Embracing New Horizons: Juggling Motherhood, Advocacy, Studies, and Creative Pursuits

Welcome back, dear readers! I reconnect with you after a transformative period in my life with great excitement and a sense of renewed purpose. As we dive into this new chapter, I want to share the multifaceted journey I've embarked upon, where motherhood, advocacy, academic pursuits, and creative endeavors converge. When I first started this blog 18 years ago, I was a new mother with a passion for writing. Over time, my journey took an unexpected turn as I delved into public service as a victim advocate, dedicating myself to supporting and empowering those who had experienced trauma. During this period, my writing and creative pursuits took a backseat, but my commitment to making a difference in the lives of others only grew stronger.
As my children have grown and reached significant milestones, I find myself at a pivotal moment. Driven by a desire to further my knowledge and expand my capacity to help others, I decided to return to school. Currently pursuing my master's degrees in clinical mental health and rehabilitation, I am immersing myself in a wealth of knowledge that will shape my future as a counselor.
Dear readers, I am immensely grateful for your unwavering support as I navigate this journey of growth. Your presence has been a driving force behind my creative endeavors, and I'm excited to reconnect and share this new chapter with you. Together, we will explore the depths of motherhood, the transformative power of advocacy, and the resilience that comes with embracing new horizons. Juggling motherhood, academic studies, and advocacy work can be demanding, but it's a challenge I embrace with unwavering determination. Amidst these responsibilities, I am thrilled to reignite my passion for writing, podcasting, and blogging. These creative outlets allow me to connect with you, my cherished readers and share personal insights, stories, and reflections that resonate deeply.
As I embrace this new chapter, I invite you to join me on this extraordinary path of self-discovery, growth, and empowerment. Through the written word, podcast episodes, and heartfelt conversations, I look forward to sharing my insights, reflections, and stories that resonate with you. Thank you for being a part of my journey and for your unwavering support. Let's embark on this exciting adventure together as we navigate the complexities of motherhood, advocacy, academic pursuits, and the endless possibilities that await us.

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The Time to Start Writing is Now! (1st published on Utah Children's Writers)

I teach writing for my local college's continuing educational program. I love meeting with beginning writers each week and sharing the basics. However, I'm always surprised to find many of them haven't even sat down to write the story building inside them or at least log the ideas they have for story lines. So my advice to you today if you want to start down the road of becoming a writer...The Time to Start Writing is Now! Some Idea Starters For beginning writers (and something I learned when I studied at the Institute of Children's Literature), I have found using visual aids to spark an idea is always a great way to begin the process of writing. You can do this to draft an actually short story or book for submission to just using it as a writing exercise. Study the pictures I have below or pick one of your own from a magazine, old photo album, etc. Study the pictures and select one that appeals to you most. Also, keep in mind your target readership with pi...

The Multiplied Benefits of Journaling

Do you keep or have you kept a journal or diary? If so, you probably already know some of the benefits of journaling because you've experienced them. You know that your journal helps you make sense of the senseless side of your life. A journal can be an emotional lifesaver when you go through a hard time. But did you know that scientists believe journaling can even keep you physically healthy? The release of pent-up emotions you pour into your journal every day actually helps reduce the symptoms of arthritis and asthma, and strengthens your immune system. This really makes sense if you consider that much illness is exacerbated by stress, and a journal is one of the best stress reducers out there. Journaling gives you a record of your emotional growth like no other. While it can be useful at times to be able to look back and see just when your neighbor moved in or when you started suffering from headaches, the intangible changes in you can be even more fascinating to look back...

Is Research Really Important in Fiction Writing?

In a lot of the writing groups and conferences I've been to the topic of research has come up from time to time. There are many different opinions on the subject, and many will tell you research is only necessary when you are writing about something you know very little to nothing about. But is this really the case and if it is, does your writing suffer from not doing research all the time? After writing many short stories and picture books for young readers, my opinion on doing research might be very different from yours. I have always felt research is critical no matter how much I know or don't know about a certain subject. There is always something I learn each time, even on topics I know a lot about as things are always changing, and changing fast sometimes these days. However, I thought I was just one of the weird writers out there feeling this way until I took a research workshop with James Patterson, who had this to say about research. "Research really he...

VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

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