Janice MacLeod's Blog, page 8
August 11, 2021
When broken things break you
May 19, 2021
Top 10 Art Supplies for Creatives
Paris Cafés are open today
This is a big day in Paris. The cafés are open again. The photo above was taken before all this pandemic business happened, so we are all crammed in, no masks, breathing. Happy days! On this particular day, my friends from LA were in town so my worlds were happily colliding. We walked and ate (very French), and took photos of famous movie spots (very Hollywood).
Hope is on the horizon.
Janice
PS The journaling course is still on sale until May 31st. Learn how to take your journal writing to the next level and create amazing things. Save $30 until May 31st.
PPS Join the list. I’ll send love notes, news and freebies to your inbox. I’ve got a bunch of wild and crazy ideas in my journal writing. Bit of a mess. Should take my own course to learn how to iron it all out.
(photo credit: Robert Strohmaier)
May 14, 2021
Journaling, magic and success
I’m lucky to be in a position to be asked advice on things. Mostly Paris and creativity. These are things I know.
May is the beginning of tourist season in Paris. Usually I start getting emails about what to do and where to spend time if one has two days, five days, two weeks in Paris. It’s a little different this year, of course. When I lived in Paris, I would spend a few days walking out-of-towners around my neighbourhood, taking them to my favourite haunts and giving them a few tidbits of interesting information at each one. It wasn’t exactly a walking tour since I forgot most of the historic details of each place. I told them what I remembered or what I found interesting, then when our feet were tired, we would find a café with a nice view of the street. The lazy tourist. That’s how I rolled.
This week, I connected with a lady and her niece. The niece had just graduated from college and was about to move to Los Angeles. LA is another topic I know a lot about.
I wanted to take her aside and tell her so many things.“Forget the Eiffel Tower. You need to know about parking in Beverly Hills.”
As someone who lived in LA for a long time toiling away at the ol’ career, I had much to offer this young grasshopper. I wanted to tell her that LA is a big town and she’ll need a good car with great gas mileage. I wanted to tell her to use sunscreen because too many people have parts and pieces lobbed off their noses and ears. I wanted to tell her to live beneath her means and to not let Whole Foods make her lazy in the kitchen. They may cut all her vegetables, but in doing so they will cut deep into her paycheck, too. I wanted to tell her to learn to surf and spend as much time at the ocean as possible. Ditch the makeup and let the hair fall as it may. That’s the look. Don’t fall for the prices at Forever21. The fabric doesn’t last beyond a few washes.
But mostly I wanted to tell her to keep a journal.Because if I were at the beginning of my career and green with life skills, I would have wished someone would have told me to keep a daily journal. I believe I would have been happier and better at life sooner.
Daily journal writing = Life design 101Luckily, I came across Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way early on (but not early enough) which explained the magic of morning pages, which is writing three pages a day in a journal every day.
Writing in a journal has helped me figure out my life. Simple. Each day I carved out time in my day to figure out finances, heal heart ache, ponder creative path, and plan the day, week, and year. It was the place where I figured out how to save up, pare down, quit my job and travel. On the road, the journal was my home base. The one place that was familiar when everything around me was different.
I wrote to learn what I knew.And what I knew was that I was the boss of me and I had all the inner resources I needed to effectively deal with my situations. That when life went askew, I could pull back, open my journal and figure out what to do. Most of all, I wrote down my angst in a private place so I didn’t have to offload it onto others and stink up the joint with my foul mood. Everyone around you can smell your vibe… what’s your signature blend?”
Sweet with a hint of spice.In the end, I didn’t tell the young grasshopper much at all beyond a few tidbits about Paris. My spidey sense said she wouldn’t have heard me anyway.
Youth. That whole thing.But I would have loved to tell her about the magic of journaling.
By the way, my new ecourse is about what to do with all your journal pages. How to organize the mess, find the gems and create something out of it. All my books and letters started as journal entries. There is a formula and a method to make it not an overwhelming slog. I promise. And it’s on sale for the month of May.
