Cyberflanerie: Cracking Open the Door to Creativity (A Few Resources)

Giant Golden Buddha & 364 More Free 5 Minute Writing Exercises

Debra Eckerling's new Kindle, Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages

More for kids (of any age): Karen Benke's Rip the Page!

> Her guest-blog for Madam Mayo, 5 Writers on What It Takes to be a Creative Writer> Her latest book, Leap Write In!

My ever-longer list of highly recommended books on creative process/ life. 

Read interviews with accomplished writers, such as Leslie Pietrzyk.

Read even more interviews in the Paris Review.

Listen Better (Julian Treasure's TED Talk)

Follow poet, writer and creative writing teacher Zack Rogow's excellent "Advice for Writers" blog.

Get inspiration from visual artists (all links to the blog This Is Colossal)

Sand Creatures Suspended in Midair by Claire DropperMiniature Medieval Interiors by Matthew SimmondsWhy not bake some Planetary Cakes?

Wear the sky in luxurious silk

(Whew, even your coffee will taste, like, expanded.)

Organize your book-in-progress

Organize your refrigerator with Fridge Binz (I am not kidding.)

+ + + + + + + + + + 

SURF ON

>30 Deadly-Effective Ways to Free Up Drips, Bits & Gimungously Vast Swaths of Time for Writing

> The Secret Ingredient in my Writing Process

> Writing Loglines and the Concept of the "Eyespan"

> My workshop page with more resources for writers and workshop schedule.

COMMENTS always welcome.

Why I Am a Mega-Fan of the Filofax

It was wicked fun doing a post a for Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools blog on my seriously uncool Internet password management system, so I just had to write about my other favorite paper-based organizing tool, the Filofax Personal Organizer. (Note: I have no connection whatsoever with this company except as a delighted customer.)


Sturdy, Customizable, Portable Paper-Based Organizing System: The Filofax Personal Organizer

Why a paper-based organizing system in this digital age? First, as Get Things Done guru David Allen puts it, “low-tech is oftentimes better because it is in your face.” Second, last I checked (channeling Jaron Lanier here), I am not a gadget. I cherish the tools that help me stay organized, yet allow me to abide within generous swaths of Internet-free time—formally known as normal life (you know, when you didn't see everyone doing the thumb-twiddling zombie shuffle). The Filofax personal organizer is one of them. 

I got my first Filofax over 25 years ago and it has been a love story ever since. Part of this English company’s century-old line of organizers originally developed for engineers, it is a beautifully made 6-ring loose leaf binder. With the Filofax diary, address book, paper inserts and other items that get tucked in there, for most users, it fattens up to the size of a paperback edition of Anna Karenina. Or, say, a Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwich. Right, it does not fit in a coat pocket.

Depending on the model, the Filofax personal organizer comes with an assortment of pockets on both the inside and outside flaps. Mine also includes a pen holder on the right and a highlighter holder on the left, and it closes securely, so no loose items (such as that drycleaner’s ticket) can fall out.

Filofax sells a cornucopia of inserts for the 6 ring binder, from a wide variety of configurations for the diary refill, to a personal ruler/ page marker, maps of most major cities, a pad for assorted sticky notes, checkbook holder, business card holder, super-thin calculator, extra paper in a rainbow of colors, index tabs, a portable hole punch, and an address book, among other items. 

Countless are the ways to configure one’s Filofax personal organizer. I’ve evolved into using the Week on Two Pages diary for noting appointments, birthdays, and any time-sensitive to-dos; two rulers/ page markers; the assorted sticky notes pad (though now with my own, more economical, Post-Its); the address book at the back; plus a “page” of plastic sleeves for business cards. I stash items such as stamps and paperclips in the front inner pocket (especially handy when traveling). Tickets (drycleaners, concerts) go in another pocket. In addition, I made up several tabbed sections to index my personal, financial, business, and other to do / might one day do lists, to which I slap on ideas scribbled on Post-Its as they occur to me. The tabbed sections follow my personal interpretation of David Allen’s Get Things Done  (GTD) system—his basic idea being, capture all your to dos in one “bucket” you regularly revisit, and thereby can clear your mind for more clarity and creativity in the present moment. (To track more complex medium and long-term projects, I use the Projecteze system of a Word.doc table which relies on the sorting feature—that’s another post.)

As for address book, it’s not my main nor my only address book, just the addresses I like to keep handy in this particular system—so, in part, it serves as a paper backup for the most vital addresses, and those I regularly consult when making appointments or sending birthday cards and such.

