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The Writing Diet

Written on: May 26th, 2008 in Learning Journeys

Laura here: Greetings! I am the Virtual Assistant for Between the Lines and am pleased to share a book that has resonated with me and supported me on my journey.

I have struggled with being over weight since my daughter was born. I can lose weight but I don’t keep it off. When I turned forty I made the decision I was done with dieting forever. I knew what I needed to do: eat healthy and exercise consistently. Simple, right? What I didn’t realize I had to do was reprogram the ingrained habits, beliefs, and thoughts that led to self-sabotage. As long as my self worth was tied to a number on a scale or a clothing size I would never believe I was enough. First I had to be open to changing my thoughts, and next I had to believe I could change my thinking and change my reality.
I devoured spiritual, self-help books on meditation, manifestation, and miracles. Something clicked for me over the years of listening to the enlightened words of so many wise teachers. I reinvented my life. I became a business owner so I could do what I love and love what I do, and create the resources of time, energy, and abundance to pursue my health and wellbeing.

This year one of the support tools I chose has been to join Weight Watchers; "stop dieting and start living" is their tag line. I’ve known several people who have successfully changed their body size with Weight Watchers but I was resistant and believed they taught members to diet. I said I wanted to do it alone, but really wasn’t ready to ask for help and support. The reality of Weight Watchers has been 180 degrees different than what I thought it would be. I’ve benefited from their experience and knowledge of course, but the weekly accountability, support, and inspiration has been phenomenal.

Another tool I’ve found essential to my weight loss journey is a book by Julia Cameron, The Writing Diet: Write Yourself Right-Size. Julia is the author of The Artist’s Way, which taught me Morning Pages; three pages of long hand journaling before you begin your day. Morning Pages are an essential component of the book, along with these tools:
• The Journal ~ recording everything you eat, whenever you feel like eating, and what you’re thinking and feeling
• Walking ~ twenty minutes a day, a creative romp to exercise your mind
• The Four Questions ~ am I hungry/is this what I want to eat/ is this what I want to eat now/is there something that I can eat
• Culinary Artist Dates ~ sacred time each week for self discovery
• HALT ~ a 12-step guideline never get too hungry, too angry, too lonely, or too tired
• The Body Buddy ~ a trusted objective person for daily check-ins and to reinforce positive behavior

Besides Morning Pages the most helpful tool for me so far has been the journal. I write down what I eat, what I’m thinking about eating, how I think I’ll feel if I eat, and what I’d do if I weren’t obsessed with eating. The journal keeps me grounded and in the moment. Forbidden foods for me are like worry; future oriented and tantalizing or in the past and filled with guilt.
Word by word, line by line, page by page I am discovering the creative outlet that being obsessed with food has buried. I feel lighter, less burdened and weighed down. What do the results look like? Here I am—reaching for a pen instead of a fork.

Reading Niches…Mini-Universes

Written on: May 20th, 2008 in Learning Journeys

Kathy here ~ As plans for the 3rd Annual Delaware Book Festival gain momentum, I took the weekend to dive into the world of graphic novels and comics. We are beginning to fill a panel for the Festival that explores this big-getting-bigger genre.

What did I find? Writers as famous and well-loved as James Patterson or David McCullough and artists as revered as Picasso. In addition, the names of the inkers and colorists are featured with equal prominence on the cover. Who knew? These individuals are even showing up in popular fiction; the appearance of Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spiderman, New Avengers, Daredevil) at a local comic convention is the plot driver in the YA novel The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga.

Think about the "niches where you read." Who are the stars? If I wanted to dip my toes in, where should I start? Who should I read first?

Rainy day options

Written on: May 12th, 2008 in Learning Journeys

Honore here:
It’s Monday and it’s raining! Perfect
conditions for spending the day curled up with a great book and a cup o’ tea!
And to spend an hour or so quilting.

Awaiting me: on my reading table and at the
foot of my chair are all sorts of books in various stages of read, unread,
being read. Some have been there for awhile; several are new. In my studio is a
project I began last week.

I am not an in-bed reader: I much prefer my
chair and my view of the landscape: trees in the backyard and the neighborhood;
besides, the chair is closer to the hot water-source for tea!

Over the weekend, I took a quilting class on
accidental landscapes, a very freeing and free-form way of
creating a quilted landscape picture. Of course I bought the instructor’s book …and
several patterns so that I can make "accidental landscape" pictures
of beaches, mountains, lakes, canyons and mesas, cityscapes etc. I notice that
since the class and reading the book, every scene or picture I see translates
into a landscape and my brain is pondering: is this a potential scene for a
quilt? And I am eager to get back to my landscape…

Big
question: Read or Quilt?

Alas, it is Monday and rain or not, I
have work to attend to and so, I’ll just have to wait for another rainy Monday
and hope that I can just curl up with a good book and a cup o’ tea… and steal
some time to quilt.

Your turn: Please share your favorite spot to read, time of day, and cuppa or snack that accompanies you. How do you choose between a good book and a craft or other hobby? Between the Lines wants to know!

Taste them again – for the first time

Written on: May 5th, 2008 in Learning Journeys

Honoré here:
Learning paths are filled with discovery and fun! Especially the one—quilting—I’m
on currently. Among my discoveries: magazines. There are many in the library
and on the newsstands, chock full of ideas, photos, directions, and inspiration
to make quilted items, ranging from pin-cushions to wearable pieces to beautiful quilts for the
bed or to display on the wall or drape across a couch. But, I’m not blogging
about quilting magazines—rather, magazines and the potential they hold, I’m
rediscovering, for furthering my own learning journey. Magazines are portable,
colorful and inside are wonderful nuggets of: information, ideas, inspiration,
book reviews, activities, classes, retreats, places to visit, challenges,
personalities, news, and even ways (advertisements) to spend your money. And
best of all—magazines appear in your mailbox on a fairly set basis.

You can get ideas and recommendations for magazines (on any subject) from the
library by browsing through the magazine collection and also, by asking library
staff to consult resources that review, annotate and evaluate periodicals – the
official term for magazines. Recommendations from others and browsing the
section of a large bookstore are also great ways to [re]discover magazines.

I
plan to save up my June stash of magazines to take with me on vacation; they’ll
make great beach reading. I encourage you to look at magazines, too, with a
different attitude or, as the old Kellogg corn-flakes’ commercial advised:
"Taste them again – for the first time."

Cheers~