And now, I’ll will make a cup of coffee, open my journal and begin my day…
May 10, 2021
The art of journaling (it’s not all about writing)
Lately I’ve been sensing that there was another ecourse hovering in my general head space. But what? I asked around. People offered up suggestions. But my general languishing left me lackadaisical about starting anything.
But then Jamie R came along and saved the day. She writes:“I am already a journaler and I was wondering how to turn streams of conscious thought into something more focused, like a story vs rambling about all the things in no particular order.”
And I thought, Yep, I know about this. The art of journaling isn’t all about writing. There is also editing, organizing, deciding, and also choosing to NOT write in the journal. I know. *mind blown*Often we get stuck in writing and are not sure about the next steps, so I created a course called:*
This title makes me laugh, laugh, laugh so I kept it. Jamie R simply pulled me OUT of my languishing and back into CREATIVITY.
If there is one thing I know about, it is journaling. Pages and pages, books and books. A whole hot mess of thought captured in the beautiful Apica Twin Ring:
Featured with the ultimate companion, the UniBall Vision Micro pen.
I’ve become such a sucker for this combo that I can hardly write without them. To not have them sends me into silent fits of fury. I enjoy writing with them so much that I can go on and on and on, day after day, year after year, with journals filled with “rambling about all the things in no particular order” as Jamie R so eloquently states.
But what to DO!?!?!?! with all that genius? How to BEGIN sorting though that hot mess? How does one make something wonderful from all the journal writing? In this new course, you’ll learn:
How to sort through the journals with an editor’s eyeLearn what to toss and what to keepHow to organize the contentDecide what project to do firstThe behind-the-scenes of how I turn my journal writing into books, art, letters, and blog posts.*
Once I figured out how to sort through my journals, I ended up on a clear, time-efficient path to MAKING THE THINGS instead of writing about making the things. I started 11 years ago and have since wrote 3 best selling books.
Amazingly enough. It all started when I figured out WHAT TO DO with my journal writing.
I figured, if you’re reading this, chances are you’re already on my list. If you’re on my list, you should get fancy discounts. If you want this course, you probably already know you’re going to take it, so save some cash and buy yourself flowers and art supplies.
Interesting background tidbits on making this new ecourse:
The videos in this new ecourse are way more fun. I just let the camera roll and kept the less polished bits. Sometimes I look at other course creators and I stop listening to the content and just stare at their perfection. The hair. The teeth. The eloquence. It makes me wonder if they are really that nice or are seething Cruellas beneath all that SHOW.
On camera:
Off camera:
But with me, I brushed my hair. You’re welcome.
This is as good as it gets. My hair is still mostly curly-chemo-kink, but at least it’s long enough to wrangle into a writerly bun. When I began creating ecourses, I cared so deeply about the background, wanting it to be Mid-Century Modern with some rubber plants and light airy windows. But now I’m just glad most of the toys are off screen. And on this one I let my Funny Flag fly. I think it’s a side effect of our new Zoom world. We are discovering that real is better than perfect.
So if you’d like guidance on how to sort through all your journal writing and create something from it, check out the course. I gave you, dear reader, $30 off for the month of May.
PS If you would like to learn something from me that I don’t currently offer, let me know. If your question becomes a course, you’ll get it free.
April 16, 2021
Top 10 Oscar Wilde Quotes
Why do I love Oscar Wilde? First, he was a great writer. Second, he loved saying sensational things. Humble wasn’t his game. Why be humble when you can be great?
1. “I have nothing to declare except my genius.”
2. “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.”
I couldn’t agree more.
3. “I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their intellects.”
…which means Oscar and I would have been friends, acquaintances and enemies.
4. “I can resist everything except temptation.”
…which is especially true when faced with the many cheeses, desserts and breads of Paris.
He is also said to have something on his deathbed like, “My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or other of us has to go.” But sadly, Wikiquote corrected this and reports:
“The following clarification was printed in the Guardian’s Corrections and clarifications column, Thursday October 18 2007. Oscar Wilde did not say, on his deathbed, “Either those curtains go or I do.” He is reported to have said something along the lines of “this wallpaper will be the death of me – one of us will have to go”, but not on his deathbed.”
