Bleeding has nothing to do with it. The best writers know death is the path to greatness. — In 1949, celebrated, Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper columnist Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith described writing in what would become one of the most oft-repeated quotes on the craft. “You simply sit down at the typewriter, open your veins, and bleed…” He wasn’t wrong. There has to be a soul in everything you…

For women who refuse to play by the rules, there’s an unavoidable expiry date. — When Anne Boleyn reappeared in England around 1521, she made a splash. Elegant, sophisticated, witty, and dressed in the latest continental fashions, she was an “it” girl of sorts who caught the eye of lordlings, poets, and kings alike. The court was captivated by her, longer before her dalliance with…

When you have a narcissistic mother, every memory is tinged with sadness. — Every memory I have from the ages of 17–18 is contained in a little black book. The cover, smooth, bears bold, metallic numbers along the binding. The year I graduated from high school. In the center, the name of my school is emblazoned with the familiar cardinal beside it. It’s…

How to handle the loneliness when you lack a connection to family during the holidays. — Despite what the Hallmark Channel might like you to believe, not everyone can go home for the holiday. Even if they have a family. Even if they have been welcomed, or even if they want to be there. Many obstacles can impede family connection during the holiday season. …

Are you struggling to keep calm this holiday season? The answer could lie in your history of emotional trauma. — Feeling more stressed as the holidays approach? Do you feel like there is no real reason for the stress? Maybe things are going well. There aren’t a lot of pressing plans or obligations on the agenda. All the same, you tensing up every time you go outside. You feel like…

Navigating family bonds when you’re the child of an emotionally immature caretaker. — Parents. Noble and selfless. Kind and warm. That’s the picture that we have painted, but it’s not the reality for millions of children living in the shadow of abusive, eggshell parents. The reality is that these children live lives in the pale. Screamed at. Belittled. Children of eggshell parents become…

For some parents, the caretaker’s journey is a journey of ego. — My client and her mother had been at war for years. You name it, they fought over it. Clothes. Hair. Shoes. Bags. What school my client was going to, what school she wasn’t going to. Everything between the two was a fight, and that was the only thing my client…

Or: Why you should write inspirational content that acknowledges the real world. — We are living through some dark times, and that means that inspirational content is more in demand than ever. People want to hear good things right now. They want to be told that everything is going to be okay and that sunshine is right around the corner. …

Struggling to find the gratitude in your life? Create a habit of thankfulness in just 30 days of creative journaling. — Most people don’t realize this big secret about me, but I start every day with a journaling practice that I’ve been using for about 3 years. All around my house, there are journals stacked on journals. Every page of them is covered in wiry black writing and stickers that are…