Kristin Pierce's Blog, page 3

Stretch Yourself Beyond What You THINK is Possible

Stretching your comfort zone can conjure all kinds of magic. It will open your mind. It will expand your heart. It will stretch your soul. And in doing so, you will be changed and stretched in ways you could have never imagined. You will come out on the other side of the experience, every time, never the same. If you are open to it, you will be thoroughly transformed by these experiences. There are learning opportunities buried in the depths and riding in the shallows of each and every experi...

Creativity Fuels the World

I recently revisited an article titled "We're All Born Creative Geniuses, Until School System Stifles It." The results of a study on student creativity shows that, as students age through the school years, their creative capacity greatly diminishes.Could this be a result of the school system? It absolutely could be to some extent, but that is definitely not the only source. The natural evolution of the mind is to form more belief systems (judgments that we believe are truths), which begin to...

Rhythm & Rhyme

I love to write in rhythm and rhyme.I absolutely do it all of the time.Why do I do it? It's perfectly clearIt keeps your attention, now doesn't it, dear?It's fantastically fun to follow along.It'll get your foot tapping - just like a song.Listening for rhyme sounds - making the match.Sparking new connections that open the hatch.Rhyme is catchy - you'll want an encore.In the back of your mind, it'll open a door.Transforming your brain into a think tankOn hyper alert to fill in the ____________...

6 Ways to Skyrocket Reading Comprehension & Emotional Intelligence for Your Child

Reading is a wildly important skill for all children to learn. Everyone knows that. But being able to read is not the only important thing. Understanding what is being read is a huge part of the learning process. Posing questions while reading to your child at a young age can greatly encourage independent thinking, emotional intelligence, and skyrocket reading comprehension right from the get go. Here are some ways you can skyrocket your child’s comprehension, reasoning, and emotional intelligence while reading together:1. Invite a Recap.Pause in the story and ask your child to summarize what just happened. It is important to do this in a way that is fun, so it doesn’t feel like work. > “Whoa! That page had a lot of big words. Can you tell me what just happened?” > "Why do you think the character is doing that?"This encourages your child to pause and reflect upon what happened in the story, potential motives for action, and to problem solve or think critically in order to come up with a way to describe it back to you. 2. Emphasize the Takeaways.Whenever there is a problem or a learning message to uncover, pose some questions to your child. > “What do you think the main character learned from that mistake or experience?" > "Can you tell me two main things you learned from reading this book?"You can also add your own opinion on takeaways to show a different angle or perspective.3. Name Those Emotions.When there is a point in the story where a character is upset or emotional, pause to ask your child how he/she thinks the main character is feeling. This can greatly boost your child’s emotional intelligence as it gets your child to recognize facial expressions associated with emotions.Upon your child’s response, you can also ask what other words could be used to describe that emotion. What a great opportunity to expand emotional vocabulary and self understanding.4. Connect with the Character:Expanding on the previous point, you can invite your child to share how he would feel if the same thing happened to him. “It looks like the main character is really upset. How do you think you would feel if that happened to you?” This can encourage empathy by considering being in the character’s shoes.If there is a problem between two characters, you can also inquire as to how your child would feel if on the other side of the dilemma. This can stop the blaming and naming of bully and victim, and rather create understanding for both parties.5. Problem Solving & Independent Thinking:When problems arise in a book, and they always do, it opens a door to a great learning opportunity for problem solving and independent thinking. You can offer questions to your children and over time they will start picking out the problems and coming up with solutions all on their own. > For example: “Do you think that was a kind way to act?”If not: “What could be some kinder ways that character could have handled the situation?” Allow your child to think up some solutions. You can also introduce some of your own solutions as well or some outside-the-box ideas. Kindness brainstorming is a great way to teach morality and ethics at the same time.Another option is to invite your child to reflect upon how she would have handled the situation if it had happened to her: > “Is that how you would have handled the situation? Is there anything you would have done differently if you were in that position?”6. Work Through Emotions:We all have emotions and it is okay to express them. But, we shouldn’t take our emotions out on other people. This can be a great learning point to touch on when any characters are being 'mean' or having a tough time with their emotions. > “What are some ways the main character could have worked through his emotions?” Your child can list some ways to express emotions, some ways to manage or process emotions, or come up with new ideas to try. These types of questions will promote emotional intelligence as well as teach your child ways to express, process, and communicate his or her own emotions. There are the 6 ways to skyrocket reading comprehension and emotional intelligence. Which one was your favourite? Let us know in the comments.In what ways do you support your child's reading comprehension? Do you have any tips that you use to teach your children emotional intelligence? If so, please share your tips!Thanks for reading!About the Author: loves chai lattes, inspirational quotes, hunting down incredible kids books, and writing in rhyme. She is a Children's Book Author, Self-Awareness Educator, and Momma of two who is on a mission to spread empowering and inspiring messages about following your passion, thinking outside-the-box, and believing in your big dreams. She is the author of and, coming soon, Mayva O'Meere, Creationeer.Find us on Facebook & Instagram @InnerCompassBooks or check out our that is full of FUN printable activities for your children.

