From Dream to Picture Book

Idea to book contract in a year? Even I’m amazed this actually happened.  There are of course all the logistical nuts and bolts  - goal setting and planning, utilizing my network amongst friends, family, and colleagues; persistence; staying open to ideas; saying “yes” to opportunities; employing a writing coach (shout out to Amy Maranville at Kraken Communications for all her kid lit expertise).  More than all of this, the one thing that helped my dream become reality was staying connected and true to my inner intention. 

My clear intention at the start of 2018 was to soften and rest into the flow of creativity within and around me.  I stayed open to allowing creativity to express itself in any form.   Interestingly, my first media contribution of 2018 was for an article about the use of meditation to bolster creativity for the magazine Spirituality & Health.

• “When we intentionally pay attention to present moment experience with kind curiosity and patience, we create the space to connect with our innate strengths, including creativity,” Bismark says. “When we can bring a loving mindful presence to whatever it is we are doing, we naturally create the conditions necessary for creativity to flow through us.” 

And my direct experience this year could not hold more true.  Every time I sat for meditation, or even sat at my laptop for that matter, I always took a moment to connect with my heart space and revisited this intention for myself. It helped me stay motivated through the inevitable ups and downs of literary submissions and nurtured my patience while waiting for replies.             

​A dream held in the heart with awareness forms an intention.  What are your deepest intentions for yourself? 

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