FOUR DAYS A WEEK. At Our Fingertips. An Unexpected Place.

OUT OF THE DARKNESS from beneath the stormy skies, a New England photographer Donald Verger barely escaped the EF-5 tornado that devastated Joplin, Missouri last year in May. From that harrowing experience, he turned to peace and hope and started The Joplin Art Project, wanting to reach out to the people of Joplin. He created a series of 25,000 postcards featuring inspiring images (shown below in the photo slide). He sent them to the tornado survivors in Joplin, believing in the healing powers of art and caring.

Join us with Don and be part of the hope and help for Joplin: 

• Rebuild Joplin ~ connecting needs and resources
  
• Share your creative talents to help support the people of Joplin
  
• Lift the burden, listen to their stories 
• Spread the peace and hope
  
• Give what you can ~ making a difference
  

As we remember the children and families of Joplin, we keep our thoughts and prayers with the families who have suffered the recent storms tearing across the states, from the gulf coast to the great lakes. May your strength and courage be the light in the night that brings you a new day—when all that has been destroyed be remade.

Many thanks to Don, for sharing his photographs with us, for showing us the gentle power in art and the healing power in people caring.

-Mia

*For more on Don, continue reading below. For readers receiving this post via email, please click here (then scroll to the middle of the post) to view the photo slide of Don's Peace & Hope postcards.*

DONALD VERGER is a critically-acclaimed, award-winning photographer and Founder and President Emeritus of the world-renowned Children's Discovery Museums and Science Discovery Museum in New England. His visionary work at these discovery museums was featured in two episodes of the PBS television series "Curious George."

He has served on numerous boards including Chairperson of UNICEF's New England Advisory Board, along with members Ted Kennedy and Arnold Hiatt, as well as the board of directors for Wheelock College and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. All of Verger's philanthropic work benefits families and children.

A member of Society for East End Arts in Portland, Maine, Donald Verger's photography has earned him numerous awards and accolades including: Fryeburg Fair Best in Show 2008, Bangor Flower Show First Prize 2008, and Fort Williams Art Show First Prize 2008. In March of 2010, Verger debuted his 2011 Naturescapes Calendar Series featuring his most cherished and sought after images worldwide. This inaugural, limited edition calendar series celebrates twelve months of nature's glory, from sunrise at Acadia National Park, to the intimate elegance of a single rose.

Verger was born in Brooklyn, New York and resides in Falmouth, Maine, just footsteps from the ocean, where he captures the early moments of nature's true splendor.

*For Don's full bio, click here. Connect with Don on Twitter, Facebook, and his blog.* 

*A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily and The Becoming Daily. February and March 2012.*

AT THE HEART of a photographer's passion for the art of seeing, a moment of truth and beauty. This week, sharing Donald Verger's note and wish below, and also the place behind the photograph above ~ the whispers of love. Thank you, Don, for this moment. -Mia

"When Don Verger first took up photography seriously, he asked me to review his early work. I studied it and told him he could be the next Ansel Adams. That's a true story, and the intervening years have proven me right. This talented, award-winning photographer is one of those once-in-a-lifetime artists whose work establishes their reputation for generations to come." -Daniel Cheever President Emeritus, Simmons College Art collector

A NOTE FROM DONALD VERGER
On his birthday this past weekend, celebrating friendships, art, and love—

Thank you all, my Friends all, travelers together on our small beautiful Spaceship Earth for your kind birthday wishes and so much more! Your Friendships and Love are so important to me! I wish you all peace health joy and beautiful days.

Days before Joplin, i found little Shashoni Wyoming, almost a ghost town. I wandered down an old street and found a beautiful large mural. A tiny portion of that mural held these words that i photographed carefully to honored them and their setting.

The words and the Image say—

"Put your ear to the sky
And listen my Darling,
Everything Whispers I love You."

I love you all.
Thank you all.
don

_Donald Verger was born in Brooklyn, New York and resides in Falmouth, Maine, just footsteps from the ocean, where he captures the early moments of nature's true splendor. His 2012 Love calendar above is available on Amazon (limited quantities left). For all his 2012 calendars (each celebrated with Don's beautiful photographs), click here. Connect with Don on Twitter, Facebook, and his blog.

