LDSPMA

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Faith & Mindset

4 Lessons I Learned from the BYU Folk Dance Ensemble

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By Laura Arnold

It may sound strange to say that dance has changed the way I see the world, but that is exactly what I’ve experienced as a member of BYU’s International Folk Dance Ensemble. I had been dancing for years before I attended BYU, my primary training being in Irish dance. When I came to the university as a freshman, I was immediately drawn to the folk dance program. I already knew I loved Irish dance, and I suspected I would enjoy other folk dance styles as well.

I had no idea how true that would be.

Celebrating Cultures

At first I stubbornly insisted that Irish dance was the best of all cultural dances; but it wasn’t long before I became enraptured with the dances of other countries. I discovered the strength of Russian dance, the dignity of Mexican dance, and the vivacity of Chinese dance.

Laura Arnold dances a Russian character dance in the BYU International Folk Dance Ensemble’s 2018 Christmas Around the World performance. Photo credit: Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo.

I began to find joy in celebrating the uniqueness of people from different parts of the world. I soon noticed that any time I met someone from another country whose dance style I was familiar with, I had an instant connection with them. The love I felt for their culture’s dance style extended to love for that person, even if I had just met them.  

Making Friends through Folk Dance

I’ve come to appreciate this unifying effect of dance in my travels with the BYU International Folk Dance Ensemble. While we were in France for a performance tour, we connected with the youth of the area during a mutual activity. In Belgium for a dance festival, I stayed in the home of a Belgian family whom I still refer to as my Belgian mom, dad, brother, and sister. When we were in China as part of the 2019 BYU China Spectacular, I befriended the Chinese students who performed for us when we visited their university dance classes.

Laura Arnold dances with a student from Minzu University in Beijing, China, during a dance exchange workshop. Photo credit: Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo.

The beautiful thing is that, in each of these encounters, it didn’t matter if we spoke the same language or not; we were united through our love of dance. In fact, to me, dance is a universal language. I may not know how to say “let’s be friends” in French, Dutch, or Chinese, but I do know how to join hands with someone in a dance circle.

Sharing Joy in Folk Dance

There is one aspect of dance that all cultures share, and that is joy. Be it through the sacred temple dances of India or the lively national dance of Ukraine, people all around the world dance to express joy.

Laura Arnold in costume for a Chinese dance. Photo credit: Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo.

When I dance, joy is the engine that propels all my movements. And when the audience sees my fellow dancers and I experiencing this joy, they feel joy themselves. It is joy that unites us as a human race and makes us realize that we aren’t so different after all.

Sharing Light and Love

Perhaps the greatest blessing cultural dance has brought me is the ability to share the light of God’s love with others. Alma 26:37 says, “Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth.”

I know that God truly loves all His children, wherever they live and whatever culture they’re from. When I dance, my greatest hope is that someone will more clearly understand God’s love for “every people” and the truth that we are all His children.

Laura Arnold and her teammates perform an American clogging piece. Photo credit: Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo.

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Laura Arnold is a student at Brigham Young University who participates in the BYU International Folk Dance Ensemble.

All photos are credited to Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo.

Acting with Juice Boxes: Exploring Indian Breathing Techniques

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I certainly don’t consider myself a professional actress by any means, but I cherish the memories I have from participating in school and community productions. Because we have so many talented and aspiring actors and actresses in our membership, I wanted to talk about a breathing technique I learned from my high school theatre teacher about rasa boxes.

Rasa Boxes

My director taught me and my peers this Indian breathing technique during one of our many play rehearsals. He explained to us that rasa was an Indian word that could be translated as “breath” but also “the juice of life.” We joked that the rasa box technique could also be called the “juice box” technique.

The technique can be illustrated with a three-by-three square. Each box represents a different state of emotion, such as sadness, pleasure, anger, and so on.

raudra
anger, frustration, rage		bhayanaka
fear, terror		karuna
sadness
sringara
pleasure, bliss		shantra
beyond emotion		hasya
mirth, laughter
bibhatsa
disgust		vira
gallantry, heroics, courage		adbuda
wonder, awe

Shantra is in the centermost box because it is “beyond emotion,” or a neutral state that can lead to all other emotional states.

