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Bribery

Bribery

Anne Lamott says that she often resorts to bribery to get through her day. In a recent radio interview, she confided that she often bargains with herself. If she just writes one more passage, then she can reward herself with watching a half an hour of MSNBC. Sometimes...
Art & The Buddha’s Rooster

Art & The Buddha’s Rooster

We were sitting in the muted light from the lanterns on the walls. The scent of incense hung in the air. Each of us had been sitting in the same cross-legged position on the wooden floor for a good many hours, and it wasn’t even dusk yet. We were on day seven of a...
10 Tips For Increasing Creativity

10 Tips For Increasing Creativity

Listen to the same song at the beginning of each daily practice. This anchors the process. Honor your creative space. Treat it as something sacred. Is there a way to bring a spiritual touchstone into the space? Quickly name the first two objects that come to mind....
The Ideal Reader

The Ideal Reader

Elizabeth Gilbert uses a specific strategy when working on a project: she settles upon one of her close friends as the intended reader of her work. For each project, she selects a different friend, someone whose unique personality somehow fits with the topic or could...
Traveling Mind

Traveling Mind

In Buddhist thought, there is the notion of a “beginner’s mind.” This is the value of approaching any given action from a fresh and new perspective, no matter how many times one has performed the task. Let’s say you have never washed dishes before. Aren’t those suds...
Wonder of Others

Wonder of Others

I stumbled upon an observation. I don’t know where it came from. I was having lunch at a local spot with a dear friend – she is beautiful, expansive and full of wisdom herself. She is a talented painter. I related to her a thought that just came to me — that...