I became a painter because I wanted to raise painting to the level of poignancy of music and poetry. Mark Rothko I don’t want to be struck by lightning and don’t need certain slants of light in order to write. Toni Morrison The difference between a bad artist and a good one is: The bad [...]
Deep in the process of writing my next book, all those who have come before me, all my writing teachers, inspire me daily to keep putting words on the page. Here are a few gems that I hope will inspire you, whatever your art is. We all have some endeavor that calls forth our creative [...]
I recently re-read Natalie Goldberg’s book Writing Down the Bones, in preparation for a meditation writing retreat with her at the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe at the end of this month—a birthday present to myself. I first read it in 1996 when I spent three weeks with her at Ghost Ranch on my [...]
…continued from Becoming Aware 1:7 – Just Sitting Our intention on the Quiet Corner path is to free our inner voice and move toward spontaneity and creative expression. But first it is important to create some structure, which will help our voice and encourage and support our endeavor. Having a structure will first ground you [...]
I got my box of books today to send out to the forty Goodreads Giveaway winners. The writing of them seems like a distant memory. And now I know once again: there’s more to writing than just writing! It’s hard to believe I had the idea for this series so long ago and now there [...]
This week I received a lovely email from a reader thanking me for my book Serenity in Motion, which was first published in 2003. “I got your Serenity In Motion book many years ago, and it has been one of the only books I can pick up and receive a blessing from, even when in [...]
“I am full of shit!” These are the five words I wrote in the middle of my shift at the hospital a few weeks ago, after conducting my first meditation/relaxation group in the Psych ward. On the way in that morning I listened to Pema Chodron talk about shenpa, which helped me to feel centered [...]
“Read, read, read. Read everything – trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window.” ― William Faulkner “And by the way, [...]
“The brighter your light, the darker your shadow.” Carl Jung If this is true, my light must be piercingly bright, because one of my darkest shadows is murderous rage. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why I write murder mysteries, especially as I continue to deepen my spiritual practice. Why do I love watching [...]
Prior to enrolling in the NYZCCC Foundations course I had a rich, satisfying and rewarding life and wasn’t even sure why I decided to add this work to my full plate. But after twenty-eight years of sobriety and twenty-five years of Zen practice I’ve learned not to resist going where my higher self leads me, and taking on [...]