Usually the Filofax stays open on my desk-- which works for me, but clearly that won’t be ideal for those who work in less private and/or mobile situations. I take it with me when I travel or attend meetings where I might need to review my schedule or consult the to do lists and/or address book. 

High-end stationary, luggage, and department stores often carry the Filofax line of organizers and inserts—as does amazon.com— but to ensure that I get exactly what I want when I want it, I order the refill for the following year from the Filofax USA’s on-line shop on September 1st. At year’s end—following the advice of my tax accountant who says it could be handy in case of an audit—I file the diary with the rest of that year’s tax documents.

There are four major disadvantages to this system. None of them torpedo it for me, but they might for you:

(1) It’s a paper-based system, and for those who want their hand-held and/or laptop to be their all, and the many bells-and-whistles of a cloud-based system, clearly, it’s a head-shaker.

(2) High cost. You get what you pay for, however, and I have been happy to pay for the refills and other accessories because their simple and elegant design inspires me to stay better organized. For those who bristle at such prices, however, it would certainly be possible to make a homemade version of many of the inserts.

(3) Security risk. One’s office or house could burn down or someone could steal the Filofax—but then again, they couldn’t hack into it at 3 in the morning from Uzbekistan, either. 

(4) Bulk and weight. I can easily toss my Filofax into a briefcase or shoulderbag, but without an on-call chiropractor, I wouldn’t want to haul it around on a walk. That said, when I go for a walk, I go for a walk. 

— C.M. Mayo

Recommended:

Filofax personal organizer 

Filofax Week on Two Pages Personal diary

Filofax A-Z Index Tabs, 2 Letter- Multi-Color- Personal

Filofax Personal Organizer Address Book Sheets, 100 pack

Filofax Personal Ruled Notepaper, 100 pack

Filofax Assorted Stickey Notes – Personal

Personal Ruler/Page Marker – Personal

COMMENTS always welcome.

The New Now Not Secret But Super Special Ingredient in My Writing Process

His middle name is Quetzalpugtl.

>Read more about the secret ingredient.

Ricë Freeman-Zachery: Q & A on Creative Podcasting

Recently I came upon a quote by marketing mystic Seth Godin which, google as I may, I can't find again. To the best of my recollection, it went something like, the most valuable thing you have isn't your time, your money or your health-- it's your creativity. And, boy howdy, after five decades on this planet, I know that is true. As as I prepare my iBook, Podcasting for Writers & Other Creative Entrepreneurs, which will be published by my imprint, Dancing Chiva, this summer, I've been surfing around for listen-worthy and especially creative podcast series to recommend. I've also been asking questions of some these various podcasters, which I aim to include as sidebars in the iBook itself. One of the most fun, interesting, and jump-up-and-down inspiring podcasters I've come upon is Midland, Texas-based writer and artist Ricë Freeman-Zachery, who blogs at Create Mixed Media and whose podcast is Notes from the Voodoo Lounge: Interviews with Artists, Rants, Ideas, Opinions. How to pronounce her name? Why does she have that bright red hair? What's with living in Midland, Texas? Check out her welcome video here. And check out her amazingly creative art and her many books, which include:

Destination: Creativity 
The Life-Altering Journey of the Art Retreat

Living the Creative Life:

Ideas and Inspirations from Working Artists

Creative Time & Space:

Making Room for Making Art

New Techniques for Wearable Art: 

Creative Ideas for Transforming Clothes and Accessories

Here's more to love about this bodacious podcaster: She signs her emails 

~~Here to inspire you~~

Herewith her very generous A's to my many Q's:

C. M. Mayo: Why and when did you start podcasting?
Ricë Freeman-Zachery: I started podcasting in October, 2009. My day job is interviewing mixed media artists for profiles for half a dozen publications. They give me 1,500 words, and of course when I talked to the artists, I was getting a TON more information--fabulous stuff that I wanted to share. So I started doing podcasts. At first these were just random, whenever I had some extra time, and they went up on my own blog. Then in 2010 my publishers launched CreateMixedMedia.com and hired me to help edit and to do a weekly podcast, so now they're regular and go up on CMM, on my own blog, on my podcast host's blog at Libsyn, and to subscribers through iTunes. 


C. M. Mayo: Is there anything you would do differently now with your podcasting, given what you have learned? 
Ricë Freeman-Zachery: I don't think so. 

C. M. Mayo: What keeps you podcasting? 
Ricë Freeman-Zachery: I think of people like me, who live somewhere where there's not a lot of artistic inspiration or community, who don't have the opportunity I have for talking to fabulously inspiring people. I do the podcasts for them. I love to imagine them doing handwork in the evening, maybe, listening to the podcast and making notes in their notebook. 