The main idea behind rasa boxes is that your breath can be used as a tool to embody these various emotional states. Once you “activate” or engage the breath properly, you can better feel and portray the actual emotion throughout your body.

The Exercise

My teacher led us through an exercise to try out the technique. We would always start with shantra, a calm and even breath. There, we would re-center ourselves before and after we attempted other emotional states.

We would pick one of the rasa boxes—like vira, for example, the breath of gallantry, heroics, and courage—and try to activate that breath. We measured the intensity of our breath (and thus the emotion) on a scale of one to ten, one being the weakest and ten being the strongest. Then we would work our way up and down the scale to explore the breath—not necessarily to get all the way to a 10 but to see how our breath influenced our body language. After playing with the breath at different intensities, we would go back to shantra, recenter, and choose another rasa box.

It wasn’t an easy exercise. I struggled at first to know how to portray an emotion like vira—after all, how do you breathe heroically? My director encouraged us to just keep focusing and projecting the emotion through our breath. He warned us to not overthink the exercise and let go of whatever held us back, and I found myself understanding the technique more as I tried other breaths.

A young woman sitting crosslegged with her hands in front of her diaphram, breathing.
Takeaway Lessons

I learned from this exercise that how I breathed could actually influence how I felt and how my body reacted. I wasn’t an expert at applying this technique in all my high school acting, but I think it helped me better portray the role of a simple countrywoman going into shock after experiencing a driveby shooting. 

And although I don’t usually remember all of the Indian names for the different rasa boxes, I’ve become more aware of how my breath is related to my everyday actions. I’ve learned that focusing a little control on my breathing can truly influence my attitude and the results I see in my life.

Try out this breathing technique in your acting (or everyday) pursuits! Remember that the point is not to overthink the process and get each emotion perfect on every number of the scale. The point is to explore what your breath does to your emotions and body so you can be more aware of the power your breath has and discover new ways to portray various emotions.

***

Brittany Passmore graduated from BYU with a major in editing and publishing. She works as a freelance editor specializing in science-fiction and fantasy. When she’s not reading, writing, or editing, Brittany loves to be a stay-at-home mom to her 18-month-old son and dabble in her musical hobbies of piano, flute, guitar, and singing. Oh, and of course, she loves practicing yoga.

Website: https://brittanympassmore.wixsite.com/passmoreedits

A photo of the author of the post, Brittany Passmore.

So You Want to Be an Artist? Here are 3 Secrets You Need to Know.

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By Anna King

In this post, I’m going to let you in on the three most important secrets to being an artist. 

Number 1: Make Time to Create.

To be an artist, you must create art. It’s that simple. 

“But I just don’t have time! I’m a student. I’m a parent. I have a full time job. What’s the real answer?”

My friends. You will never make art if you don’t make time. 

For those of you who are discouraged, don’t worry. You don’t have to turn your life inside out in order to make time for art. 

Start by writing down exactly how you spend your time. You might discover that you  have to spend less time on Netflix or making TikTok videos. You might even have to tell your friends you can’t hang out sometimes.

Making time for your art is a signal to yourself that it is important to you. You’re giving yourself the mindset that you are an artist. And you get to create what you love! Start small. For instance, you might start with one sketch a week, then grow to sketching an hour every day. Do what works for you consistently.

The more you create, the better you will get. You won’t be able to help but get better. 

So create!

Number 2: Talk Back to Self-Doubt and Criticism.

You’re never going to be rid of that voice in your head that points out everything wrong with your art. And at the end of the day, that voice can help you get better if you learn how to deal with it.

Whenever you’re on social media or with a group of other artists, there is always going to be someone better than you. You’re going to see people that are worlds away from where you’re at, and that can be discouraging. 

But it doesn’t have to be.

When that voice compares your art to theirs, you have to talk back to it. Here are some ways you can:

  • Yes, they may be better than you, but use that to inspire you to become better. It does not mean you aren’t a great artist. 
  • Take some time away from social media and make art for you.
  • Reach out to that person who is amazing and let them know. Connecting with others can help you remember that they are just people too! Complimenting others also helps you turn that voice away and allows you to focus on the good. 
  • Do some master copies. Copy what you see, and you’ll be amazed at what you find.
Number 3: Be Clear About Your Goals.