*Join us here next week on March 5, 2012 for more beautiful photographs by Donald Verger celebrating peace and hope, his Joplin Art Project. Until then, put your ear to the sky ...*

*A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily and The Becoming Daily. February and March 2012.*

UNDER THE LIGHT of the Cistercian Abbey, San Galgano (above). We continue our journey from last week with Melissa to share in a moment, to meet, and to celebrate Melissa following her passion for writing, poetry, and the arts. Read on and be inspired. Love her insights and fearlessness. -Mia


When did you first become interested in writing? Do you remember your first writing piece?
I have been compelled to write since I was very young. In elementary school, I wrote an illustrated story about a mischievous cat who wreaked havoc around his neighbourhood. I also wrote my first cliché-ridden poem about love when I was 11 or 12 years old. I feel somewhat maternal toward these pieces of writing now, as though they are embryonic beginnings of what has become a lifelong passion.


Through your writing, what is the story you want to tell? What is the spine that weaves and holds your writing together?
This is a difficult question, and an important one. I could offer a unique answer for each individual story or poem I have written, but if I consider it from a wider perspective, I think the story I want to tell has something to do with the process of learning to occupy space in the world as an intellectual, political, and sexual being without apology. My writing also aims to confront the various ways in which we connect and separate by examining the evidence that is left behind—objects, echoes, and bones.


What do you love most about the writing/editing/creative life?
I love how the written word enables me to connect intimately with strangers. As a reader, I am able to access the author’s imaginary world—or their representation of the real world—and meet them there, on the page. It’s a little bit of magic, really. As a writer, I want to make the acquaintance of my readers in this way and connect with kindred spirits I may never meet in the flesh.

When pursuing what we love to do, there is always fear we must face to move forward. And there may be days when we think about giving up. What is your biggest fear and how do you overcome that fear?
My biggest fear is that I don’t have an important or relevant enough contribution to make in the ongoing conversation of literature. I worry that my writing will be met with indifference, which would be even worse than a slew of bad reviews.

I try to overcome this “voice in my head” by remembering that to remain silent is self-censorship. I live in a place that allows me freedom of speech and expression. Therefore, it is my responsibility to use my voice and contribute to the conversation, whatever the outcome.


What is the one single trait you have that carries you through the ups and downs of your writing journey? That one trait you cannot be without? How about a trait you can live without?
The trait I cannot live without is the fact that I need to live a life that strives for meaning and truth. This sounds very conceptual, but I certainly don’t have practical traits like self-discipline or time management skills to aid my productivity. For this, I rely on the fact that if I’m not creating—or immersing myself in the creativity of others—I feel as though I’m living a half-life. Writing is a big part of what gives my life meaning and purpose.

As far as what I can do without, it would be my close relationship with Resistance (capitalized term coined by Steven Pressfield in The War of Art). More insidious that simple procrastination, Resistance is an enemy within that consistently keeps us from doing whatever it is we were put on this earth to do. I need to end my relationship with Resistance.

You recently became an editor at Evolved Publishing and part of a diverse and talented staff. Tell us about that position and experience. How do you like it so far?
Evolved Publishing is an exciting new model for publishing in a rapidly changing industry. We are a collective of writers, editors, artists, and marketing professionals who are focused on the eBook market (for now), and serve as an alternative between traditional publishers and self publishing.

I am currently working on my first editing project as a sub-contractor and learning a ton from the other members of this cooperative venture. I think we’re building something big here.


This past summer you were a member of the Writing Immersion in Tuscany Retreat. What did you love most about that amazing experience? How did it change the way you approach your own writing?
I loved connecting with you (Mia) and everyone else in our group over wine and incredible Italian cuisine on a nightly basis. I also found the imposed discipline of our full-day writing marathons very productive and benefited from putting pen to paper again. In an increasingly digital world, walking through the Secret Garden at Spannocchia with my pen and notebook in hand, felt like a return to something simple and close to the earth. Since my return, I’ve been writing some of my first drafts by hand, without the barrier of the backspace button.

Tell us about your current writing projects.
I have completed my first book of poetry and am preparing to send it out to publishers. (Come, rejection letters! I welcome you!) I’m also working on a collection of interconnected short stories, and collaborating on a screenplay for an animated feature.


