Now is the time to reassess your life and make it more fulfilling. — After two weeks of lockdown in Italy, I feel a great sense of tranquility. Initially, I only saw how disrupted my life was and how I couldn’t do what I did before. Over time, I not only adapted to the lockdown, but I began to revel in it. As time…

Every photo reminds us of all the beauty around us. — Anaïs Nin wrote, “We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection.” I can say the same about photography. The first time I experience beauty, the moment is intense and richly satisfying to all of my senses. …

Embracing my mother’s presence and absence — There are two significant dates I need not mark down on my calendar: the day my mother took her first breath and the day she took her last. At least a week before these two dates, a deep sadness bubbles up inside of me and simmers right below the surface…

Tips for using NaNoWriMo to your advantage — At the end of October every year, excitement builds up inside me. November is right around the corner, and so is NaNoWriMo. Taking part in NaNoWriMo is a rewarding experience for writers if you use it to your advantage. After recently reading “The INFJ Writer” by Lauren Sapala, I discovered…

Understanding what it means to have confidence in myself, my projects, and the path ahead. — As a writer who juggles multiple writing projects and navigates them by inspiration, I grapple with faith as it relates to having confidence in myself, my abilities, my projects, and my future. My faith wavered: sometimes it walked alongside me and at other times it was nowhere to be found. …

Transforming ourselves brings us closer to discovering our purpose — The moment I arrived at the top of Bardini Gardens, I was greeted by a butterfly that encircled me twice before joining a few other butterflies and bees buzzing around a lavender bush. As I watched the butterfly drink nectar from the center of the lavender blossoms, I thought about…