Small, consistent efforts ripple out, creating meaningful change.

Neglecting relationships in pursuit of external success often leads to regret.

Welcome back, writers! We're here with another episode of Around the Writers' Table. Today, we're picking up where we left off a couple of episodes ago after a side-jaunt where Gina and I talked about subscriptions and serials. But now, let's get back to the heart of the Creativity Quest! In case you missed it, or you're just joining us, we're delving into the Creativity Quest guideposts, a series of stages that every creative person goes through. To catch you up, we've already explored carrying inner disquiet, releasing, emulating and mirroring, assessing and acknowledging, and taking ownership. Today, we're shining a spotlight on "inviting authentic existence." This is where things start to get real because it's all about externalizing the inner work we've done. It's like stepping into a new world: We start showing our work to others, inviting feedback, and that can be both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. Here's the thing; this stage can manifest in two ways. First, if you've been keeping your creative work close to your chest, the act of revealing it to the world might make you seem different to others, even though you're just being yourself. Second, you might uncover parts of yourself through your creative work that you never knew existed. Sharing these newfound aspects with the world can be a transformative experience, making you feel different to both yourself and others. We'll explore this transition between the inner work of taking ownership and the outer work of inviting authentic existence. So, stay tuned as we dig deep into these guideposts and uncover more about our creative journeys! ----------------Visit our website for resource links, downloadable worksheets, and a full transcript of this episode!

In this episode, we continue their exploration of the Creativity Quest, focusing on "Verifying and Testing." As we delve into this stage of the creative journey, we discuss the challenges and opportunities it presents for creative individuals. Verifying and Testing is a crucial phase where creators begin to test their skills and share their work more openly with the world. It's a time when validation and feedback become essential, but it can also be a period filled with skepticism and criticism from others. We share our personal experiences handling criticism and discerning when (and from whom) to seek feedback. We highlight the importance of self-awareness, emphasizing the need to understand one's own reactions to feedback, whether positive or negative. Recognizing trustworthy sources and the right timing for feedback is a valuable skill during this stage. Listeners are invited to join the conversation as we navigate the external challenges that come with sharing creative work. This episode offers insights and strategies for maintaining resilience and boundaries while embracing the creative journey's external aspects. It's an exploration that reveals much about the creative process and how individuals can thrive throughout it! ----------------Visit our website for resource links, downloadable worksheets, and a full transcript of this episode! ---------------- RESOURCES An Overview of The Creativity Quest: An episode focused on boundaries Previous guideposts we mentioned: Assessing and Acknowledging and Carrying Inner Disquiet 1 Million Words Club writer’s membership community Gina’s blog: Gina’s Quill KimBoo’s blog: KimBoo’s Scriptorium ---------------- Questions on the Five Seasons and Verifying & Testing Spring: Do I verify and test the work I am currently involved with against my vision for my project? In other words, does the work I am currently doing fit my intended vision? Summer: Does the process of maturation of my WIP (revisions, editing, development) hold up to my vision? Do I invite my writing community to give me support and encouragement? Harvest: Do I take occasions to celebrate my work at whatever stage it is in? Do I feed myself emotionally, spiritually, physically, intellectually in balanced ways? Fall: How do I verify and test my work against feedback provided by editors, beta readers, and critique groups? Do their comments and suggestions fit into my vision and what I know to be true regarding my project, characters, and story line? Winter: How do I provide myself with appropriate moments of rest in each phase of my work? Do I allow myself time to "sleep on it" when considering important revisions/changes to my WIP?

Gratitude is a quiet force that reminds you of how interconnected and supported you are.

The Glynn County Health Department confirmed that a bobcat that attacked a woman on Jekyll Island Sunday night tested positive for rabies.

Hey everyone, we're here with our latest episode of Around the Writers Table! Today we dove into the next phase of Gina's Creativity Quest model: Integrating and Dedicating. This stage is all about bringing your creative identity out into the open and committing fully to your work. Gina led us in a discussion about what this stage demands, including honesty, self-review, and resilience in the face of potential criticism. We also connected it to concepts like Steven Pressfield's Resistance and Caroline Myss's advice on growth patterns. Melody and I shared our own experiences with claiming our identities as writers publicly. We  hope you find it insightful for your own creative journey. Thanks so much for listening!

‟You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‟I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

‟There is no real wealth but the labor of man. Were the mountains of gold and the valleys of silver, the world would not be one grain of corn richer; not one comfort would be added to the human race.” ~ Percy Bysshe Shelley

Google says “we do not use your Gmail content for training our Gemini AI model.”

True strength comes from deciding to keep pushing forward in the face of adversity.

This episode delves further into Gina's Creativity Quest stage of verifying and testing. We explored how this process of testing our creative boundaries and sharing our work with others relates to the natural seasons of writing and plant spirit medicine. Melody provided insights on using these paradigms to stay aligned with our creative vision during challenging periods of revision and maturation. For many of us, the fall season of letting go and accepting feedback is when doubts can creep in. But having clarity on our purpose and maintaining community support can help us through. We also discussed our clients' struggles to see the forest for the trees and lose sight of their goals. Productivity coaching aims to help them build confidence by establishing clear plans. Whether your strength lies in ideation or revision, we hope we offered perspectives on maintaining balance and harmony on your creative journey. Join us next time as we enter the stage of fully integrating and dedicating ourselves to our craft. ----------------Visit our website for resource links, downloadable worksheets, and a full transcript of this episode!