VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

  Welcome back, dear readers! As we continue our journey together, I'm thrilled to share some exciting updates on my ongoing pursuit of personal and academic growth. The new term has just begun, and I am diving into two intriguing college courses: Social Psychology and the 7 Dimensions of Wellness. Additionally, I'm humbled to be an APA ambassador at Bay Path University, have earned a spot on the dean's list, and am honored to serve as a peer mentor this semester. As I embark on these 6-week-long courses, my passion for learning is reignited. Social Psychology offers an intriguing exploration of human behavior and the influence of social interactions on our lives. Understanding the complexities of human interactions not only enriches my academic journey but also provides valuable insights into interpersonal dynamics in our daily lives. From understanding the impact of conformity to the power of persuasion, social psychology equips me with knowledge that extends beyond the c...

     Welcome back, dear readers! It's a pleasure to continue our journey together as we explore the importance of self-care and finding balance amid life's demands. In our previous blog post, we delved into my personal experiences and the pursuit of balance in various roles and explored the intersection of motherhood, advocacy, studies, and creative pursuits in my life. What I have found and know through my psychological studies is that self-care can have transformative power and is universally important in maintaining a good work/personal life balance. Now, let's dive deeper into actionable steps and practical suggestions to incorporate self-care practices into your lives. The Power of Self-Care:        As I strive to fulfill my roles as a mother, advocate, student, and creative, it's essential to recognize the significance of self-care. Life can often become a whirlwind of responsibilities, commitments, and obligations. Taking time for ourselves allo...

  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 deg...

As you know I've been trying to get a few projects off the ground for a few months if not years now. Many things have happened between idea, concept and even personal life. My plans for my YouTube channel and even this blog haven't panned out and recently I underwent a surgery that had me laid up in bed for a little over a week and two weeks off work. Add in the holidays on top of all that and here we are in the New Year. Things just happen but we can't let that stop us. We have to stop and reflect on what got in our way, what we can do to change, where we have been, want to go and where and who we want to be. So many things can go through your head when you reflect and planning can only take you so far. But let's stop there for now as that is a topic for another time. What lead me to this path I am on currently, is our topic today - REFLECTION. Something I do often and I have done a lot lately to remind me why I have chosen the path I am on. My current demands in...

VS Grenier is back with Jared Quan as her guest to discuss Leadership September 20, 2019 at 9 AM Pacific - 10 AM Mountain - 11 AM Central - 12 PM Eastern Listen to the Podcast at https://www.blogtalkradio.com/michiganavenuemedia/2019/09/20/vs-grenier-is-back-with-jared-quan-as-her-guest-to-discuss-leadership   What is a good leader? A great leader posses a clear vision, is courageous, has integrity, honesty, humility, and clear focus. A great leader doesn't have to be an Alpha personality - just someone who wants to help people reach their goals, are not afraid of lifting other up or working with those who may be better at something over them and take pride in the accomplishments of those they help along the way. About today's guest: Jared Quan is published in genres from Spy-Thriller to Horror/Supernatural. To Fantasy-Comedy. He served the community in crucial roles with League of Utah Writers, Storymakers, Cultural Arts Society of West Jordan, EMAA, Big...

Come join VS Grenier and Marsha Casper Cook at 9 am Pacific - 10 am Mountain - 11 am Central - 12 pm Eastern LIVE on July 24th! The topic is Creating Your Author Platform. Why is this important, and what is a platform anyway? It is your visibility as an author, your life support. The wider your reach, the more readers you connect with, the more books you can sell. What you do with your platform speaks about you as an author (in an authentic way) as you try to reach your target audience. It's all about connecting with people -- on a real level. It's not about shouting, "Buy my books" all over the place. VS Grenier plans to dig in deep on you can build your platform from the ground up or from where you are right now. Questions will be answered from callers as well throughout the show. Call in during the live broadcast at 714-242-5259. Learn more about the host at http://vsgrenier.com For more information about our shows visit http://michiganavenuemed...

Come join host VS Grenier along with Marsha Casper Cook and   Crystal L Gauthier at 5 PM Pacific - 6 PM Mountain - 7 PM Central - 8 PM Easten http://www.blogtalkradio.com/michiganavenuemedia/2019/06/14/books-to-movies-and-tv-with-vs-grenier From classics like Little Women to modern-day bestsellers like Pulitzer winner The Goldfinch, there are plenty of upcoming dramas to choose from and ones to catch up on. However, does it always work? Books can let you imagine the setting or events happening in the story. They are also more detailed than movies because movies sometimes leave out some essential details. 5 Reasons Why Books Are Better Than Movies or TelevisonSeries Imagination. When you just go out and see the film you're showed what everything looks like, you don't get to imagine it Movies Leave Stuff Out. You obviously can't get every detail of an entire novel into a roughly 2-hour time frame Books Are Portable The Story Gets Lost Movies Intensify Everyth...

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...

You're sitting at your desk, staring at a blank sheet of paper or a blank word document on the computer screen. You actually want to write, but just can't bring yourself to it. You have no clue what to do with your characters next, and they don't seem eager to tell you. Or perhaps you have a deadline, but you're aimlessly typing random letters on the page, none of which seem to make sense, and you're getting more and more frustrated as every minute passes. That deadline that you have in two weeks seems to be coming round very quickly and, at this rate there is no way you are going to make it! Whether you are experiencing this for the first time or for the hundredth time and you're at a loss as to what you should do, don't despair. You can consider yourself as having a case of writer's block or being stuck in a rut; it can and does happen even if you haven't been neglecting your work. Other writers experience this too. Your muse needs to ...

It's said that a problem or premise can be viewed from two distinctive points of view -- the observer viewpoint and the merged viewpoint. Today's creativity method focuses on the second viewpoint. The merged viewpoint occurs when you become the object of the observation. You become the subject of your observation, and you observe from the point of view of your subject. This is referred to as projective identification. Projective identification can be purely fantasy: What's it like to be a potato about to become French fries? How does it feel like to be a gum stuck in a shoe? Imagine what it's like to be an ink cartridge. Or it can be empathetic: Seeing the situation through a laborer's eyes Getting inside the skin of an AIDS victim Being in the shoes of a chronically depressed person For your creative activity today, write 2 short texts (100-200 words) using projective identification for the following: Fantasy: What's it like to be a pict...