The Successful Dilettante
March 20, 2007 - Issue 18 - ISSN 1935-4886
Editor: Susan Henderson, coach@susanhenderson.com
Visit our website at: www.susanhenderson.com
In This Issue
1) Greetings/News
2) Susan's Musings - Writing to Change the World
3) Featured guest: Lain Ehmann
This high-energy and passionate artist, teacher and writer of over 2000 magazine articles offers many great examples, tips, and tools for integrating many interests into one life. You may be left feeling breathless, but smiling and nodding yes at the end of this interview.
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Greetings/News
Welcome to you, dear readers, both long-time and new subscribers. Glad to see your beautiful faces once again. Okay-- it is in my imagination, but it sure works for me. I love hearing from you so do not hesitate to say hello, offer suggestions, or ask questions.
News: I started writing and submitting articles to an ezine directory last week (www.ezinearticles.com). I am happy to say my articles have been viewed over 4250 times. Yowza! Article marketing is a good way to get out there and get known on the Internet and sometimes in print. The benefit for posting your articles, is that your bio or resource box with links must be included whenever it is published. If you would like to draw more attention to your business, or have a passion about something you want to share, consider article writing as one of your marketing tools. Besides, it's kind of fun.
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Susan's Musings - Writing to Change the World
In keeping with the theme of writing, I have chosen to share the latest book I am reading-- "Writing to Change the World" by Mary Pipher. It was mentioned by Barbara Winter in issue 17 of this ezine. It sounded intriguing so I got it and jumped right in.
Having grown up before video games and VCRs, I have been an avid reader and library patron from a very young age. I come from a family of prolific readers. I have been entertained, informed, touched deeply, and changed by things I have read. Occasionally, I have been called to action and my life has taken a new direction in a dramatic way.
But I have never thought of myself as a "writer"-- especially one who could change the world. That's just crazy. But then I realized that I have written things that have changed my world. Launching this ezine forced me to give up my fear of writing. To break through my barriers, I told myself that writing is simply communicating or "talking on paper."
So, now the message in this gem of a book is changing my world once again. Mary Pipher teaches how to find your own voice and bring your message to the world through different forms of writing from speeches to blog entries to op-ed pieces. The book jacket blurb describes it as follows: "It combines practical instruction with rousing commentary, featuring personal anecdotes, memorable quoatations from other writers, and the stories of writers who have transformed society through their work."
If you would like to affect change in the world, big or small, writing could be your quickest, most effective means to do just that. Reading this book will inspire you, teach you, and make your journey smoother.
May the force be with you.
Hugs,
Susan
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Featured Guest: Lain Ehmann
I am pleased to introduce today's guest, Lain Ehmann, who I met by email when she contacted me to suggest someone she thought would be a good interview guest for this ezine. Of course, I clicked on the links in her signature box in the email and found a delightful writer, artist, and teacher with a zillion interests who I felt would also be a perfect interview subject. So I invited her. She accepted. Sit back and enjoy an energetic story of this creative entrepreneur's life. Oh, and yes I did agree with her suggestion and invited Jennifer Louden to be the guest in the next issue and she accepted.
SH: Hi Lain, how have you come to enjoy the life you live today?
Lain: As a writer, I know the value of editing... and that goes for editing my schedule and activities as well as on paper! Over the past decade, I've constantly evaluated and re-evaluated what things (events, activities, accomplishments) bring me the most satisfaction and joy. I strive to add more of the elements I adore and cut those that aren't as fulfilling.
I'm a fast worker, so I'm able to add many different elements in my life that may seem impossible to manage for other people. But I thrive on the variety.
SH: When did you realize that you would be happiest doing a multitude of things?
Lain: I've always been one with a finger in many pies. I chose an interdisciplinary major in college (public policy) because I couldn't focus on strictly one topic. And I chose to remain a freelance journalist because I knew I'd never be happy writing strictly about, say, home decor or high-tech marketing. When I read the books "Renaissance Soul" and "Refuse to Choose," they gave me the validity to accept and rejoice in the way I am instead of fighting against it.
SH: How have you learned to balance your multiple interests?
Lain: That's been the hardest thing for me! My brain goes a million miles an hour, and I'm always dreaming up the next book, the next project, the next plan. It's very difficult for me to focus on only one (or only a few) to the exclusion of every other possibility. This is something I'm still struggling with. I'm working to learn that choosing one thing doesn't mean forsaking all others in the long-term -- just in the short-term.
SH: This seems to be a struggle for many of us. How do you manage your time? Do you make a plan?
Lain: I'm a big planner and list-maker. I have lists of deadlines (self-imposed and external), and I'm pretty good about meeting them. In fact, once I start slipping on the deadlines, I know it's time to re-evaluate my commitment to that project. That's usually a good clue that my interest is waning and maybe it's time to move on.
Day-by-day, I typically focus on the items with the most imminent deadlines.... I keep everything moving forward, and am more of a multi-tasker than a serial focuser. If that makes any sense! I've noticed that even if I am bouncing from one thing to another, as long as I'm doing a little bit on a lot of things, stuff gets done.
An average day would find me lining up sources for an article for a business magazine, designing a scrapbook page for publication, updating my blog, checking e-mail (A LOT!), and writing the next chapter of a novel my sister and I are coauthoring. In between, I'm teaching a crafting class for my son's class, driving my three kids to their various activities, and making plans to work out with a girlfriend.
SH: Have you had any mentors, books or people, who have influenced you?
Lain: My husband, John, has been incredibly supportive. He is the exact opposite of me -- has been with the same company since he graduated from business school! But I think he gets a kick out of my various interests and passions, and he's a good sport about my crazy work hours and deadlines. Since he travels quite a bit for work, I often end up working at 11 at night after the kids have gone to bed.
Great books: "The LIfe Organizer" by Jennifer Louden, "Renaissance Soul" by Margaret Lobenstine, and "Refuse to Choose" by Barbara Sher. I also like "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway" by Susan Jeffers. Going in a lot of different directions means I'm regularly outside my comfort zone. Learning to enjoy that feeling has been invaluable.
SH: And lastly, Lain, what advice would you share with our readers?
Lain: 1. When you feel crazy-in-love with something, go for it! Don't waste your time questioning why and how it will fit in your life. Embrace it and be happy that you can feel that kind of passion!
2. Look for common themes... I love to write, so that's a common element in everything I do. I also love to make people laugh, I love to teach, and I strive to build community. Knowing that those are some of the high-level goals I'm working towards helps me feel less schizophrenic!
3. Remember to breathe! Take time to just rejoice in where you are right now -- when you are always planning the next thing, you can live too much in the future. That's dangerous, because you're at risk of wishing away your life.
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Lain Ehmann is a journalist, scrapbook designer, teacher, and artist. She's written over 2000 articles for magazines as diverse as Runner's World, the Christian Science Monitor, and Selling Power Magazine. A crazed knitter, reader, and crossword puzzle fanatic, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, three kids, and a ton of crafting and art supplies. Currently working on a mystery novel with her sister, Lain regularly updates her blog with her adventures at: www.knitandpurlgrrl.blogs.com
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2006-07 Susan Henderson, All rights reserved.
