoulders. Use this ability wisely.
Take a walk outside and notice tiny details. Even if you just take five minutes to step outside the building at break, or step out onto an apartment balcony, there’s a wealth of beauty outside reflected in the smallest leaves and blades of grass. A little fresh air and sunshine can work wonders.
Think. If you feel resistance to being positive, think about that. Ask yourself, why don’t I want to feel better? Do I perhaps think I don’t deserve to feel better? Then ask yourself why? Engage your mind, get out of your emotions, and watch peace and calm return.
Do you have other tips? Share them in the comments, and I’ll add them and credit them!
Now that’s a spicy lollipop!
Mexican kids are tough!
That’s what I always think when I look at the candy section at my local carniceria. Not only does it carry things like custom-cut meat, tortillas, and drinks, but there is an ever expanding candy section. I feel lucky to be living in Southern Arizona. If I didn’t, I’d be missing out on a lot of great flavors.
Why do I think those kids are tough? For one thing, half their candy has cayenne in it. One of my favorite kinds is a paste made with tamarind, chili powder, and sugar. I also like the lollipops that are fruit flavored once you get through a layer of chili and salt. Another thing I tried recently is candied barrel cactus. That was good, as was the candied sweet potato. Both were chewy and moist on the inside, rather like a good chunk of dried pineapple.
Mexican candy has interesting and unique things in it. I love the goat milk caramel, for instance, which brings back memories of my childhood – I milked a goat every day. I will admit, I haven’t gotten used to the salted, preserved plums, called saladitos. It’s just too much salt for me. I tried, though! Another thing I’ve learned to do is eat jicama strips with chili and lime. It’s also good on apple slices. Go to any Hispanic oriented grocery store and you’ll even find a liquid preparation of brined fruit chili powder just for drizzling over things.
Other candy is made with coconut, peanut, tamarind, various forms of chocolate, and marshmallow. You can even find chocolate dipped corn flakes sold in little bags, the same way M&Ms are sold. I haven’t tried everything there is to try, but there sure are a lot of interesting flavors out there!
I think the coolest lollipop is sort of mango flavored, covered with a spicy layer, and shaped like a chicken. They are fun to eat and a balanced flavor. Really!
Max your Writing Moxie
Do you want to be the best writer you can be?
If you want to write good stories, read good stories and pay attention.
That looks a little too simple, doesn’t it? It’s still the truest piece of advice I can give. There’s an old programmer’s motto: GIGO. Garbage In, Garbage Out. Put another way, you are what you eat.
I used to think I knew what made a good story. I thought what I watched and read was great. It was not really great though – most of it was simplistic, with hackneyed plots and cardboard cutout characters and it didn’t challenge me at all. It caused my stories to be just as simplistic. Then I started reading and watching really high quality stuff, and found what I had missed. I discovered levels of artistry and complexity that took my breath away. Twists and turns of plot, well written stories, mysteries that were done right, and more. I began to see how my own stories were woefully simplistic. I saw ways of improving them, too. I now have a habit of seeking out the best stories I can find.
With all that said, what makes a good story? I didn’t know how to recognize one reliably, after all, I thought I WAS reading and watching good stuff! So here is a list of general characteristics that can point you toward better stories, whether you are looking for a book, an anime, a role playing game, a movie, or a TV show.
A good story…
…makes you think.
…will give you clues when it’s a mystery, but make them very subtle. It will make your mind work.
…uses good descriptions or dialogue to bring you in to the story.
…avoids stereotypes.
…isn’t always a “classic.” Some classics are woefully bad, but are classics because they are old.
…doesn’t talk down to the audience.
…shows how the characters grow and develop.
…lets the characters change and doesn’t leave them in the same place at the end as they were at the beginning.
…challenges you. A story you can sleep through is no story at all.
…gives motivations behind the character’s actions, beyond “because he wanted to.”
…makes you think.
Finding good stories can be easy or hard depending on what genre you are interested in. Ask for recommendations from people you admire, read reviews on sites like Goodreads, check out forum posts about potential TV shows. Pay attention to why people like things and how they talk about them. If a person writes well when describing why they like a story, then the quality of the story is likely to be higher.
When you find a great story, pay attention to why it’s great! Then think about how you could incorporate the same techniques into your own work. Eventually, you’ll absorb aspects of the great writing styles you love.
Read great stories. Write great stories. Build your moxie.
Author tips on establishing your brand
Originally posted on Story Empire: Ciao, SEers. I’m just getting back into the groove after a long overdue trip back to the homeland. No, not Italy, although that’s on my bucket list. We went back to Pennsylvania to celebrate my daughter’s high school graduation with the extended family. A great time was had by all.…
via Eight Steps to Establishing Your Author Brand — When Angels Fly
Mindflight 
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