view of garden with magnolia trees and bulbs in bloom

A Breath of Spring

Spring has just begun to creep out from under the stones where it lay hidden during a bitterly cold St. Louis winter. Nature announces the arrival of spring in St. Louis in spectacular fashion. The trees explode with color, and the hidden potential of daffodils and other bulbs burst from the ground. While most people are waiting for the brush of green to reappear across the landscape, I chose early April to visit the Missouri Botanical Garden. It’s still too early for the roses or the lily ponds, or for so much of what I remember loving about the garden, but that’s not to say it was without its special charm. Plus let’s not forget the amazing greenhouses that breathe life all winter long.

Every Body Can Do Aerials

Have you always secretly wanted to run away and join the circus?

As a kid, I always loved playing on the monkey bars, but I was never very strong (fuck you, flexed arm hang). And although I loved watching people perform aerial routines, I never once considered I could do it too.

Last year happened to be chatting with Eve Richter Dinnan, someone who does all kinds of amazing things on the trapeze. I told her how impressed I was, and she said I should try it. I laughed and told her I couldn’t even do yoga, so there was no way I could do aerials. She replied, emphatically, “yes, you can!”

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Our Chief Schemer Has Left Us

Can I tell you a story?

About eight years ago I was at a meetup when I stumbled across an amazing business card on the counter at the venue.

The card was witty and clever, but it was more than that. I could tell that the person behind the card was creative, bold, an irrepressible force of nature, unashamed to stand out in a crowd. Even though I had no idea who this person was, I could tell she was everything I wanted to be.

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Man writing in notebook

Whatever Happened To…

Note: I wrote the following story for the Smarter Artist Pity Par-tay Flash Fiction Contest. It’s a silly story involving some of the people from the Smarter Artist Summit (April 26-27, 2017), and involving a mashup of an item chosen from each of two columns. Apologies in advance to everyone whose name appears… of course this is all a work of fiction, and you’re all awesome. Other than this Celeste person, who is entirely fictional. As is Elliott.

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jumping fairy

12 Tips for Becoming a Freelance Writer

Lots of people look for advice about how to become a freelance writer. It’s a great way to get away from cube farms, bureaucracy and crazy bosses (at least most of the time!) Because I was able to turn writing into my full-time profession, I wanted to help out others who want to pursue this career path. So I did what writers do: I wrote up a 12-step guide on how to get started. This guide is based on my own experience as well as a bunch of advice I learned from fellow writers when I started out. In the guide, I talk a little about the business of freelancing, how to set prices and determine what to write about, when the dry spells hit (and how to prepare!) and other advice on how to get started. It’s over on my Medium blog as well as on the Texas Freelance Association blog. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Short story: Solid as a Rock

Looking for a short read? My short story “Solid as a Rock” is available on Amazon now! It’s a lighthearted story of Luke, a homeless veteran, and what happens after his mentor dies unexpectedly. Special note: This is your first introduction to Luke, but it’s not the last you’ll see of him. He’s going to be popping up in future novels, including a major role in book two of my upcoming time travel series. I’d love for you to check it out. If you like it, let me know (and it would be wonderful if you post a review on Amazon!)

BrainstormATX logo

BrainstormATX: The Little Conference that Could

Austin is the “Live Music Capitol of the World.” However, I’m convinced we have more writers in this city than we have musicians. The problem is, authors aren’t as visible as musicians, and we tend to be more introverted, so people don’t realize how many writers there actually are in Austin. Making matters worse, for a city as artsy as Austin, there aren’t a lot of organizations and events for writers that help raise awareness and build community. After many conversations with fellow authors, it became clear we needed to do something about it. A crazy idea Out of that, a crazy idea came into focus: a local, grassroots writer and author conference. Austin is full of amazing writers and experts on other topics. It therefore made sense for the conference to be by, for and about our local community. We didn’t need to invite big names or look to other cities for talent. It also needed to be affordable. Too many writing and publishing events are priced so high that average writers can’t afford to … Read more…

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