(This post went up almost 4.5 years ago. Bringing it back for a rerun today.) I started this post Wednesday. Thursday I read this from Seth Godin: What “no” means I’m too busy I don’t trust you This isn’t on my list My boss won’t let me I’m afraid of moving this forward I’m not the person you think I am I don’t have the resources you think I do I’m not the kind of person that does things like this I don’t want to open the door to a long-term engagement Thinking about this will cause me to think…

One of the best friends I’ve ever had lost his father this month. Death proved itself a slingshot, pulling me back through the decades to think about the few times I met his father and then catapulting me forward to question what I’m doing today. Jay and I met at Emerson College. I was climbing the stairs in front of him and tripped. He laughed at me. For a split second I thought he was an asshole—and then realized that I would have laughed at me, too. The friendship started there. Lots of talking and philosophizing and listening to Dave…

I made a mistake this week. I was introduced to a few dozen new people. I attempted to correct the mistake. I was introduced to more new people.

In this week’s “Writing Wednesdays” post (“The Artist’s Journey, #10“), Steve discussed the two worlds in which artists reside, and how artists break through from one world to the other to access ideas and inspiration. But . . . How does that happen?

[This post first ran March 11, 2016. Bringing it back for a re-run today.] You have a new book or film or album you want to promote — and you’re waging a letter/e-mail writing campaign to garner support. The following is what you need to know before you get started. The Pitch Bottom line: You want something. You want to recommend someone or something, or you want someone to recommend you. You want an endorsement, an interview, a keynote speaker, a job, something for free, someone to make a decision for you.

About 15 years ago, I sat at a conference table with an author and his soon to be publisher, and listened to the publisher’s counsel state that the publisher likes to have all copyrights in its name. I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.

I will write the Great American Novel by the time I’m 18. I will write the Great American Novel. I will write a novel. I will write. Between ages 14 and 40, my goals changed dramatically, from starting with the heavy weights to lifting manageable weights every day. I was reminded of this when I read Steve’s post “Thinking in Blocks of Time,” which is among the articles included as additional reading in part three of The War of Art Mini-Course. In the article, Steve talks about returning from a vacation and gearing up to get back to work. The…

My husband and I walked in on a wedding. We wanted a drink and some downtime, but instead we got flower girls, sequins, stares—and a polite request to leave. It was a reminder that the obvious place for important messaging isn’t always the best place—and a lesson on how easy it is to miss the signs. Here’s how it played out. We were in the mountains visiting family. We got caught outside in freezing rain. The kids wanted showers and pajamas. My husband and I wanted a drink and a firepit. The kids stayed with the family and my husband…

(Past is present. With a December 6, 2013 date, this post is a little over four years old. The drones haven’t replaced humans yet, but Amazon is still pushing distribution, with its announcement that Amazon is going to enter UPS’ and FedEx’s space. O’Reilly has continued to change things up since this writing, but is still leading the way. More cultivated subscription models, too.) “Don’t major in the minor.” Mellody Hobson said it, but I’ve thought it these last few days, since watching Jeff Bezos on 60 Minutes this past Sunday. In case you haven’t heard, Bezos unveiled a prototype…