Once you’ve finished reading this, write down a “success statement.”

What does success look like to you? Is it to have hundreds of Instagram followers? Is it to illustrate a book? Or is it to put some part of you into your art? Look up some examples of other’s success statements and then write your own. Knowing what you want from and for your art will help you ignore things that don’t matter.

Be patient with yourself, put in the work, and love the journey.

Anna King graduated from BYU in 2019 with a BA in Illustration and minors in creative writing and editing. She’s currently working as a freelance illustrator in Utah. She’s been the illustrator for two self-published books and is currently the illustrator for a superhero webcomic. When she’s not drawing, she’s writing novels or watching movies—unless it’s a perfect day outside, in which case you’ll find her dancing in the rain.

Instagram: @aoking_draws
Current Project: Webcomic – Variant Heroes

Merry CHRISTmas!

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We want to thank you for making LDSPMA a part of your busy life by being a member and sharing your creative talents with others.

This year has been a pretty crazy one, so the light you shine in the dark world has been especially important. We’re constantly amazed by all of the things you’re doing to make the world a better place.

We hope you feel our love for you as we create events and services to help you grow your professional talents and business. More important, we hope you feel the Savior’s love during this Christmas season.

We have some VERY exciting new developments for 2021 that we’ll tell you about in January! Until then, we wish you a very Merry CHRISTmas and a Happy New Year!

The LDSPMA Board

Trusting Your Teenage Writer: Three Tips to Avoid Overwriting

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By LoriAnne Spear

Have you ever tried to bluff your way through a conversation with your teenager, pretending you’re an expert on a subject so you can give them advice? Have you ever made up statistics to make sure they remember your warnings about whatever it is you’re worried they might do?

If you say no, hooray for you, awesomely cool and integrity-filled parents! I may have given a few impromptu lectures with far-out examples about having unprotected sex, falling grades, drinking, or just the sassing-your-parents-means-you-won’t-be-able-to-keep-a-job variety. Maybe they saw through me, but I wanted them to believe that I am an expert in all the downsides of those exciting dangers, and I hoped the more I talked and used impressive words, the more they’d believe me.

In much the same way, many of us novice writers overwrite in our insecure attempt to sound like a real writer. We use flowery language or big words so the reader will believe we’re legit. Instead, we produce overwrought writing and get in our own way. 

Here are three tips to avoid overwriting traps:

1. Cluttery Language. Choosing a twenty-dollar word when a simple one-dollar word is more authentic to your character. When you can’t choose between three foreboding images to describe a spooky place, so you throw all of them in—in the same sentence. Sometimes new writers add intrusive adverbs to describe the action on the page, instead of simple, powerful verbs in short sentences. That is how you build tension. The rest is clutter, and it gets in your reader’s way.

2. Redundancy. Do you want to be sure your unfinished-teenage-reader’s-brain truly understands how complicated the conflict is, how high the stakes really are, or how forbidden the love is? Repeating the same information using different words, in consecutive sentences, or even on the same page, is just hitting the reader over the head again and again with your pointy-point. It doesn’t add emphasis. It is not effective. It’s just annoying. What’s worse is that it takes focus off of what is most important—the story.

3. How to stop. Carol Lynch Williams teaches her students to look at every single sentence. If it’s not building toward the climax of the story, cut it. Look at each word in a sentence. Get rid of all helping verbs, all -ly adverbs, all passive constructions. Make every—single—word—count. Then give it to your beta readers, ask them to highlight all redundant information, overwritten descriptions, and irrelevant tangents. Then cut. Tighten. Refine. Repeat.

My Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers instructors have told me, “Trust your reader. Let them fill in the gaps. It’s more satisfying for them.” One simple, but unique, description ignites the readers’ imaginations. They subconsciously fill in the details of a setting or a character’s appearance by drawing from their own life’s experiences. It personalizes the story to them.

Finally, when you tell your story, start the movie in the reader’s mind as straightforward as you can. Revise and decorate it later with lovely language if needed. Clear the clutter and let your reader hear the character’s voice, and see the story play out in front of them. Isn’t that what we really want? For them to remember the characters and story long after they turn that last page.