C. M. Mayo: Why did you select your hosting service? Would you recommend it, and if so why (or why not)? 
Ricë Freeman-Zachery: I love Libsyn. I'm completely self-taught on this, so I tried out several other hosts before I found Libsyn. It was pretty much disastrous--complicated, not user-friendly, too much advertising, etc., etc. I'd almost given up when I found them. 

C. M. Mayo: Why did you choose the name "Notes from the Voodoo Lounge"? 

Ricë Freeman-Zachery: My blog is Notes from the Voodoo Cafe, and the podcasts are a little more laidback. I think of my blog as where I work--a cafe with lots of energy and lots going on--and the podcasts as a lounge where we kick off our shoes and just chat. With wine or a fancy drink in a martini glass with a plastic animal on the rim. 

C.M. Mayo: What has surprised / frustrated / enchanted / bamboozled / amazed you about podcasting? 

Ricë Freeman-Zachery: I'm always astounded when someone posts a negative comment on one of the podcasts. It doesn't happen often, because most of my listeners are fabulous people with excellent manners, but every once in a while someone without those manners will say something snarky. I have to remind people that my guests are taking time out of their workday to talk to me *for free*. It's a gift we're giving people--the podcasts are all free, of course--and if they don't like it, they can just go about their business without telling us about it. On the other hand, I appreciate it when someone sends me a private email to alert me about sound quality or something--that's always helpful to know. 

C. M. Mayo: What equipment do you use to record and what software to edit? 
Ricë Freeman-Zachery: I have an iMac, and I use Skype for the phone call, with a headset, and Audio HiJack Pro to record the conversation (I'd like to use my iPhone, but there's no phone recording app I can use). I edit in Audacity. I don't use GarageBand because I starting podcasting on a PC, and by the time I switched to a Mac, I'd already gotten comfortable with Audacity. 

C. M. Mayo: Do you have any tips on improving sound quality? 
Ricë Freeman-Zachery: Not really. It's an issue for me. Because I use Skype, internet speed is crucial--dial-up would NEVER work. Some guests use Skype, but most are on a phone. Cells are really iffy. I ask my guests to sit down in a quiet room--I've talked to people who were chewing (raw carrots, apparently), working out on the treadmill, walking along a busy street, or sitting in the yard by the bird feeder. It doesn't sound like much to them, but you can really hear it in the recorded conversation. You might think walking on your treadmill is undetectable, but it makes you sound slightly out of breath, kind of like an obscene caller panting on the line. 

C. M. Mayo: Tips on promoting podcasts? 
Ricë Freeman-Zachery: No clue there. I totally suck at marketing and promotion. 

C.M. Mayo:  What podcasts do you like to listen to? 

Ricë Freeman-Zachery: I've never listened to a podcast all the way through. Lord knows I've tried, but I usually run screaming from the room. 

C.M. Mayo: Any pet peeves about other peoples' podcasts? (Not necessarily to name names... just trying to find things for new podcasters to avoid...) 
Ricë Freeman-Zachery: Omigod. Yes. Yesyesyesyes. Most podcast hosts seem to think the program is all about them. They talk about their dogs, their recipes, their menu, their colds, their kids. When I tune in to hear someone talk to Mr. XYZ, that's the person I want to listen to, not some host I've never heard of rattling on about how many friends she has on Facebook. I could go on, as you can imagine, but I'll stop there. Oh, and hosts who are practicing their Sexy Radio Announcer Voice. Please, people! 

C. M. Mayo:  What do you see happening to your podcasts in the future? (Say, 10 years from now?) 
Ricë Freeman-Zachery: I have no idea. I love doing this and hope to do it as long as I have fascinating people who are willing to talk to me. But I'm guessing that in 10 years there'll be some fabulous new technology that will allow me to do something completely different and even more amazing. Something closer to my dream of a bunch of us sitting around a table talking about creativity and letting everyone else feel like they're there with us. 

C.M. Mayo:  Do you sell your amazing art? 
Ricë Freeman-Zachery: Thanks, but no. I used to try to sell the artwear I made, but size is a huge issue, and rather than trying to make things to fit other people, I decided to just make myself an entire wardrobe of SoulWear--clothes I love that mean something to me. It's a wonderful adventure, and I'm having a blast. 


--> Listen in to the latest podcast at the Notes from the Voodoo Lounge: "Jill Berry Talks About Copying (And a Whole Lot More)"