When you are not writing, where can your family and friends find you? 
For now, I can be found at my day job in Yaletown, a trendy neighbourhood in downtown Vancouver, or facilitating a creative writing program for teen girls at a nearby high school. I spend many evenings at home snuggling with my cats and my partner, Wade, while we watch movies and breathe in the aroma of my latest baking adventure. I’m also a huge supporter of the performing arts in Vancouver and spend a lot of time at various local venues watching theatre, musicals, dance, and concerts.


A year from today, what would you like to see happen in your life?
I would like to publish my first book of poetry and embark on a modest book tour to connect with potential readers. I also intend to go on another writing retreat and make it an annual ritual.

_✶ MELISSA SAWATSKY'S work has appeared in OCW Magazine, Quills, Sad Mag, and Rhubarb, among others. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia and is currently working on her first book of poetry, a collection of short fiction, and a screenplay for an animated feature. Melissa is an Editor at Evolved Publishing and facilitates a creative writing program for teen girls called "Hot Ink." She spends much of her time in libraries (having worked at several), and worships the art of dance (call her a professional audience member and an amateur dancer). ✶

✶ Follow Melissa on Twitter and at her blog, where she posts news and updates on her writing, reports on literary events in and around Vancouver, reviews books, and discusses the writing process. You can also find Melissa at her other blog, Write It Down. ✶

✶ A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily and
The Becoming Daily. February 2012. ✶

TRAVELING WITH MELISSA SAWATSKY, going with the ebb and flow. It is an honor to present Melissa, a writer and poet I met last summer on the Writing Immersion Retreat in Tuscany, and her wonderful post, In The Meantime (originally posted at her blog on August 16, 2011). Thank you, Melissa, for guiding us through the currents, for taking us to a rare place. Thanks so much for joining us here next week on February 6, 2012 for a conversation about your writing and dreams. -Mia


IN THE MEANTIME
by Melissa Sawatsky

I am on a ferry boat, metaphorically speaking. The comfort of an established routine has been replaced by a propulsion of instability. I have maps, guidebooks, a vague idea of my destination, and short term plans for food and shelter. Beyond that, I'm a traveller in this transition period.

If there's one thing I know about traveling in unfamiliar territory—literally and metaphorically—it's that spontaneity and open-mindedness are just as (if not more) important than preparation and planning. If you fill up every hour of the day with a logistical plan of where to be at what time, you might miss the afternoon street dance battle between a group of young men in London, or the slide show of photos projected against the side of a building at dusk in Berlin. You would miss the alchemy of spontaneous assembly in the service of creativity, a cause, or some form of festivity. The popularity of flash mobs, and the various forms in which they come, is a testament to our need to stir up the daily monotony of our lives.

Being in transition is both uncomfortable and liberating. Part of me needs something I can count on—a routine to assist in the business of organizing and maximizing my time. On the other hand, it's been awhile since I've been so attuned to the world around me. I'm inundated with imaginary scenes of the future that lies ahead of me. Although I'm in a bit of a pickle financially, I have found a healthy perspective on the ebb and flow of wealth (beyond money) and the laws of giving and receiving.

When this ferry finally docks, I will see the destination in 3D. I will disembark and use my maps to guide me. At some point, no doubt, my navigational abilities will fail me. I may sustain some injuries, but instinct and intuition will steer me clear of cliff drops.

In the meantime, I pay close attention to life in suspension. What a rare place to be.

-Melissa

✶ MELISSA SAWATSKY'S work has appeared in OCW Magazine, Quills, Sad Mag, and Rhubarb, among others. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia and is currently working on her first book of poetry, a collection of short fiction, and a screenplay for an animated feature. Melissa is an Editor at Evolved Publishing and facilitates a creative writing program for teen girls called "Hot Ink." She spends much of her time in libraries (having worked at several), and worships the art of dance (call her a professional audience member and an amateur dancer). ✶

✶ JOIN US here next week on February 6, 2012 for a conversation with Melissa, and more great photos from her travels and journey into writing. Prepare to be inspired. ✶ 

✶ PHOTOS AND MEMORIES from a special Writing Immersion Retreat in Tuscany, where Melissa and Mia met last summer. ✶

_✶A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily and
The Becoming Daily. January 2012.✶

COMING TOGETHER. We carry our best wishes and dreams in our hearts and out into the world. We are growing.

