Susan's Archives From May 2020
A Telecommuting Tale: How Cynthia Transformed into her Desk
Cynthia was happy to work from home... at first. So much freetime without having to commute back and forth to her job everyday. Lunches in the comfort of her recliner. Sleeping in to the last possible moment. Wearing sweats with a blouse for possible video conferencing meetings.
The first three weeks were a breeze. She stretched three times a day, did self-massage, and took coffee breaks with her co-workers online. She had never worked from home before. Sixty to zero. The rush of life followed by a slowing down that let her find her rhythm again, take stock of her life, breath.
How to Prepare for a TEDx Talk
Everyone has their own way of writing and preparing for a talk. The following was how I prepared for a Tedx Berkeley talk in February. I hope you take what you like and adjust it to your needs and habits.
Overcome Self-Doubt
On the morning of the 30th of August, I received an e-mail from a co-curator at Tedx Berkeley inviting me to speak at their Tedx Berkeley event on the 8th of February 2020. I immediately forwarded it to my husband with the subject: “omg!!!!”. I was thrilled and honored to be invited. By the afternoon however, my excitement turned into doubt. Why me? What could I offer?
10 Positivity Practices that Enhance my Creativity
Positivity practices are an integral part to my creative routine. They also help me to be in tune with what my goals are and how to focus my energy on the things I care about most. Not to mention, they make me a happier and healthier person which of course leads to doing more of the things I love.
Reading Hardwiring Happiness by Rick Hanson totally rocked my world in terms of the way I viewed positivity and our brains. He discusses the way humans brains have evolved and that we are hardwired to focus on negativity, because that is what helped us survive a very dangerous world. He describes it as “Your brain is like Velcro for negative experiences but Teflon for positive ones.” His book describes the ways to train your brain not to be so worried about the predator in the bushes and remembering which berries are poisonous, that kind of vigilance doesn't serve us in the modern world. It just keeps us sad and paralyzed by anxiety.
15 Posting Ideas for Writers on Instagram
I have been learning a lot about Instagram and building my author platform for the last six months. If you want to see the checklist I use for growing my followers on Instagram you can download it here: FREE Instagram Growth Checklist.
Instagram is a great place for writers to prosper. I know some writers feel a bit overwhelmed with how to have a visual representation of the work they do. I hope this blog is helpful for them as a springboard, however there are several ideas you can add that fit to your own vibe. Social media marketing has enriched my writing life immeasurably. I wrote a blog about that here, How your Social Media Platform Will Make You a Better Writer.