I’m counting that as #5.
6. “Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much.”
This I have found to be true. There are times I’ve been in a disagreement with someone and I have accepted blame and apologized for everything just to not give them anything to keep arguing about. Nothing shuts them up faster. Then I can get on with my day and life. Sorry (not sorry).
7. “There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.” Ain’t that the truth.
8. “You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.”
9.“ With freedom, flowers, books, and the moon, who could not be perfectly happy?”
10. “You can never be overdressed or overeducated.”
Speaking of, have you taken one of my ecourses?
Quirky fact: I discovered that the plaque on the apartment where he died in Paris says he was born October 15, 1856, but his gravestone states he was born October 16, 1856. It’s not like the French to make errors in history and stone. No one seems quick to change one or the other, so I’ll just chalk it up to one of those quirky Paris finds.
Janice and Oscar in Paris
P.S. If you like random fun posts like this, subscribe and I’ll send them to you inbox. Think of these posts as calm little Paris-infused breaks. Good mental health moments.
P.P.S. Requisite FYI… Mother’s Day is coming. I created bundles of six Paris Letters in my Etsy shop for easy fun mail. You basically get two free letters, plus I’ll throw in random Paris-themed note cards if you type the secret word in the Notes section when placing your order: OSCAR. (A special bonus for those who subscribe to my email list.) There are bonus packs of statues, fountains, and spring scenes. For example…
There is also a literary pack for book nuts in your life. The letters are sent together in one pack and are flat for framing.
It’s not really a display without succulents.
April 2, 2021
Hobbies: Knowing when to walk away, knowing when to run
I love gardening. I am not a good gardener. I start seeds that turn into seedlings… that die. I buy seedlings that I plant… that die. I water too much. I don’t water enough. And my tomatoes know it. And show it.
I love it. I love it all.
Conversely, I was strolling through the aisles of the local fabric store admiring the balls of yarn, bolts of fabric and other haberdashery items. Stroking them. Wondering about them. Admiring them.
Then I promptly walked away to go kill more things in my garden.
And that is the difference between hobbies you should be running toward and those you should be running from. I’ll spend big money on my garden (almost without thinking about it) but can’t muster permission to put down a fiver for a few yards of fabric.
I’m also tossing much of my art journal “hobby.” I have realized that it takes up so much room in my actual room and in my brain. When I finally get to it, I find it rather boring. My art journal and I are not friends. She is bossy and gets high on guilt trips.
“Their friendship was like a wilted bunch of flowers that she insisted on topping up with water. Why not let it die instead?” One Day, David Nicholls
I salivate and get all inspired by Instagrammers who make beautiful art journals. I’m just not one of them. In fact, I think I genuinely get more out of seeing their photos than creating my own pages. I blame mydocumentedlife. She’s just so good and I wish all my stuff were like her pages, but it’s not. And trying just makes me feel tired.
I’d rather fill my bird feeder for the cats next door. More entertaining. (All the cat lovers are nodding and the bird lovers are shaking their heads.)
I’m aware that I created this actual published art journal:
Sometimes it’s good to level with oneself. And this self is leaning toward the garden centre.
All this time at home (we are in another lockdown here) has me counting the Currency of Things. Sewing stashes and art journal materials is expensive in the currencies of time and mind space. I’d rather be blogging, writing, creating ecourses, and killing plants (not intentionally, just a side effect of my “skills”).
Is this part of spring fever? Am I going to start wanting to wash walls? Is this what is going on here? I’m actually excited to put stuff in the garbage bag, thereby giving myself a free pass and not feeling obligated to make art. I can’t believe I’m typing this but it’s true.
I invite you to do the same. Just fail big at a hobby and chuck all the stuff. The last time I did this, I ended up in Paris. I’m not sure what will happen this time, but I know for certain that for the moment, I’m just really excited about full garbage bags.
One of the side effects of this purging is finding material for writing. Seems I can’t walk by a ripped page of an atlas without being transported to a sunlit day of my angsty 20s. So I’ve been back to writing. And that feels good.