At the end of the year and sharing with you below a wish, hope, and growth: an email and a story I recently received from my Japanese friends, Ken Crane, and his wife, Yumi Crane. It was Ken and Yumi who received our treasure box of wishes and cranes for Japan after the tsunami hit their homeland on March 11, 2011.

Today continuing on the journeys of hope and into the New Year, a message from Ken and Yumi:

_OUT OF THE DARKNESS AND INTO THE LIGHT. Remembering our strengths and hopes. We embrace and release our fears.

Thank you, Ken and Yumi, for being here with us and sharing your story and light.

And to you, my readers, I wish you a wonderful New Year. May it be filled with magic and dreams come true. Thanks so much for being part of our journeys. Aspiring and inspiring.

We hope to see you again next week here at the blog on January 2, 2012 when we announce the winner of In The Circle Of Joy (raffle ~ giveaway). If you are reading this on December 26, 2011, there's still time to post a comment, tweet, follow, and like to enter the raffle, which ends at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on December 27, 2011.

Until next time when we reconnect, please meet Ken below with best-selling author Paulo Coelho. Ken also shares with us an excerpt from his story, Caterpillar.

-Mia

P.S. I hadn't planned on posting at the blog in December, but when I received Ken's email, I wanted to share his story of growth and hope with you. Enjoy and happy holidays. Thank you, Ken and Yumi.

✶ PHOTO ABOVE: Yumi and Ken Crane. ✶

✶ ILLUSTRATIONS ABOVE: Butterflies by Ken Crane, an illustrator, graphic artist, writer, and musician. He is also the illustrator for best-selling author Paulo Coelho's stories and posts at Paulo's blog. Ken's portfolio includes illustrations for magazine covers (Forbes, Japan Times, Newsweek, Vogue, and Wired), rock concert posters, artwork for the theatre, films, and animations for television shows. ✶

_✶ FROM PAULO COELHO, MAY 12, 2011: Writing creates images in the reader's mind. So, when someone tells you "I can make an illustration of your work", normally I politely decline. Till one day ... that I met Ken Crane in Twitter. Ken proposed to illustrate some posts in my blog and after having a look at his illustrations, I told to myself: "That's the person!"

From this moment on, we started to collaborate together, pro bono, only for the sake of sharing our ideas with other people. Also, from this moment on, people started not only commenting the text, but also the illustrations. I hope that, by the end of 2011, we will have enough material to publish an illustrated book.

I am proud to have Ken by my side, and I am one of his most fervent admirers. [read more from Paulo on Ken and on writing creating images] ✶

__✶ AN EXCERPT FROM THE CATERPILLAR by KEN CRANE: 
"I am all the material of this universe. And you are an existence to choose what to do with those material. The Sun has chosen to shine by collecting the gas floating in space. The Earth has chosen to rotate around the sun using the sun's gravity. Terrestrial plants on Earth has chosen to bloom flowers using the energy of the sun. And that is what is called creation and evolution. And I am this process itself. You must choose what to do and what to be using this process. Once you have chosen what to be with your will, you will be able to experience the miracle ...Don't you want to see a miracle?"
[continue reading the story of the Caterpillar at Ken's blog] ✶

✶A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily, Daily MsLadyJapan, and
The Becoming Daily. December 2011.✶

ART INSPIRED ABOVE:
Custom artwork by Rachel Awes, who draws from Mia T. Starr's words.

Join in the dance for a chance to win
a print of the featured drawing above, plus a surprise gift from Mia.
A raffle ~ giveaway below (through December 26, 2011).
Connecting and sharing our journeys through the moments,
travels, stories, treasures and dreams.
 
♪♫ ✶ Happy Holidays. ✶ ♪♫

_
I had just returned from an immersion into writing, bliss, and the artful life in Tuscany when I saw a new follower, Rachel Awes, in my Twitter stream. As with all my new followers, I read Rachel's bio and recent tweets. Later I went to check out her blog and learned she was a psychologist, art playgroundist, writer, wife, mother, and friend, who loved listening to the beauty in people. She also sold art for your heart at her Etsy shop. At her blog, she shared her awe and inspiration from the gold she kept finding. On that day, Rachel was also having a Word Giveaway at the Wish Studio. She wrote:

Feeling inspired from my writing immersion in Tuscany, I accepted Rachel's invitation to play in her Word Giveaway contest and submitted my words and joy:

We danced in the delight of inspiration all around.

