New YA Novel about Mental Illness
The second of two young adult novels I’ve written back-to-back for North Star Editions is available in January!
Creative Problem-Solving With Six Thinking Hats
Named in the spirit of putting on our thinking caps, Six Thinking Hats is a useful way to sort through different viewpoints about ideas and issues.
My New Novel, Firebreak (Plus Giveaway!)
The first of two young adult novels I’ve written back-to-back releases in August! Firebreak features Alia, an insecure teen who turns into a reluctant activist fighting an elderly genocide in the making.
Deep Into New Book Projects
How do you make time to finish two back-to-back book projects? Put your blog and social media on hold for a bit!
Including Childhood Mental Illness in Children’s Books
Childhood mental health seems to be having a moment in children’s literature. Hopefully it’s not just a moment, of course. And hopefully it includes more works that go beyond topics like anxiety and depression and takes us into diagnoses and symptoms related to severe mental illness, such as psychotic disorders.
Appreciating Failure
I’m always fascinated by failures. We know it’s part of life and definitely part of being creative in our lives. So, when I learned there’s a traveling exhibit about appreciating failure, called the Museum of Failure, I couldn’t click fast enough.
How to Liberate Our Creativity from Everyday Waste
Do you ever find yourself weighed down by the everyday shuffle of life? Too tired or distracted to apply your talents and insights to things you care about? I do and keep reading if this describes you as well.
How Micro Stretch Targets Push Your Creativity
When I’ve got a sticky problem or want to push my creativity, I often explore whether I can use a stretch target to speed up finding a satisfying solution. I’m not talking about big life goals here, but “micro” situations that make a difference in our everyday lives.
How Innovative Nonprofits Can Help Boost Our Personal Creativity
Nonprofits often fly under our radar for examples of creativity and innovation. They shouldn’t. We can get ideas and encouragement from charities as we apply creativity to our own problems and goals.
Now Available: What Are Psychotic Disorders?
Did you know that early diagnosis of a psychotic disorder increases a person’s chances of recovery? My new book, What Are Psychotic Disorders?, is written for teens to help demystify this medical condition and provide practical information about how to get help.
How Does FOMO Impact Your Creativity?
As I continue my journey to channel as much of my time as possible toward activities I value, I’ve come to realize there’s a culprit I must confront: FOMO.
Books Can Help Nurture Young Inventors
I’m a bit fascinated with inventors and their processes. And better still when it involves youth. I’ll take the click bait to read social media posts or news articles about children pursuing their creative ideas. Children’s publishing is an important channel to nurture young inventors.
How Do You Make Time for Creativity?
Is your life pulling you in multiple directions and yet you want more time to spend on creative projects and hobbies? I get that. I’ve been sharing...
When You Need Creative Problem-Solving
Creativity methods can help in our home lives just as well as at work. So, this post is for you if you’re feeling stuck with an everyday problem or even creative project.
The Invitation Ready for Book Deserts
A magical box arrived last week. I almost didn’t open it, thinking it was a holiday gift from a relative. Luckily, I noticed Room to Read as the sender. Inside was a full paperback set of the non-profit’s Peace & Equality picture book collection, including my story about neurodiversity, friendship and inclusion.
Get Creative with Constraints
There’s a quote out there in the Internet world that I’ve pinned and come back to periodically: Creativity is subtraction. This is a concept I find useful to remember in my writing, work and everyday life.
Imposing constraints is one way of prompting subtraction. Constraints involve taking away things we over-rely on, leaving us to cope. Creativity often is the result.
New Website, New Blog
Welcome to my updated website! I tackled this refresh so you can quickly find helpful information and resources, and so I can more easily share news and tutorials through a WordPress blog.
Everyday Creativity: Use Seven Ways to Get Unstuck
One of my favorite ways to try busting through roadblocks is to generate at least seven alternatives (bonus points for even more ideas). The reason...
Nina Kosterina Biography Book Recognition
My Nina Kosterina biography just received a 2021 Purple Dragonfly Award in the young adult category! -- 2nd place in the young adult...
Remembering Robert Wadlow
Robert Wadlow passed away on this date in 1940. When he died at age 22, he was the world’s tallest person at a height of 8 feet 11 inches –...
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