I had an amazing week at Miraval spa for my birthday. I got everything I wanted and more. One of the surprising gifts I left with, however, was a unplanned, unintentional lesson in marketing. During one of the lovely event dinners, I was introduced to two memorable people. One was the host, and the other was a fellow guest. While the topic was communication in digital world, I was most intrigued by their marketing styles. Both were clearly successful and accomplished. Both shared relevant information that was helpful for everyone at the table. But I left with a desire to…
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If you’re suffering through a field of rejections, keep reading… It took awhile, but eventually I found a pace, my zone, an ability to actually push through my anxiety and create articles I was proud of. But more importantly, got paid for. That was a great feeling, but I didn’t sit in my laurels for long before I had a desire to venture outside my comfort zone and towards the writing I dreamed of creating. Writing for children. Writing personal essays. But in the slog of writing green, I’m gaining a ton of rejections, which can be demoralizing to say the least.…
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It’s pretty cool when your article gets Instagrammed. #Monday morning emails be like… | Story: “An Unconventional Guide to Wellness” by Brandi-Ann Uyemura” | Illustration by @cbphilpot | #HIBiz A post shared by Hawaii Business Magazine (@hawaiibusinessmagazine) on May 8, 2017 at 11:55am PDT
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Initially, I struggled with this powerhouse of a word. I was apt, for example, to bark at a customer service representative or get teed off if someone cut me off in traffic. But age and children can soften one’s heart. I developed compassion. This has helped me be a better daughter, friend, mother, partner and a writer. How does compassion affect your writing? This has been key in my ability to raise my writing to the next level. In the nonfiction arena, it’s given me a new perspective. Instead of how best do I write this piece, it’s made me ask, “How…
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It’s normal to hit a creative block. What has helped me is reading. In my latest article for Spirituality & Health, I share my favorite questions from authors that prompt me to rethink my current creative problem. You can read the article entitled 8 Writing Prompts Inspired by Your Favorite Books here.
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Hi fellow writers! So far 2017 started with a lot of hustle and bustle, and recovery from illness, which has left me nil time to write. I still have hope for the new year, however. The end of 2016 was filled with a lot of exciting things. One of my stories on Ikea in Hawaii for Hawaii Business magazine, for example, made it to the top 10 stories in 2016! You can read it here. On a completely separate note, I ended up being in the magazine with a mom friend. It was an exciting day for this non-glamorous mom of…
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guest post by: C.J. Quinn Does your child enjoy reading fantasy books? If so, your child may be smarter than you think. Reading the genre of fiction and fantasy has many social and behavioral advantages. Intelligence quotient (IQ) was once considered the golden standard for measuring how smart a person was. However, in 1995 Daniel Goleman, an internationally known psychologist, proved that we weren’t taking into account emotional intelligence when determining a person’s intellect. According to Goleman, “Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is a person’s ability to identify, evaluate, control and express emotions.” Since Goleman’s theory, both IQ and EQ are now combined…
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Instead of blogging about writing, I’ve just been writing, which is a good thing. But it means this blog has been as inhabited as a desert scene in a Western. Cue in the rolling tumbleweeds. That being said, I wanted to still contribute to it with things that inspire me. Particularly, on the subject of writing. Author Elizabeth Gilbert has been killing it with her Magic Lessons podcast. And I’m so not even trying to compete. But I wanted to throw out this little words of inspiration out there for those of you in the throes of NaNoWriMo. If you…
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There are still magical wonderful things in the world. I’m reminded of this when the Creative Writing Conference at UH Manoa came into town. It is an annual event with writers and artists who speak. The first year it was free! Did I mention that a delicious lunch was also included? This year, there was a $10 fee which a mom friend who attended said was, “still nominal,” for what you get. I agree. Although I attended for just one talk (Publishing and the Writing Life by writer Alicia Upano), I gained enough fuel as I seem to always, to…
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I’ve been juggling two boys under two and working on an upcoming article for Hawaii Business magazine. Plus, I’m still writing for Psych Central. I won’t lie. It’s a lot. Some days feel near impossible. But there is joy and pleasure in pursuing the written word so I do so happily even if I have to muster stored energy (which may or may not require a cup of Jo). This weekend I got to do something thrilling. Taking a break from dirty diapers would be a vacation in itself. But I also got to attend the 18th Biennial Conference on Literature…