The Gift of Vulnerability

In speaking with my brother about my author journey in the past year, I realized that the greatest gift that has come from this experience is the gift of vulnerability. It was the most potent and transformational gift I could have ever unraveled from this experience, and one that I was not remotely expecting, let alone in this magnitude.The journey was fun – it was fresh, new, and exciting. But, the learning curve was incredibly steep and I had no clue what was around the next corner. I was flying blind and it was challenging in more ways than I care to admit. However, in the midst of grueling challenges often await the most golden of opportunities. This journey was no exception. Throughout the entire process (on a very regular basis), a gargantuan amount of fears and limiting beliefs rose to the surface with extreme potency:Who do you think you are to publish a book? What do you know? You’re not an expert.Why would anyone want to buy it?What if everyone hates it, you get torn to shreds, and you sunk a whole bunch of money into a complete flop?Clearly, when vulnerability is coming your way, the ego does a damn fine job of trying to get you to “Save yourself and run for the hills!” I could hear this self talk and [attempted] to use it as an opportunity to resolve some limiting beliefs and a whole lot of fear. Sometimes I let it drag me through the metaphorical mud before I caught myself, calmed myself, and found some composure. Eventually I could hear:What if it opens a few minds and helps a few kids? That would be beautiful wouldn’t it?What if it only helps my own kids? Hmm, well that would be pretty great, too.What if it encourages other people to lasso their wild dreams too? Heck YES! Now, that’s what I’m talking about.Wait, what if it helps open me up to sharing messages that I’m so passionate about? Ah-ha. Sure, I wanted to educate and create change with a new perspective in children’s books. But, what I have gained from this experience in personal growth, experience, and self-discovery has far outweighed my financial investment and time commitment.From the fear of showing my heart and soul to the world, to the fear of judgment, to the unconditional love and acceptance I’m still working to continually uncover within myself, the layers I have had to work through have been mind-blowing.Then my ego pipes in to say, “It’s only a Children’s Book, lady!”Yes, I know. Thank you. (Nice kitty). But what it represents is so much more than that. I didn’t just write a children’s book about how to pee on the potty, or how to take care of a pet goldfish. (Not that I’m opposed to those types of books). I wrote it about a topic that I’m wildly passionate about, which is vulnerability at its finest.In learning to get more comfortable with vulnerability, which is something I used to avoid like the plague, it has opened me up to a whole new level of truth, connection, and purpose.I learned that I was far more comfortable with failure and playing it safe than I was with success. And this may seem backwards, but failure is safer. Failure doesn’t threaten anyone, it doesn't threaten our ego, it is more expected, and it is way more accepted. A lot of times, we keep our dreams to ourselves to avoid embarrassment from failure or to keep ourselves hidden and small. But I think it is more than that. If we share our deepest dreams and desires, it might open us up to realizing we could actually make a change – and that can be hella scary. It is way easier to hide, avoid, and sleep walk through life… but it will never create fulfillment. In my heart, I knew I couldn’t live with settling and playing it safe. So, I embarked on a new adventure that lit a fire in my soul.I learned the fear of wild heart-led success was way more intimidating than any fear of failure that my mind had ever conjured. Then I dove deeper. The fear of failure is actually about fear of rejection and abandonment. As a baby, it is an innate survival tactic to avoid rejection as it could lead to baby’s demise if her primary caregiver abandons her. Well, newsflash to my ego: I am a grown ass woman. Am I going to die if someone abandons me? Hell no. But I will die a slow, horrible demise on the inside if I abandon myself and my dreams. So, it was definitely time to let go of these archaic belief systems that were no longer serving me or my growth. Because, I wasn't about to let my wildest dreams die -- it's just not my style. So that meant I had to do the inner work and get out of my own way so that I could stand behind my creation.What old beliefs are stopping you from going after your heart’s desires?What archaic programming do you hear in your head from when you were younger? Are any of these beliefs serving you anymore? Or are they stifling your dreams, feeding your fears, and shutting down possibilities?Grab a pen and some paper and start asking yourself these questions.I hope you unearth some incredible discoveries so that you can choose something different.

