My life has changed a lot since I began writing this Wisdom Within, Ink blog back in 2009-ish. It particularly changed when I began working on my first book in 2015 and freelancing shifted my focus away from facilitating and coaching. By the time I returned to school to complete an MFA in Creative Nonfiction/Memoir … Continue reading Welcome to my woefully out of date, but hopefully still helpful, blog!
I wrote this post almost nine years ago, in November 2009. My life looks very different now -- I no longer need to lay out my children's clothes, for one thing, thank goodness! -- but the main message, that we all need support and friendship, is particularly on point for me right now. When I … Continue reading One cold, dark, beautiful morning…
Well, I did it. The book is finished. Lilian Baker Carlisle: Vermont Historian, Burlington Treasure -- A Scrapbook Memoir is, finally, gosh-darn really real! I truly didn't believe it was real until the moment I first held it in my hands at the book launch. It's always just been a one-dimensional design on the computer, even … Continue reading Path to Publication, pt 18: Book Launch!
Good grief. Nine months ago I wrote a post in celebration of the fact that the first draft of the book manuscript was imminent and that layout was finished, meaning in just a few months more the book -- a (mostly) visual biography of a local historian and writer -- would be ready for publication. … Continue reading Path to Publication, pt 17: It’s happening! (pt2). Subtitle: ARGH, the Critic!
I originally wrote this post in 2014 for the blog of tlanetwork.org, the website of the Transformative Language Arts Network. It seems appropriate to re-post as I am preparing a graduate course on Expressive Writing in the classroom for Castleton University's Center for Schools. Although in this situation I will be technically a lecturer/teacher/professor rather … Continue reading I’m not here to teach you anything: Some thoughts on facilitating & coaching
Wow, it's been a looooong time since I last wrote, especially on this publication series. And here's one of the reasons why: I'm about to get published! Quick background: Over 18 months ago I was hired -- as a history buff, writer, and someone with some graphic design skills -- by a historical society to … Continue reading Path to Publication, pt 16: It’s happening!
This post is an edited version of the first posting of my newest column in the Rutland Herald called "All Write!" which ran January 2, 2016. Writing isn’t only my career (something for which I am extremely grateful), but also has been my lifeline since I was a teenager. I started writing a diary … Continue reading Envisioning a Write New Year
This evening I was asked by one of my online students how to start a TLA (Transformative Language Arts) -- Writing for Change or Healing -- practice/business. That is a big question and not one easily answered. There are too many factors to consider: location, niche, experience, education, personality, and financial situation, among others. So, … Continue reading So you want to be a TLA (writing for healing/change) facilitator?
When someone asks me what I do I often have a hard time saying what that is. Well, that's not exactly true -- I can tell you aaaall about it if you're ready to settle in for a chat. My work, the type of writing workshops I facilitate, as I've written about before, cannot be … Continue reading It’s spontaneous, baby!: Writing that changes you
I try to shake loose my mind, so something fresh can fall out… This process acts like a sifter—sand falls through and bright nuggets come to light. –Natalie Goldberg, Thunder and Lightning In my last post I wrote about the struggle I was having with a particular essay. Every tweak made it seem even more … Continue reading A Path to Publication, pt 15: An editor is your friend
joanna tebbs young 