Tag Archives: self love

Seeds in the Soul Garden

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Recently, I stumbled on a social media post talking about how you shouldn’t tear out seeds before they are given a chance to grow. This struck a chord with me. The idea is so simple and the thought of new endeavors as seeds so perfect that I wanted to spend more time with it.

Photo by Behzad Ghaffarian on Unsplash

Have you ever taken a moment to look at a truly beautiful garden? Flowers and plants grow together in ways that both surprise and delight. Accent pieces and sculptures glisten among the flowers, drawing the eye and telling their own stories. There’s a magic flowing through the space that invites the viewer to slow down and breathe.

Now I want you to imagine all your hopes, dreams, and goals; all your accomplishments; and all your failures are represented as a garden. What does your garden look like? Are the various flowerbeds of your different interests and passions alive and well? Are there hobbies that are overgrown and taking over more space than they should? Are there personal care areas that have shriveled and grown weeds from lack of attention?

Just as a gorgeous garden requires consistent time, effort, and love from a gardener with both skill and experience, your soul garden requires the same. All areas of your life deserve the attention they need to thrive without overwhelming the others. Take time to prune back unruly pursuits (Diner Dash, I’m looking at you) and devote more time to growing the things that bring you joy.

Personally, my soul garden probably looks more like a zoo right now. There are errant sentient plants wandering around and messing up flowerbeds. One is trying to build a shed using toothpicks and chewing gum. The few nice flowers I’ve managed to curate must be kept under bulletproof glass domes to protect them from the roving hoards of plot bunnies that munch on literally everything. There’s a treehouse in there somewhere. It’s chaos, but it’s my chaos, and there’s beauty in that too.

I see you there plot bunny. Don’t you dare eat my petunias.
Photo by Diana Măceşanu on Unsplash

This whole authoring business has encouraged me to plant new seeds while continuing to care for for the ones that are starting to sprout. These seeds represent skills and connections that need to be built and strengthened. It might be a while before I see real growth, but I know the possibility is out there. I trust that with proper care and attention they will grow into something beautiful. And where skill is lacking, thankfully there’s always Google, YouTube, and fellow indies I can randomly text on random Tuesday nights with my questions.

I raise my glass to those amazing indie authors out there with gorgeous gardens – thank you for sharing the fruit of your experience. It’s not an easy road, but it’s easier because I have you trailblazers to follow and learn from.

Tell me, dear reader, how does your garden grow?

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The Satisfaction of Finishing

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Back in September I discussed how I use journaling among other things as a productive way to handle stress and also help clear my mind. This practice is sometimes tedious but I’ve found I feel off on the days I skip. Because I do it regularly, it doesn’t make sense to fill up those gorgeous notebooks you see in store windows.

Instead, I use simple composition books and hoard them whenever I see them go on sale. Composition books are perfect for my style of journaling. Since they are so cheap, I don’t feel pressured to find pretty words or clean well formed sentences. In my style of journaling, trying to make things nice, or even correct actually harms the process of letting the mind say what it needs to say. I use it to sweep out the cobwebs and address the issues that take my attention, so the messier the writing, the more free flowing, the better. Composition books themselves are well made. The pages stitched instead of glued so the chances of the book falling apart is impossible.

When I saw I was close to finishing filling and entire book at the end of 2019, I kind of hoped I would finish writing the last page on the last day of the year in a kind gesture thatI was phasing out the old and ushering in the new. With all the holiday unpredictableness, this didn’t happen. I ended up filling in the last sheet this morning. Not perfect, but then again, striving for perfection usually means getting burned out or avoiding a project all together.

Photo by Jungwoo Hong on Unsplash

Finishing today held it’s own satisfying perfection. It’s a Friday, the end of the workweek and a day that feels right for finishing things. I get to open a fresh new book on a Monday, a day meant for new starts and new plans. It’s also the tenth, which feels like a complete number. A perfect 10. It also thumbs the nose at all those who have their goals figured out and ready to go long before December ends.

This new book that will stick with me for the next four to five months as my journal is so clean and shiny compared to the one I’ve just finished. It lays flat and well behaved whereas the old one is plump, filled with meandering recountings of frustrations and successes, hard decisions and new projects. Where the old signifies progress, the new encompasses potential.

