Posts by Hillary
My Inner Critic is a Wise Latina
I had a really bad night’s sleep last night, even for me. At one point, I actually dreamt that I was being judged by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor! Could be worse–could have been Scalia or Alito or Thomas. So the yield of twelve+ years work helping others overcome their perfectionism is that my Inner…
Read MoreWikipedia the Wise
New Articles on Procrastination and Perfectionism, and How to Help Your Kid Kick the Video Game Habit
Just posted new, updated sections on how to recognize and overcome Procrastination and Perfectionism. Please check them out! Also posted a new article called How to Help Your Kids Kick the Video Game Habit. It’s adapted from one I published a while back on the Psychology Today blog, andit will be useful to anyone (not…
Read MoreGood Apps for Distraction-Free Writing
Here are ten apps that let you write on a “clean” screen without distracting menus or other junk.
Read MoreRob Hatch on Learning versus “Figuring It Out”
A great post from Rob Hatch on asking why asking an expert is usually better than just figuring things out yourself: I do have limited time. Do I want to spend my limited time training, or do I want to spend it putting my own plan together after reading about how to train, what to…
Read MoreMy Dad’s Finest Hour
My Dad’s finest hour may have been during the famous U.S. Postal Workers Strike of 1970. Per Wikipedia: “At the time, postal workers were not permitted by law to engage in collective bargaining. Striking postal workers felt wages were very low, benefits poor and working conditions unhealthy and unsafe. APWU president Moe Biller described Manhattan…
Read MoreSeth Godin and Jennifer Crusie on Artistic Legitimacy
Following onto the post about Amanda Palmer’s exhortation to legitimize yourself as an artist, instead of waiting for gatekeepers to do so, here are marketing guru Seth Godin and best-selling romance author Jennifer Crusie on the same topic. First, Godin: No knight, no shining armor “Sure, Seth can do that, because he has a popular…
Read MoreCat is Literal Writer’s Block
Children’s author Deborah Underwood catches her cat Bella in the act of literally being a writer’s block. (Sitting on one of Deb’s notebooks.) Read an interview with Bella here. Like all cats, she’s got opinions!
Read MoreAmanda Palmer on Why Artists Should Self-Promote (Bonus: How To Do It Without Selling Out!)
Last week I wrote about Amanda Palmer’s excellent keynote speech for the Grub Street Writers’ Muse and the Marketplace conference, where she made an impassioned plea for artists to validate themselves instead of waiting for a publisher, gallery owner, studio, or other gatekeeper’s endorsement. She also had a lot of useful things to say about…
Read MoreInger Mewburn on Racism in Academia
A very good and honest piece from Inger Mewburn, a.k.a., The Thesis Whisperer, about waking up to racism in academia, and her own white privilege: At the time Joe and I were both looking for more permanent work in academia. It has to be said that neither of us were having much luck. I barely…
Read More