I’m happy to welcome super talented writer and owner of the fabulous a.k.a. writer blog, Jesaka Long! Although I haven’t had the chance to meet Jesaka in person, I’ve had the fortune of networking with Jesaka online and feel lucky to have done so. Jesaka is not only a talented writer, but has become a valuable writer friend. I was honored that she asked me to be a guest blogger on a.k.a. writer, and was doubly excited when she agreed to be a guest on mine. Without further ado, please welcome Jesaka! I know you’ll enjoy reading her post as much as I did. Read the rest of this entry

A writer could learn a thing or two from Mr. Walt Disney. My husband and I attended the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio area of San Francisco this weekend. You can read my overall impression of the museum here. But if you’re a writer or author, stick around, this post is for you!

I didn’t know much about Walt Disney except for the fact that he created 2 amazing amusement parks, one in California and the other where I got engaged in Florida. I also felt some kind of weird spiritual connection with the guy. In a way, I thought of him as a hero. Someone who aspired to create something magical in the world and was extremely successful in doing so.

What I learned from the museum was that Mr. Disney was a regular guy with a normal childhood. But he had a dream, a passion that fueled his actions. I learned a great deal about him from the exhibit but was surprised by the jewels of wisdom I garnered within myself.

Here are a few treasures I picked up from the museum, which I hope will inspire other writers, artists and creators to keep pursuing their passion and working on their craft.

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or do they? With magazines folding left and right, hundreds of staff writers being laid off at newspapers, there’s more than enough reason to panic. After all, if all the good experienced writers are suddenly out of work, where does that leave us freelancers?

Don’t give up just yet! Although it’s tempting to give in to the wave of panic, reacting out of fear won’t make things better. In fact, you might be setting yourself up for future regret.

Think of it this way. Remember when you were single and lonely? Or how about really hungry, let’s say starving? What do you do? You go out and date the first guy or gal that walks through the door or pig out on junk food. Both situations end up hurting rather than helping you reach your goals. You’ll never find the person of your dreams or lose those 10 pounds if you act out of desperation. Instead, maybe we all need to take a deep breath and just believe.

Believe that we’ll get through this hump and stop focusing on that nervous energy telling you that you won’t make it in this industry. The fear is mounting in this country. People are holding on to their jobs like there’s no tomorrow. But we don’t have to give in. Ride the wave of fear and focus instead on working twice as hard. Don’t let it make you desperate. Think positive. And remember, fear is a state of mind. Be one of those people who does well in spite of the economy.