Here’s to both the satisfying conclusions and the fresh starts that occur in every day life.

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Interview with Robin Glassey

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Today I’m thrilled to share a sneak peak into the world of fantasy writer Robin Glassey. Robin and I have known each other for years and she has been a wonderful cheerleader for local Utah authors. You can always spot her at events in her trademark bright pink shirts and sweaters.

Onto the interview!

Photo by Cliff Johnson on Unsplash

What is the most important message you want your stories to teach?

I still remember what it was like to be a teen—that struggle for acceptance, that yearning to identify with a group, to feel loved. In The Azetha Series, Tika searches for love and acceptance outside of herself. Because of her mixed heritage, however, both the Human and Elven societies reject her. Only when she finally looks inward and accepts herself does she reach her full potential. The most important message I hope readers come away with is to love and accept themselves for who they are.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

One of the most surprising things I learned as I wrote was how certain scenes continued to touch me emotionally as I reread them. It’s like when you have a favorite movie that you’ll watch for the 50th time and you can’t help but laugh or cry at the same spots. For me, it’s Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley. You know you’ve hit the right emotional notes when a character has you laughing or crying no matter how many times you read the same lines.

Who is your favorite character you’ve created, and why?

Eno is a talking lizard who first appears in The Veil of Death as Tika’s guide through an inescapable swamp. I love Eno because he’s flawed, and yet, completely lovable. Frankly, he’s the worst guide to have. He can’t shut up, he’ll abandon you at the first sign of trouble, and he’ll lead you in the wrong direction just for the sake of finding the tastiest bugs.

What projects are you currently working on?

I have several projects I’m working on but the one that’s closest to completion is a tips and tools book for writers with ADHD. This book will teach writers with ADHD how to increase their writing productivity and give them tips on how to complete more projects. Many of my fans have also expressed an interest in reading about some of the side characters from The Azetha Series. So, I’m working on telling the fire Elemental Neala’s story.

The always fabulous, and always pink, Robin Glassey

About Robin Glassey

Robin grew up in Eastern Canada in a small town across the bay from a leaky nuclear power plant, giving her the not so secret power of deactivating electronic devices.  She moved to Utah in 1994 to attend BYU and fell hopelessly in love with Brett Glassey (despite his refusal to fall in love with BYU). 

Robin graduated with a degree in Psychology and now spends her time analyzing her four teenage boys and writing clean YA fantasy. She’s addicted to Diet Coke, french fries, and Doctor Who. When all of her addictions collide at the same time, she’s in heaven.

Connect with Robin:

Check out Robin’s Azetha Series

About the Azetha Series:

Fans of Jeff Wheeler, Jennifer Neilson’s False Prince, Emily King, Michelle Madow, and Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time Series will enjoy this epic teen and young adult fantasy series about a princess who discovers the startling secret behind her heritage. 

As a Rhodean princess, Tika is destined for nothing more than to dress in stuffy gowns, dance with stuffy princes, and attend stuffy events. But Tika isn’t like the other princesses on Fathara. With her wild hair, Elven-like ears, and her penchant for causing trouble, Tika does her best to escape her royal duties. 

But when Tika discovers she’s more than Human, with surprising Elven and Elemental abilities, her life is turned upside down. With the truth about her heritage revealed, she’s forced to go on the run, hunted by a cunning sorcerer’s assassins and magical creatures. 

Now the life Tika had so desperately wanted to escape she desperately wishes she could have back again.

Epic YA Fantasy author Robin Glassey transports readers to the magical land of Fathara where Death walks the land with a happy grin, having a conversation with the Intelligences is never a good thing, and where an encounter with a Sha’andari is hazardous to your health. 

If you love epic YA fantasy, elemental, or princess series, then be sure to follow Tika’s full adventures in The Azetha Series.

Find the Azetha series on Amazon.

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Heads up! There’s a fun event happening this weekend. Wizarding Dayz is a kid-friendly fantasy and science fiction event that celebrates all things magic. Come find me at the author tables!

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