A Word for the Year

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By Michelle McCullough

When I first started using a word of the year as part of my new-year planning, I will admit it was foreign to me. As a hard-core, goal-setting lass, I didn’t understand just having one word. I have learned over the years that it’s not an either-or option. You can have a word of the year and goals—and after starting this practice seven years ago, I have come to find that I really like having both.

My first yearlong word of the year was “intuition.” I was really trying to understand myself better, trust myself better, but ultimately I wanted to know my Heavenly Father better. That year was a year of incredible growth. I remember thinking about intuition while I was training for a half marathon and while I was potty training my daughter. Thoughts about trust and revelation came to my mind when I was driving down the street and doing the dishes. It was only something I had percolating in my mind, but it seeped into many aspects of my lives and was a focal point of my thoughts. From that moment, I was hooked. I knew a word of the year would be a mainstay for me in addition to my annual goal-setting practices.

I also learned another key that year through the lens of intuition. As a mother (and also someone who pursues professional goals), I was pretty good about running the regular guilt script in my head. If I went to a meeting, accepted a speaking engagement, or set up a client consultation, I felt guilty for not being home with my kids. If I stayed home and said no to the event or client meeting, I felt guilty for not growing in my professional career.

Guilt if I do, guilt if I don’t.

Yet the word “intuition” helped me make decisions about what was truly right for me and my family and helped me trust that God would be my partner as I carefully and prayerfully made each decision.

A couple of years later as I was preparing for the launch of my book Make It Happen Blueprint, I chose the word “savor.” I had a book tour scheduled, lots of travel, and lots of book launch events. It wasn’t that I wanted to savor and remember every moment of that launch. It was that I really cared about making sure that the moments that I was home mattered to both me and my children. What I was really craving was feeling a sense of presence in my life, and “savor” was a great reminder to focus on the moments I was in.

I still set goals every year. However, I first asked myself two very important questions:

How do I want to feel this year?

How do I want to grow this year?

We often joke in a personal development world that you don’t use the word; the word chooses you. I’ll brainstorm words that work a write them on sticky notes and put them somewhere I’ll see regularly. As I pass, I look at the list and take off the ones that aren’t right and add new words for consideration. Ironically, I don’t often get my word from this wall, but I think it’s part of my process. As I’m reading or driving or thinking, a word will come to mind and will encapsulate the two questions above. If it feels light and exciting, I keep it, but if there is any heaviness or dread, it has to go.

For example, one year I wanted to pick the word “health” (insert eye roll). I had been studying different kinds of eating plans and spending a fair amount of time at the gym. At the same time battling my sweet tooth and my love for all things with carbs, I felt like I needed to make this a priority (and if I’m being honest, I wanted to shed some pounds). After a few days, the word felt heavy and forced, and I had to make a different word choice. Again, if it lights you up and you want to tell everyone about it, that’s a good sign. If you cringe when you think about it and you don’t want to tell a soul, you haven’t quite found your word yet.

Choosing a word of the year is one of my favorite things about closing out old years and preparing for new ones. And yet, I also know that I can’t rush the process, and the right word comes on its own timetable.

Last year I experienced this on a significant level.

As I closed 2018 and prepared for 2019, I was committed to have my annual plan and word of the year set before January 1. Two days before Christmas I was in a car accident. At the same time I had bronchitis, and the cracked rib and sternum I had pierced me with pain at every cough. Shortly after the new year, my husband was down—in bed, with a condition that brings him chronic pain, and he was experiencing a major flare-up—which meant I was pulling both mom and dad duty, recovering from being sick, and recovering from the injuries associated with the car accident. At. The. Same. Time. I remember this time feeling dark and lonely and a lot overwhelmed.

As I prayed for direction in my life and business for the new year, in addition to finding my word of the year, I kept drawing a blank. Previous words like “miracles,” “savor,” “light,” and “peace” didn’t resonate. I watched other friends post their word of the year, and I didn’t have one.

About the same time, I was studying spiritual gifts. I had just completed President Nelson’s challenge to read the Book of Mormon before the end of 2018, and when I finished Moroni 10, I hung around for a while and looked up many scriptures about spiritual gifts in the following weeks. Studying spiritual gifts was part of my post-accident healing and sickness. As if inspiration, I had the thought, “That’s your word.”

