Category: spirituality and creativity
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Spending Time with Creative Block: Reflections on The Joy of a Field
I dread “the block.” It comes in all shapes and sizes for all kinds of creative projects. It frustrates the heck out of people whose well-meaning efforts it stalls. Ever been there? It’s not fun. Unfortunately, my most recent novel, The Joy of a Field, left me spending more time with creative block than either of…
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Creative Breaks: A Summer in Photos
Though I wrote a lot this summer, I also needed time to reflect on that writing and to not even think about that writing. I’m sure many parts of life – creative and otherwise – are like that. It helps to take breaks. This summer, two of my best “break” activities were morning bike rides…
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On Baking Bread and Not Knowing What I’m Doing
Sometimes I don’t really know what I’m doing. It’s not always a bad thing. For instance, I’ve had a hankering to bake rye bread lately – real rye bread that smells like yeast and rises on the kitchen counter. I knew nothing about any of it, but I decided a few months ago that a…
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In Praise of Small Projects
I recently enjoyed a small project way more than I’d expected to. The kick of energy and enjoyment it brought has left me reflecting on the relative sizes of my efforts. I believe I already do value small things. I’ve also long understood the importance of pausing frequently to celebrate accomplishments of all sizes. I’ve known that…
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Wholeness: a Good Word and a New Year
Wholeness – it’s my word for the new year. Some years a word has served me better than a resolution. A word’s given guidance when I didn’t know where I was going, let alone what steps to take to get there. When the world keeps changing, or when I’m considering what’s important in a new…
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Wishing for a Kinder Holiday Season
How do you feel when you think about the holidays? I have such conflicted reactions. As you can tell, I’m already looking ahead. On the one hand, the holidays are supposed to be – and often are – a very special time of year when we pay extra attention to the important people and efforts…
About the author
Callie J. Smith writes about women who, like her, are finding themselves. Her stories and essays explore everyday things like hope, creativity, and grief.
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Callie J. Smith 