Skip to content

Posts tagged ‘Gretchen Rubin’

Apr 16

5 Comments

Happiness projects for your writing life

My massage therapist, who is also an artist, told me recently about one of his new projects—he’s been “doodling” with magic markers on watercolor paper and making some pretty incredible art. He started this project as a commitment to his “happiness project.”

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin is a chronicle of the author’s year of testing various methods to obtain happiness. On her website, Rubin has a getting started guide, including downloadable charts to help you track your progress.

My massage therapist said his goal is to create one new doodle-art a day for the next 30 days. Next month, he’ll choose another project that will feed his spirit. Plus, he committed to “smiling at one new person a day.”

What feeds your soul? What makes you happy? Read more

Jan 25

5 Comments

One writer’s breakthrough and how to look for your true passion with a simple quiz

Have you had any breakthroughs while doing some kind of challenge?

Blogger Christine Bissonnette experienced a breakthrough moment when she went on an artist date as part of a 12-week Artist’s Way Challenge this week. She felt a whole new kind of energy from seeing a movie by herself when she realized the experience wasn’t affected by anyone else’s expectations. That energy comes through in her blog post, Silver Linings: Break-throughs and Paradigm Shifts.

Christine is doing something I aim for and hope you are too. To always be on a quest to live true to yourself. If this is your goal too, look back at the interests you gravitated to and times you were most happy. When I’ve brainstormed with friends about what they want to do with their lives, I tell them to look back to their childhood for clues to their true self  — the time in their lives when they didn’t doubt themselves or set limits.

As we grow older, it can become harder to retain that spirit. But I can’t help but think that striving to hold on to your true self boosts energy, makes you more excited to get up in the morning, and increases your writing flow. Read more

Nov 16

2 Comments

Want more big ideas? Turn off your phone

Want more big ideas? Turn off your phone and let your mind wander. Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project and Happy at Home, has a rule for herself when she’s traveling from one place to another, whether it’s by foot, taxi, or subway. She turns off her phone. No checking e-mail, texting, surfing the web, or talking.

In an interview with author Daniel Pink, Rubin said she used to force herself to check e-mail in an effort to be more efficient.

“Then I thought back on my life as a writer,” she said. “Every time I had a major idea that made me write a book about a subject or led to a year-long obsession, I was walking, on a bus, or on a subway.” Read more