By the way…
I have a Spring Fever Sale on my Book Writing Course. Save $100 between now and April 15th. Then take that hundie directly to the garden centre and buy some plants. Try not to kill them.
Also, since I’ve just freed my mind of art journaling and sewing, I’ll be blogging more. Subscribe to the blog to get these sent to your inbox. I’m getting my freebies together so you’ll also be the first to know about new printables, ecourses, and plants I murder.
I’ve been loving all the photos of the new book and pets. Keep posting them on Instagram!
March 18, 2021
Captivating Captions
This week in my ecourse, A Writing Year, we are writing photo captions. What a missed opportunity this has been since cameras were invented! I have a friend who writes the wackiest photo captions on Facebook. He talks about the photo, but also mentions his life at the time… looking for cheap dental implants in Bangkok… eating a dodgy chicken and having a seizure on the side of the road as Indonesians wait for him to die. Crazy glorious writing! He’s the kind of guy who makes social media wonderful. Sure we all have issues with our screen time and the mangled fusions it is creating in our brains, but then I see his posts and am reminded that social media is also a wonderful forum for creativity.
By the way, you can still join A Writing Year ecourse. It is turning into a memoir-infused think tank of creativity. We share gems of our writing and are buoying each other along as we partake a gentle consistent writing practice for a year. Join here. (If you’ve already joined, login here.)
Here’s a few of my wonky photo captions. They aren’t all true. They only have a few bits of truth. Mostly poetic. And they aren’t the photos that end up getting printed or shared. They are photos in between, taken to remind me of a moment. And I’m certainly glad for that these days.
“Flipping through the new MUJI catalogue at a restaurant outside the Pantheon in Rome. British Airways lost my luggage and I had nothing but the clothes on my back. Came across a MUJI store, found a suitable frock for a few days and a catalogue of pens. Sitting outside the Pantheon, gazing at the new pen collection, wearing the dress still creased with folds, and a cold wine after a hot and bothered walk. I made it back to Rome and I knew I would be fine, able to turn it all around by going back to basics: comfortable dress, colourful pens, a bustling eatery. That was all I had to do. That was enough.”
“The entrance to Thunder Road was on Yonge and Eglinton in Toronto. New boyfriend. Old song. Screendoor slams, Mary’s dress waves, like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays…” That was all it took to make me want to hitch up to this ride. Thunder Road took a sharp turn to the 405 between Long Beach and Irvine, California. So much driving, but the musical education was worth it. Thunder Road forked outside a doctor’s office in Calgary as I caught my breath to get the results. It meandered through the mountains, over ski hills, through Prague, and finally down to the beach with the garden… and a porch of my own.”
“It didn’t make me crazy like it said it would.”
“The geraniums reminded me of the dream that I was once a 1950s housewife in Rome, wishing for an artsy life in California. It would never happen so I had to make it happen in the next life. The California dreamin’ life took me back to Rome where, if I let it, it could glue me in place at a kitchen sink and have me wash dishes all day long as I looked at the window at the geraniums. Rome is sticky. Need to wear shoes with soft tread.”
Posting photos isn’t even required to get a good paragraph:
“She just started dancing. Arms out, flailing. Head back, laughing. And I wondered when dancing went from flailing and laughing to controlled and self-conscious. I kicked out my leg. Then an arm. And in doing so, shed a few of those angry years and became young again.”
“Tom’s Liquor was ‘our place.’ The junction between his house and mind. ‘Tom’s?’ he would ask. And off we would trod toward each other. Years later, after life had us walking in different directions, he would occasionally send me a message. ‘Tom’s?’ and I would smile. Yes. We created a shorthand with each other. Just anticipating the meeting, and remembering the old, was enough.”
During these days of various forms of lockdown, it is nice to cruise through the travel photos and write little tidbits. Sometimes the captions are from alter egos. Sometimes fictional characters. Sometimes it’s the God’s honest truth but I veil in “fiction” to keep me brave.
