organization

Honoring Your Reality When You’re a Blogger

/ saraletourneau / 34 Comments

If you’ve been blogging for a period of time, you’ve probably kept at it because you enjoy it. You’re passionate about your subject, have a strong desire to write about it, and find joy in communicating with like-minded people. Maybe you’ve blocked out time in your schedule for writing your posts, responding to comments, and catching up on friends’ blogs. In short, blogging has become part of your routine, and it’s impossible to imagine your life without it.

That is, until something happens in your offline life, and you have to put your blogging on hold.

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What’s Making Me Happy: August 2017

/ saraletourneau / 16 Comments

As I write this, I’m battling a cold (which should be gone by the time this goes live), so I can barely grope for words to summarize my August. Except for “awesome.” Yes. I still dealt with lingering anxiety in my offline life, but as the month comes to a close, I’m utterly delighted with what happened and what I accomplished during that time.

So, yes, it was an awesome August. Say that alliteration ten times fast. 😉

Since today is the last day of August, it’s also time to share some of the joys of the past month. I’m taking a slightly different approach this time, too. Instead of mostly material items, I included two accomplishments (or, rather, “to-do list” items that I completed) and one experience. And feel free to share your August joys in your comments. I always love hearing what’s made you happy, too!

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Lightening the Load: The Relief of Springtime Decluttering Projects

/ saraletourneau / 15 Comments

For many people, spring is an ideal time to catch up on cleaning (hence the term “spring cleaning”). In my case, I don’t necessarily catch up on cleaning and household chores, since I do both year-round (and, well, when I feel like it…). Rather, I’m bitten by a desire to “lighten the load,” better known as the decluttering and organizing bug.

This year, that bug struck big-time. By that, I mean that I’m still getting rid of what I no longer want or need, even though summer is near. And as a result, this extended spring-cleaning has made me consider my personal habits and what it means to feel “lighter.” It might sound like a strange topic to wax philosophical about, but when the decluttering bug sticks around as long as this one has and leaves you refreshed in the process, it really gives you a lot to think about.
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New at DIY MFA: #5onFri – Five Reasons Why Writers Should Give Coloring Books a Try

/ saraletourneau / 17 Comments

DiyMFA

Some of you might remember that I’ve fallen in love with adult coloring books. Yesterday I declared that love again at DIY MFA, as part of their weekly #5onFri series. But I’m not simply gushing about the adult coloring book trend. Instead, I offer five reasons why writers should try this hobby for themselves, from using it as a means to de-stress or meditate, to making it a creative solution for breaking through writer’s block.

Click here to read “#5onFri: Five Reasons Why Writers Should Give Coloring Books a Try.”

Are you also a fan of coloring? What are some of your favorite adult coloring books? Do you engage in other forms of art like painting, dancing, composing / playing music, etc.?

Site Updates, Plus Two New Article Series Coming Soon!

/ saraletourneau / 3 Comments
Housekeeping 2

You can only leave things lying around for so long…

Hi everyone!

I finally got around to some long-overdue site updates. The following pages now contain more accurate information regarding my current writing activities. Plus, I feel more organized now. Yay for getting things done! 🙂

Here are the most recent changes:

  • The About Me page features a new, more brief bio and a new photo.
  • Information regarding music review inquiries has been removed from the Contact page. However, visitors may still use the Contact form for article / interview requests, invitations to literary events, and related items. Teasellers who’d like to have me review their teas at A Bibliophile’s Reverie are also encouraged to use this page.
  • The Awards & Achievements page has been added! It lists writing and blogging awards and related milestones.
  • All freelance articles are now filed under the Freelance Writing umbrella. From there, it branches out into indexes for each venture: A Bibliophile’s Reverie (tea reviews), Grub Street (articles on writing), and Sonic Cathedral / Suite101 (music reviews and interviews).

Also, two new article series are coming soon! They are:

  • Freelance Article Round-Up, which will link out the most recent freelance articles I’ve written for A Bibliophile’s Reverie, Grub Street, and other ventures. These Round-Ups will appear on the last day of the month, with a frequency of once a month or every 2 months (depending on the number of new articles). As always, all new articles will be linked out on Facebook and Twitter as soon as they’re posted, and the respective freelance venture indexes will be kept up-to-date.
  • Author Interviews! Yes, I’m going to periodically feature interviews with published authors, starting in September. Twitter has proven to be an amazing way to connect with writers of all kinds, and those connections have inspired the idea for this series. For now I’m going to start with self-published and debut authors. The first one is already in the works (it just needs to be scheduled), and I already know which writers I’d like to pursue afterwards.

And… there may be more excitement around the corner! I can’t say much right now, as I want to see how things play out over the next couple weeks. But I’m buzzing with joy and anticipation just thinking about all the opportunities. If anything does work out, I’ll let you know as soon as I can confirm it. 😉

Hope you’re all doing well right now and enjoying your summer (or winter, if you live in the Southern Hemisphere)!

All the best,
Sara