My submission was a line from a story and photo journal I had just finished writing and putting together: Embracing the Sun in Tuscany (which was also recently posted here at my blog).

On August 4, 2011 I received an email from Rachel and learned I was the winner of words :-) I was both thrilled and honored. It marked the first time my words inspired someone to *draw* from them. Celebrating that moment and the spirit of sharing in a circle of joy and inspiration, I am sponsoring a raffle for a chance to win a print of the featured custom artwork above (drawing by Rachel Awes and words and inspiration by yours truly). There will also be a surprise gift from me.

_
♪♫♪♫
You're almost there.
Scroll and see below for the various ways
to enter the raffle for a chance to win:
post a comment, share, subscribe, follow, like, or tweet.

Come. Join us in a circle of joy and be inspired.
Be part of the magic. Dance in the delight of inspiration all around.
♪♫♪♫

_
Thanks so much for being here. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and happy holidays. We wish you a glorious New Year. May it be blessed, joyous, and inspiring. May it be full of creativity and discoveries, following and trusting your bliss.

Let's do. Dream. Believe.

-Mia

ENTER THE RAFFLE BELOW.

✶Leaving a comment on this blog post is worth 4 entries.
Sharing your dreams under *aspiring and inspiring* is also worth 4 entries.
All other options are worth one entry each. Enter below for your chances to win.✶

✶Twitter followers of Four Days A Week
will be automatically entered in the raffle
(up to 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on December 27, 2011).✶

♪♫ Thanks so much for being part of the fun, raffle, and inspiration. ♪♫

✶For readers viewing this post via email or a feed reader,
please click through the blog post title or here to enter the raffle,
which ends at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on December 27, 2011.✶

✶The winner will be randomly selected and announced at the blog
on January 2, 2012 when we return from the holidays with a new post.✶

✶If you wish to share this raffle at your blogs,
please contact us for the widget, or if you have any questions.✶

✶Thanks so much for joining us in the circle of joy
and inspiration all around.✶

✶A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily and
The Becoming Daily. November 2011.✶

IT WAS ALMOST TIME TO GO. Michelle, Rachel, and I packed our weekend bags and placed them in the hallway of the hotel Palazzo Rosa. We had a couple of hours in Venice before catching the train to rejoin our writing group in Spannocchia.

With little time to take in the last morning of our stay, we returned to a few favorite spots, bending around corners in twists and turns. We said hello and goodbye to the wonderful Venetians we met at the Ristorante Al Vagon, took more pictures, shook hands, and expressed our gratitude for last night's splendid dinner and service.

We visited the juice bar, where Rachel envisioned one day of opening her own poetry cafe (naming it after one of her poems and a desire to bring together all that she loved in life). We stopped by the Silvietta, an accessories and clothing boutique, where we met Alessia with her delightful smile and couldn't help but buy a few dresses to take home. We went to one of the gelato shops for one memorable taste of the sweet, cold cream. We strolled in and out of stores we missed the first, second, and third time around.

THIS TIME I WAS DRAWN TO AN OPEN DOOR ON MY LEFT—to the old-world interior, the leather-bound journals on the shelf, the whispers of something special inside. La Carta.

I raised my hand to Michelle and Rachel, who were steps and shops ahead of me. They hadn't realized I was wandering again. I said, pointing to the door, "I'm going inside. I'll be just a few minutes."

I ENTERED LA CARTA. The owner wearing a green smock smiled as he helped two customers with their purchases. I browsed through the tiny store filled with all kinds of treasures: a red airplane hanging from the ceilings, miniature library desks and gondolas on the shelves, a pair of scuba diving shoes in the corner, a craftsman's tools behind the cash register, photo albums and pens with the markings of having been made by hand.

I touched the shelf lined with the leather-bound journals, resting my fingers on a cover. I dared to open the book, telling myself I can admire but not buy (I had already exceeded my spending budget). I was in trouble from the very first page, falling in love with the grain, the long, leather string, and the blank pages inviting me to write inside. Imagine the stories. Imagine your ideas coming to life and within reach of your fingertips. 

"His work is beautiful," the woman said, ready to pay for her journal. She smiled at me.