RECENT NEWSWORTHIES:
Dear Paris is #1 in many categories on Amazon. Thank you for all this. If you haven’t picked up a copy for yourself and all your friends, please do. People have been posting the book with fun sidekicks:
Instagram: Andrews McMeel, my fantastic publisher. Macarons always make a good sidekick.
Instagram: juliejmacleod, who made me this delicious Pub Day cake. The day the book came out was quieter with our lockdown restrictionsthan other Pub Days, but this time there was time for napping so I didn’t mind.
Instagram: la_joie_de_livre, added the other books as sidekicks and has also been instrumental in taking great photos of all my books for years.
Instagram: Judy Cromier, because it’s not a true Paris book without a cat.
BOOKS
Dear Paris: It is now available in the USA and Canada, April 7th in Australia and New Zealand, April 15th in Europe April 15th.A Paris Year: Named one of the Top 10 Most Beautiful Books by USA Today.Paris Letters: The book that started it all, now a New York Times best seller.COURSES
A Writing Year: An inspiring writing lesson each week for a year.Book Writing: Learn how to write that book that is burning in your soul.JOIN THE LIST
Love notes sign up. I’ll send love notes, news and freebies to your inbox. Think of it as a warm cup of tea on a rainy day.March 6, 2021
Emotionally, this is one of the trickiest parts of the pandemic
We’re getting near the end of the pandemic. The vaccines are being approved and distributed. One two three! The new case numbers appear to be on a downward trajectory. And I think many of us have stopped looking for loopholes. Where I live, you can have up to 10 people over to your house. Six months ago people were having 11 and establishing who would run out the back door if the coppers arrived.
Honestly. We were having these conversations.
Now we can have 10 people over and we don’t even bother. We stand a little closer to the neighbour on our front yards and call that progress.
Look at us, winning.
Oh a year ago! A year ago we were traipsing around the big city, sitting elbow to elbow in crowded restaurants, popping into stores to look for non-essential purchases. (I bought a Culture Club album and we’ve been listening to Karma Chameleon for a year. Amélie is a pro with the record player and we set it on a low table for her to DJ her own fun.)
Oh a year ago! How we were swimming in clouds of other people’s breath without a concern in the world.
Then slam, lockdown, masks, “the big shop” for groceries.
And you do it. You hunker down, do what’s best for the community, and wait it out. You’re being a good sport about it, laughing about All Day PJs and hand sanitizer rashes. You Zoom like a pro.
Oh six months ago! The vaccine race was on. First to create it. Then to get it. Then to discuss whether you’re getting it or not. We stared at images on TV of bare arms getting shots. And we liked it.
And that brings us to now. We feel near the end of the waiting and all the emotions we’ve held at bay are simmering uncomfortably close to the surface. We are getting choked up at the wrong times. We are about to burst.
It reminds me of the two weeks before vacation.
In Paris, most shops close for the month August. In the two weeks prior, everyone is fighting with everyone. Colleagues who usually have an after work apéro suddenly have to get home and can’t make it. Friends are irritating. Neighbours walk by with nary a Bonjour, pretending they don’t see each other. Everyone is tired. Tired of the heat. Tired of each other. Tired of tourists. So they all take it out on each other. They know all will be forgotten and forgiven after a month at the beach.
So we, globally, are in this tricky two weeks before vacation.
We’re tired of being good sports about it and want to be big babies about it.
And that’s why we need to put some projects to the side and bring self-care to the forefront. We need to remind each other to drink water. We must sit in the bathtub and sulk alone. We must reduce the caffeine in order to induce the naps.
And that’s just the physical health. We need basic basic basic. Drink water. Move body. Eat apples. Sleep. Repeat. Buy our self some non-essentials.
We need some Karma Chameleon. Go ahead, click on the photo to go listen to it on YouTube. It helps.
Amélie doesn’t know all the words so she makes them up, which is perfect since I never knew all the words either. I’m not sure what we’re singing during our impromptu Solid Gold moments. Speaking of solid gold…
The new book, Dear Paris, came out on March 9th. It would mean so much to me if you would buy it for your favourite Francophile, especially if that is you. If you’re so inclined, make this book your Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, surprise gifts, gifts to Paris lovers. Links to purchase here.