It was a weird thought, “Spiritual gifts isn’t something you do or be. It’s something you learn,” I said in prayer. The thought continued, and so I trusted.

As I continued to pray about what that meant, I had an image flash in my mind of our kids’ playroom. The floor is covered with toys and train tables, and the walls are bare. The image that flashed in my mind was to put up giant, poster-sized sticky notes (that I used for client strategy sessions) in the playroom, where I could capture key thoughts, scripture references, and stories.

Again, I resisted. Explaining to Heavenly Father that it would be weird for me to put up posters in a place where my kids play. But would it? Perhaps they could benefit from the words on the walls, and perhaps they could benefit by watching Mom immersed in study of singular spiritual topic.

I’m embarrassed to say that thought and image pressed on my mind for over ten days before I heeded it. One day I got out the poster papers and started writing each spiritual gift on its own poster. Then I wrote the scripture references from the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants. Soon the walls were covered, and I couldn’t wait for the times when I could sneak in there to read a conference talk and record my thoughts.

Over the last twelve months, that room transformed from a playroom to a room of personal revelation. As I read, studied, and prayed, the pages filled up with insights from General Authorities, and I was also able to recollect spiritual experiences where I had been given or been a witness to spiritual gifts. I set my scriptures on my daughter’s play kitchen, and then I wrote on posters and color-coded my scriptures.

And since this is an article about selecting your word of the year and not about spiritual gifts, I won’t go into the details about all that I learned and experienced, but let me just say I was changed in that playroom surrounded by posters, princesses, and pirates—and I might not have had that kind of learning if I hadn’t followed the path of the word of the year. It also never would have happened if I hadn’t trusted that this year would be a year of significant growth—despite the ever-present challenges. In some ways, spiritual gifts and my words of the year saved me.

Even these many months later, as I prepared for a new year in 2020, I do not feel done with spiritual gifts, and yet I have felt like it’s okay to find a new word to helping me along this year and along the new decade.

When Lessa, the newsletter editor, reached out to see if I would write this article, I was still without a word of the year and a little embarrassed that it was so. With great study, meditation, and even some pleading (right before the deadline), I finally found it.

This year, my word is actually a phrase, as it has been a time or two before. My phrase is “Do the next right thing.” This is a common theme in the new Frozen 2 movie, and while it’s a little cheesy for this middle-aged woman, when it dawned on me, it fit like a missing puzzle piece.

This is the year I write two books, my first spiritual and religious narrative nonfiction, and I’m also working on a book for the corporate audience I serve most frequently as I travel the country to speak at corporations and associations. I have so many to-dos running through my mind I have found myself a smidge paralyzed and not moving forward. With this phrase I can ask myself and the Spirit what is the next right thing—and then do it.

Over the past few days, I have been more productive using this simple tactic as my core value and mission.

If you already have a word of the year, I would love for you to share it. If you don’t, I would invite you to ask yourself, “What do I want to feel this year?” or “How do I want to grow this year?”

I have found that starting with this before I set goals helps the rest of my goals become clear in priority and purpose. If you have already set your goals for the year, all is not lost. Perhaps in your goals you may find a common thread or theme that will help you stay focused.


If you already have a word or phrase, or if you find one, place it in multiple places where you will see it regularly. I made a backdrop for my phone and printed words or phrases on 3 x 5 cards that sit on my bathroom mirror for twelve months. There is no right or wrong way, however I recommend both digital and physical reminders for greatest results.

It has been so fun to explore and write about a word of the year with permission to use a spiritual filter. When I share this concept with private coaching clients one-on-one, or on a stage to hundreds, it’s typically focused on high-performance practices for professionals. And while I always encourage they use this principle on their personal life as well, I crave to share with them the spiritual benefits of having our hearts work with God on the direction that he would like to see us go in a new year. As I consider all that our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, has asked of us over the last couple of years, I have felt a deep desire to be more purposeful in my days, and focused in my vision. As I develop personally and professionally, I also focus on becoming who God needs me to be spiritually so that I can do my part in the gathering of scattered Israel, myself included. Anything we do to progress better prepares us to be instruments in the Lord’s hands and also puts us on the covenant path where the Savior can shepherd us home.