I agreed and surrendered to the moment, wanting to meet the man wearing the green smock, the owner, who made these treasures. I stayed, listening and learning, spending more than a few minutes with the man full of charm and passion.

Rachel came inside, wondering what was keeping me. Did I get lost? Fifteen minutes passed, maybe a half hour or more. Michelle followed in, checked to see. Soon we were all at risk of missing our train.


HIS NAME WAS VIANELLO ELIO, born and raised in Venice. He spoke English and told us his family had been in Italy since 950 A.D. He nodded when we raised our eyes in disbelief. He said, "It's true. Four hundred generations."

Rachel wrote it down on paper, words committed and etched as proof. She took down the name of the BBC documentary, Francesco's Venice: The Dramatic History of the World's Most Beautiful City, that also featured Elio and his La Carta in an interview.

I listened, wondering if something was lost in translation, stuck on the possibility (or impossibility) of four hundred generations in a man in front of me.

Elio showed us an old copy of the documentary, passion and pride in his eyes when he talked about his city, his love of designing and crafting by hand his leather-bound journals and photo albums, all things created with paper and shaped in books to hold and cherish forever.


WE LEARNED HE WAS ALSO A COLLECTOR of great arts, rare finds, and books. His face lighted up when he spoke about the special journal he won at an auction. His smile twinkled. We asked to see. He bent behind the counter and pulled out the aged-old yellow journal, showed us the handwritten, Italian notes filling the pages, passed from priest to priest through Italy.

It was a rare treasure in our hands. Enchanted, we asked him to read a few passages. He did with happiness. 

I DID NOT UNDERSTAND A WORD, but I heard the joy in his voice. Then and there my heart skipped, taking a leap. It no longer mattered whether Elio came from a line of Vianellos dating back to 950 A.D., if it was 4, 40, 400, or 4,000 generations of history in the making.

Standing before me was a man who loved his treasures, his books, his handmade leather journals, his store (where he also met his wife), his city, his life. It did not cost me anything to believe in him and share in his joy.

It was almost time to go. We made our purchases, buying Elio's journals and photo albums bound with love and passion. I asked him if he would sign my two journals. He asked for my name.

"Mia," I said. "Mia Starr."

"Mia," he said and smiled. He signed my journals and drew the meaning of his name: A window, stairs made of four steps, and stars above. "It's the way to the sky, the way to the stars."

"Elio," I said. "The way to the sky."

-Mia

BOUND WITH LOVE AND PASSION. Vianello Elio's handmade leather journals inside La Carta. Venice, Italy. Following our bliss.

✶A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily, The cgbalu Daily, and The PermeativeTech Followers Daily. October and November 2011.✶

A JOURNEY CONTINUES. From courage, perseverance, and a willingness to learn, Caron creates the life she seeks.

Thank you for joining us for the second segment of A CHAT WITH CARON. If you missed the first segment from last week, click here to begin the journey.

-Mia


WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT BEING A WRITER AND TOUR LEADER? WHAT EXPERIENCES DO YOU THINK HAVE CONTRIBUTED MOST IN SEEING BOTH DREAMS COME TRUE FOR YOU?
I really love my life and feel so blessed to be able pursue these two passions. I'm on the borderline of introversion and extroversion--processing life internally and externally. Writing and tour management allow me to live in both realms; to engage the world in an exciting way and then interpret my thoughts and experiences through careful and expressive language.

I've been writing and making up stories in my head since childhood. And my father was a passionate and insatiable traveler, instilling in me a love of travel and adventure. My husband and I have had an unconventional life, making a lot of moves and unusual choices for our family. All those things contributed, but mostly--without taking God out of the picture; I am a person of deep faith--I believe that in our time and culture, we have the freedom to make the lives we want to live. I wanted a simpler, more courageous life boiled down to the things I'm passionate about: faith, family, writing and travel.

WHAT ARE YOUR FEARS AND HOW DO YOU COMBAT THEM?
To be perfectly honest, I'm a fearful person by nature. When I accepted my first two tours, I immediately felt panicked, and thought Who am I to lead tours to Italy? Likewise, as soon as I signed the contract for my debut novel, I told myself I can't sell a book. What if no one likes it?