You’ll be able to read 140 illustrated letters about Paris. Most of them are one page long, perfect for our short attention span lives these days. And even if you don’t want to read, you have pretty pictures to look at to help you fantasize about a day when you can traipse around a big city and sit elbow to elbow in crowded restaurants without a care in the world.
PS Learn more about Dear Paris and get links on where to buy it here.
PPS If you’d like love notes like this delivered to your inbox, sign up here.
Emotionally, this is one of the trickiest part of the pandemic
We’re getting near the end of the pandemic. The vaccines are being approved and distributed. One two three! The new case numbers appear to be on a downward trajectory. And I think many of us have stopped looking for loopholes. Where I live, you can have up to 10 people over to your house. Six months ago people were having 11 and establishing who would run out the back door if the coppers arrived.
Honestly. We were having these conversations.
Now we can have 10 people over and we don’t even bother. We stand a little closer to the neighbour on our front yards and call that progress.
Look at us, winning.
Oh a year ago! A year ago we were traipsing around the big city, sitting elbow to elbow in crowded restaurants, popping into stores to look for non-essential purchases. (I bought a Culture Club album and we’ve been listening to Karma Chameleon for a year. Amélie is a pro with the record player and we set it on a low table for her to DJ her own fun.)
Oh a year ago! How we were swimming in clouds of other people’s breath without a concern in the world.
Then slam, lockdown, masks, “the big shop” for groceries.
And you do it. You hunker down, do what’s best for the community, and wait it out. You’re being a good sport about it, laughing about All Day PJs and hand sanitizer rashes. You Zoom like a pro.
Oh six months ago! The vaccine race was on. First to create it. Then to get it. Then to discuss whether you’re getting it or not. We stared at images on TV of bare arms getting shots. And we liked it.
And that brings us to now. We feel near the end of the waiting and all the emotions we’ve held at bay are simmering uncomfortably close to the surface. We are getting choked up at the wrong times. We are about to burst.
It reminds me of the two weeks before vacation.
In Paris, most shops close for the month August. In the two weeks prior, everyone is fighting with everyone. Colleagues who usually have an after work apéro suddenly have to get home and can’t make it. Friends are irritating. Neighbours walk by with nary a Bonjour, pretending they don’t see each other. Everyone is tired. Tired of the heat. Tired of each other. Tired of tourists. So they all take it out on each other. They know all will be forgotten and forgiven after a month at the beach.
So we, globally, are in this tricky two weeks before vacation.
We’re tired of being good sports about it and want to be big babies about it.
And that’s why we need to put some projects to the side and bring self-care to the forefront. We need to remind each other to drink water. We must sit in the bathtub and sulk alone. We must reduce the caffeine in order to induce the naps.
And that’s just the physical health. We need basic basic basic. Drink water. Move body. Eat apples. Sleep. Repeat. Buy our self some non-essentials.
We need some Karma Chameleon. Go ahead, click on the photo to go listen to it on YouTube. It helps.
Amélie doesn’t know all the words so she makes them up, which is perfect since I never knew all the words either. I’m not sure what we’re singing during our impromptu Solid Gold moments. Speaking of solid gold…
The new book, Dear Paris, comes out on Tuesday March 9th. It would mean so much to me if you would buy it for your favourite Francophile, especially if that is you. If you’re so inclined, make this book your Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, surprise gifts, gifts to Paris lovers. It counts for more if all the orders happen by launch day (this Tuesday), which is why I’m going on about it. Links to purchase here.
You’ll be able to read 140 illustrated letters about Paris. Most of them are one page long, perfect for our short attention span lives these days. And even if you don’t want to read, you have pretty pictures to look at to help you fantasize about a day when you can traipse around a big city and sit elbow to elbow in crowded restaurants without a care in the world.
PS Learn more about Dear Paris and get links on where to buy it here.
PPS If you’d like love notes like this delivered to your inbox, sign up here.