Wishing you all the success spiritually, personally and professionally in 2020 and beyond!

Michelle McCullough is a national speaker, a best-selling author, and a cohost on the faith-based podcast The Living Room. Michelle can’t live without chocolate chip cookies or her iPhone and is afraid of her two kids growing up too fast. If given a magic carpet, she would like to go to Italy for the artwork and the carbs. And a little something we should all know about Michelle, her middle name is Sunshine. You can find Michelle professionally at speakmichelle.com, though she blogs on spiritual things at sunshineinthemiddle.com.

A Single-Word Vision

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By Lessa Harding

Like many of you, I received a lot of advice while I was growing up. Some of the phrases people shared with me, like “life is an adventure” or “remember who you are,” have stuck with me and shaped who I am without my even knowing it. Every time I get scared to try something new, I think to myself, “Life is an adventure, so let’s have one!” Every time I feel as if I’m a failure, I hear my mother’s voice in my head, saying to me, “Remember who you are!” Then I am able to pick myself up and try again.

Over the years I have realized the importance of not only internalizing good advice but also doing my part to consciously shape who I am into who I want to become. I have repeated self-affirmations, set goals, and made New Year’s resolutions; yet I consistently felt overwhelmed and unsuccessful if the affirmations didn’t prove true or if I didn’t complete a resolution. It was so discouraging that I quit setting goals completely for almost two years. Thankfully, someone introduced me to LDSPMA and their annual conference.

When I attended my first LDSPMA conference, I was privileged to participate in a workshop taught by Michelle McCullough based on her book Make It Happen Blueprint. This workshop introduced me to an idea simple enough that I didn’t feel overwhelmed and profound enough to change the way I think about “becoming.” The idea can be stated in five words – choose a single-word vision.

Michelle shares this practice in the first chapter of Make It Happen Blueprint. At the start of every year, she chooses a single word she wants to define and shape the upcoming year. This word is meant to describe what she wants more than anything else for herself during the days and months ahead (McCullough 4).

I loved this idea! It was simple and straightforward, and it reminded me of the phrases shared with me in my childhood. I have experienced how powerful a simple phrase or theme can be. So I decided to try Michelle’s advice, and it made all the difference.

In her book, Michelle does not provide a great deal of detail about this single-word vision concept. In fact, the topic is covered in only three brief paragraphs. Yet as members of the Church, we should be especially aware of how powerful something so “small and simple” can be (Alma 37:6).

My word of the year for 2020 is “Believe!” I want to believe more deeply in Christ. I want to believe in the power of faith and goodness to a greater degree than ever before. I want to believe that I can change and grow into the person that I desire to become. And I want to believe that my dreams are worthwhile and achievable. 

If this concept of a single-word vision resonates with you, I urge you to spend some time thinking about a word you could use to define your own journey for the year, and then return next week to read a follow-up article by Michelle about how focusing on your chosen word can lead to better and more successful goals and outcomes.

Meanwhile, I’d love to hear what you think of this idea! Please feel free to email me at info@ldspma.org, comment on this post, or even share your thoughts about it on social media (#singleword).

I can’t wait to chat with you again next week when Michelle shares her article. See you then!

Lessa

P.S. If you would like to read Michelle’s book Make It Happen Blueprint, it can be purchased on Amazon or on her website. Happy reading!

Works Cited

McCullouch, Michelle. Make It Happen Blueprint: 18 High Performance Practices to Crush It in Life and Business Without Burning Out. Morgan James Publishing, 2017.

Advice from the Experts: Josi S. Kilpack (Author, Wife, Mother)

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By LDSPMA

I think the most wonderful thing a “successful someone” (be they writer, editor or filmmaker) can do is pass on their knowledge to those wanting to follow in their footsteps. If they can somehow help those following them to internalize their teachings and become what they were meant to be, well, that is not only wonderful but truly miraculous.

I think that’s why I started this series of articles. I wanted to see if I could introduce a few of you to someone who could help you become who you were meant to be—someone you could look up to, learn from, and possibly even connect with. What I didn’t realize is how so many of the people I interviewed on your behalf would help me. With that in mind, I would like to introduce you to Josi S. Kilpack.