In both instances, I had to apply what I've learned about God over the years--He loves me, equips me, is faithful, and is strong when I am weak. I believe these things with my whole heart, because I've experienced God in such a way time and time again. I don't live a charmed life. I've fallen hard many times. But even when I do, He surrounds me and sustains me. If I fail, it will be okay. And I sure won't succeed without trying.

Some years ago a friend shared this quote with me, and it changed everything:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." --Marianne Williamson (often incorrectly credited to Nelson Mandela)

WHAT NEW PROJECT ARE YOU WORKING ON?
I'm currently working on a story based in large part on my experiences in Zimbabwe in recent years, my continued involvement in humanitarian efforts there, and my time spent at Imire Safari Ranch—a black rhino breeding station and game park. In “GREAT ZIMBABWE,” American Sara Jenkins travels to Zimbabwe to meet the father she’s never known and perhaps scrape together enough courage to deal with the challenges she faces in her life and relationships. Instead, she must solve the mystery of his disappearance more than two decades ago.

In this story, I explore the tempestuous sea of political, economic, cultural, and racial tension in Zimbabwe today while simultaneously honoring the great beauty, courage, dignity, and strength of the Zimbabwean people. With a bit of humor thrown into the mix. I can't help it.


WHAT IS THE ONE GREAT DISCOVERY YOU HAVE MADE FROM FOLLOWING AND SEEING YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE?
I've found that courage, perseverance, and a willingness to learn are three of the toughest, and yet most important, qualities for dream living. In our instant-gratification culture, we shrink back, give up too easily, or don't want to invest the time to accept instruction, but the rewards of a valiant, purposeful, informed life are sweet indeed.

WHEN YOU ARE NOT WRITING OR TRAVELING, WHAT IS YOUR MOST FAVORITE THING TO DO?
Our family is very close, and so we love spending time together laughing and talking, especially in the company of good food. It's almost embarrassing how much pleasure we get out of a favorite pasta dish or a fabulous new recipe.

✶ What are your dreams and what keeps you going? Be part of the magic. Inspiring. Encouraging. Believing.

✶ The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart--this you will build your life by, and this you will become. -James Allen

✶ Continue the journey with Caron and find out more about her debut novel, AN UNCOMMON CRUSADE, at her blog. Follow her on Twitter. She would love to hear from you.

✶ A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily. May 2011.

WITH LOVE AND INSPIRATION. We embark on a journey with Caron Guillo, a writer and Certified International Tour Manager for Queenslander Tours. We celebrate a woman who did not quit when the hours turned dark on her writing, and later when her plans to teach summer school were derailed.

We welcome Caron, who has reached a special moment in her life. The hours of light and joy with two dreams realized: the publication of her debut novel, AN UNCOMMON CRUSADE, and the bliss of working with Queenslander Tours, a company she loves, doing what she loves--traveling, learning, and discovering new ways to tell her stories.

This month also marks another wish come true for Caron. AN UNCOMMON CRUSADE was recently named the Winner in the Religious Fiction category of the 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

Caron's dedication and perseverance inspire me. And I think of Steven Pressfield and what he wrote in The War of Art--Winning Your Inner Creative Battle:

The best and only thing that one artist can do for another is to serve as an example and an inspiration.

Thank you, Caron, for being an inspiration and for being here. Thanks so much for sharing with us moments from your journey, for reminding us to follow and trust our dreams. To not give up.

-Mia

A CHAT WITH CARON

WHAT DID YOU LOVE AND LIKED LEAST ABOUT YOUR SIX-YEAR PUBLICATION JOURNEY? WHAT KEPT YOU GOING DURING THE DIFFICULT TIMES?
It seems strange that I really did love having six years from the time I actually started writing AN UNCOMMON CRUSADE until it was published. It gave me lots of time to grow as a writer, polish the manuscript and double check my research so that I could be proud of the finished product.

On the other hand, of course, was my old friend Impatience. It's easy to get discouraged. It's hard to hear one publisher or another say, "It's an interesting story, but it's just not right for us." At one point, I thought of serializing the novel online. In the end, I just couldn't let my daughter see me quit. I have sons, too, but it is my daughter who will most look to me for guidance on what it means to live courageously.


YOUR DEBUT NOVEL, AN UNCOMMON CRUSADE, WAS PUBLISHED EARLIER THIS YEAR. HOW DID IT FEEL WHEN YOU HELD YOUR BOOK IN ITS PUBLISHED FORM?
It seemed very familiar, for I'd been envisioning it for years.


TELL US ABOUT THE MOMENT WHEN YOU WENT FROM BEING A MATH TEACHER WORKING IN A BASEMENT CLASSROOM TO A TOUR LEADER AND TRAVELER? WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE THAT LEAP?
Trust me, that middle school basement was inspiration enough! I'd really been thinking of making the transition for a few years, but was always waiting for the right time. One year my plans to teach summer school were derailed by a paperwork glitch. A coworker asked, "What are you going to do with your summer?"

That's all she asked, but for some reason, it seemed to echo down that basement hallway and sounded like, "What are you going to do with your life?"

I had no idea.

Within a couple of days, however, my friend Mark Story, the owner of QueensLander Tours, emailed to ask when would I go through training so that I could lead tours for him. And in that moment, I knew what I would do with my summer. I enrolled in the International Guide Academy (Denver), earned my certification as an International Tour Manager in the hopes that "sometime in the future" I'd be ready to make the career leap, and then swallowed my fear when Mark offered me two tours that season. They conflicted with the school calendar, but I could see it was the right time to align myself with the thriving QueensLander Tours--a company I really believe in and love working for--and so I resigned my contract that summer and haven't looked back.

✶ Don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong. -Ella Fitzgerald

✶ Join us here next week on May 30, 2011 for the second segment of Caron's journey. She shares with us her fears and the ways she combats them. Find out what project she has in the works.

✶ A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily. May 2011.

BEHIND THE LENS. This week we meet Esta H. Singer, a photographer who is drawn to the quiet moments capturing history, the serene and turbulent landscapes around her, a personal truth and expression in time. Her photographs reveal a love and respect for people, architecture, and the joy of an unexpected magic that comes from doing what she loves. Taking photographs. Exploring her surroundings. Seeing in new ways.

We welcome Esta, who has kindly taken time to be here with us for a chat and to present a few of her selected photographs below.

Thanks so much for joining us and celebrating Esta's art. A special thanks also goes out to Esta's parents (shown in the photo to the left with Esta) for being here. Esta's dad is recovering from cancer, and her parents recently celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary. As Esta said, "I am grateful."

-Mia

A CHAT WITH ESTA

WHAT IS THE FIRST CREATIVE MOMENT YOU REMEMBER? WAS ANYONE THERE TO WITNESS OR APPRECIATE IT? HOW DID IT FEEL?
My childhood was filled with creativity, my mom is an artist. I recall two activities I enjoyed: collecting stones, painting them, then gluing the stones together to make little animals or people. The other, making colored "sand" by rubbing salt into a pastel colors then pouring the sand in a jar to make a design. My mom was always encouraging my creativity, and always praising it. As such, I always had a feeling of accomplishment and pride.


WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL CREATIVE DAY?
My ideal creative day is a day where my only commitment is being creative. I love putting myself in a new environment or a quiet place for ideas to inspire and flow.


WHEN YOU CREATE, DO YOU LOVE THE PROCESS OR THE RESULTS? WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY?
I love the process of creating; it's exciting to live in a moment of wonder and see it become. I love the results because more often than not, they always surprise me. When photographing, sometimes the camera sees something I don't, so when I upload the photo, there are elements that didn't overtly appear to my eye, and make the photo even more interesting than I had imagined. Magic.


THROUGH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY, WHAT IS THE STORY YOU WANT TO TELL?
I love this little planet; every aspect. It is filled with magic every day. I love putting a little spotlight on something that may be overlooked, or not seen, and give the image its own voice; to capture one moment in time and share it.

✶ Capturing one moment of truth one snap at a time. -Esta H. Singer

✶ What was your first creative moment and the story you want to tell? We hope you'll share with us in the comments section the magic of your moments.

✶ For more beautiful photography by Esta, visit her online portfolio, be a fan on Facebook. Her photographs are also available for purchase at Etsy.

✶ When Esta is not taking photographs, she is a Brand Strategy Expert, Social Media Savvy, and Dot-Connecting Master of S.H.E. CONSULTING. Follow her on Twitter for great and fun tweets. Always a joy.

✶ A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily, The Andrew Daily's Stories, Kamio's Daily, and The Play-Making Daily. May 2011. ✶