Josi is wife to Lee (who manages a geriatric psych hospital in Salt Lake City), mother to four children—one of whom just returned from a mission—and, of course, a writer. Some of my favorite things I discovered about Josi during our interview are her love for watching the same movies over and over again, the way she is constantly challenging herself to be better writer, and her determination to use failures as an opportunity to learn how to succeed.

I hope some of the things Josi shares below will not only help you learn to succeed but be a miracle in your life:

  • “I dream of having a typical writing day . . . but instead, I look at the day and schedule a chunk of time . . . when [the writing] is going well, the house is falling behind. When it is not, I’m playing catch up.”
  • “[Writing well] is really about figuring out what works for you and trying to repeat it. I get a lot done when I have the ideas and the time at the same time, so I try really hard to brainstorm while I am doing other things and then write it down when I have the time.”
  • “Every time I start a new [novel], I have this fear that it will be my last book. It drives me crazy. I can tell myself logically that I said it every other time and it hasn’t been true. [I tell myself] it isn’t true this time either and . . . just keep going.”
  • “Tell yourself, ‘The only real competition is with myself.’”
  • “Look for ways to challenge [your]self . . . to write a different type of story or character or to write from a different point of view. Constantly . . . look for ways to stretch. . . . That challenge just against myself keeps me going in the right direction.”
  • “Get a few friends around you that tell you, ‘You are wonderful.’”
  • “Every journey, every author is different.”
  • “I am too stupid to be discouraged, but the friends I have made who understand who I am and what I love has been the greatest gift. Creat[e] that community and let . . . them support [you], and support them in their successes and failures.”
  • “Opportunities come because you take advantage of other opportunities.”
  • “Learn your craft. Make sure you are creating a good product. Learn about your industry. There is so much to know.”
  • “Being excited about your book is natural. You wouldn’t put the time into it if you didn’t think you had something to offer, but a lot of time that excitement is what keeps you from doing what you need to do. Do yourself a favor and learn what makes a good book cover, learn to edit, and understand what the steps [to success] are. If you don’t, after you get those first few rejections you will be discouraged and stop.”
  • “You [learn your craft at] conferences, through blogs, by meeting authors and talking to them, by learning from other people’s experiences. I don’t think you can be successful without those, but a lot of people skip that.”
  • “Marketing is not easy, and most authors hate it. We are introverted and like to make up our own worlds not go out into the world we live in, but you have to do it these days. . . . If I am asked to do something, I say yes as often as possible. Articles, book signings, speaking at firesides . . . I say yes. Figure out what you are comfortable doing and then do it.”
  • “Most of my story development comes from developing a character—what they want, what they are willing to do, and what they are not willing to do to get what they want. Then, putting them with another character and what they want is where a story comes from.”
  • “People are fascinating. . . . When I get stuck, I go back to my characters. [I am usually stuck] because I have taken my character in a direction that is not authentic to who they are.”
  • “If it is hard it doesn’t mean you are doing it wrong. It is just hard.”
  • “I don’t really think balance exists . . . whenever I am looking for balance, I am beating myself up because there is no balance. I have been trying to balance this for fifteen years, and I have still never achieved it.”
  • “What is the most important thing to you? . . . In any given moment it might be [different]. . .. For me [life] is a juggling act. What can I throw into the air so I can catch another something? And, honestly, sometimes it all drops. But if you are honest with everyone around you and with yourself, you can pick it all back up. There is a lot of guilt that goes along with this, but I look at it and say if I did it right the first time, I wouldn’t learn anything. . . . They are not eggs; they are bouncy balls. You still have to chase them. You still swear and get mad, but they don’t break, and you just get better at juggling as you go along. ”
  • “It is good for my kids to see that I am passionate about something. It is good for them to see that I am a person and not just a mommy. It is good for them to see that while I love them to bits, [they are] not the entirety of my existence. I don’t want them to give up who they are individually because of the roles they take on.”
  • “I have been doing this for a long time. I have raised my kids through it, and life has gone on along with my writing, but it is mostly my story that has been written through all of it. My writing was the vehicle that helped me grow. It has written my story. I would love people to be mindful that their [own] story is being written while they are writing.”