Top 5 Tips for Infusing FUN into Reading with Your Child

If you are a parent, you know the immense benefits of reading with your child. Here are a few tips and tricks to infuse FUN into reading to keep your child interested and engaged. The best part is that while you're at it, you'll also help to boost your child's speech, vocabulary, and comprehension while learning, connecting, and bonding with your child. I bet you'll even have fun too -- Talk about a lot of wins!Here are my Top 5 Reading Tips:1. Repeat Back to Me. Ask your child to repeat new words. Regardless of age, this tip can increase your child’s vocabulary, confidence, and enunciation. From easy words to difficult ones, this is a trick that can be a huge confidence boost for your child, plus it can get them to practice and work to improve on their speech. > “Can you say truck?” > “Can you say hippopotamus?” > “Can you say flibbertigibbet?”Be sure any feedback you give is constructive and encouraging so they will have a positive experience and want to continue.2. Fill in the Blank.When reading books with rhyming verse, or books with repetition, leave out some of the rhyme words or common phrases to get your child to fill in the blank. This keeps your child engaged, paying attention, and (trust me) your child will surprise you with how quickly they catch on. It won't be long until they are busy telling you other words that rhyme too!3. Word Meaning.When you come across new words, ask your child if they know what that word means. You’d be surprised how often there are words that kids will say that they do not know the correct context of. And you'll probably also be just as surprised with the words that your child does know! If your child does know the meaning of the word, ask him/her to tell you about it. Remind your child that if there are ever any words that they don’t know the meaning of, to simply ask – because that is how we learn!4. Exercising Choice.When reading books with illustrations, it can be fun to ask your child which option he/she would choose or which is his/her favourite and why. “Which one would you choose?” Whether it is options, pictures, inventions, creations, animals, etc., it can be fun for kids to exercise their choice! > “Ooh, that’s a fun choice – why did you pick that one?” You can take it a step further by asking the reasons for their choice. A simple answer of “because I like it” is totally fine. However, this process will encourage independent thought and you can also participate to show your choice and reasons for your choice which will teach your child about difference of opinion.5. Learning Takeaways.Reviewing any pages that have great learning messages is a great way to reflect and connect your child with the learning points of the story. > For young toddlers, asking posing questions where they can answer Yes/No, and expand on their answers if they are able is a great way to develop their comprehension and independent thinking. > For older kids aged 3-8, you can pose questions that will elicit a reflective response, such as: “What do you think the main character learned in this story?” Or “Can you tell me 2 things you learned from this."There you have it! Give these Top 5 Reading Tips a try and let us know how they work for you! If you have any other tips that you use and have found fun and successful, let us know in the comments below. About the Author:Kristin Pierce loves chai lattes, inspirational quotes, hunting down incredible kids books, and writing in rhyme. She is a Children's Book Author, Self-Awareness Educator, and Momma of two who is on a mission to spread empowering and inspiring messages about following your passion, thinking outside-the-box, and believing in your big dreams. She is the author of Your Inner Compass That Couldand, coming soon, Mayva O'Meere, Creationeer.Find us on Facebook & Instagram @InnerCompassBooks or check out our FREE Parent & Teacher Learning Resource that is full of FUN printable activities for your children.

The Evolution of a Story

As I prepared for my first classroom presentation on the creative writing process, I retrieved the stack of manuscripts that sat on top of my shredder, awaiting their fate. Instead, I put them in a binder, along with my other manuscripts (all for the same book) to show the children how much a story evolves and changes during the editing process. The next day, as I showed the class my binder of edited manuscripts, their jaws dropped open. “Whoaaa!” said one child. “That’s a lot!” noted another. “How many are there?” asked another student. So, I counted them. 13. Whoa. By the time the smoke cleared, they totaled 20 editions. Looking at the first manuscript and the final manuscript, they are barely recognizably related – perhaps distant cousins, at best. In one edit alone, 35 brand new rhyming lines were added, while some lines were omitted altogether, and many lines were tweaked until the wording felt and sounded just right. Twenty edits. And those were only the edits that had changed enough that the warranted a reprint. Twenty edits over the course of a few months.Can you imagine if we could document our personal evolution in this way? How much would you have grown, evolved, and changed in the past month, year, decade? Whoa. If you could go back and read the manuscript of your life from then, what would it say? Sometimes it can be extremely healing to honour your journey and your evolution.In the editing process of my second Children’s book, the storyline evolved so much. I realized that, in order for the story to evolve, I had to let go of some lines that I liked for the betterment of the story. Some lines felt forced, some lines just didn’t sound right, felt off, or stuck out like a sore thumb. All of them had to go. Did it mean I wasted a bunch of time writing lines that were useless? Not at all. It meant that I was witnessing my own evolution in the story.In taking time to pause and reflect on how I felt about the story, while reflecting on what I truly wanted and where I wanted the story to go, layers of clarity began to surface... all I had to do was allow it the freedom to grow and evolve. Would I have gotten to the same end result if I hadn’t gone through the process of writing all those editions? I don't believe so. It was truly a process of evolution where removing certain lines led to a new idea, which opened up a different possibility, which allowed the story to become all it was meant to be.In editing, I found myself hesitant to delete some lines. Isn’t it interesting how our attachment does that? Our attachments can actually stifle our evolution if we refuse to loosen our grip. Can you think of a time when you held onto something so tightly in hopes it would be coerced into being the perfect fit, when you knew in your heart it was never meant to be? Sometimes we need to learn the hard way.In order for the story to grow and evolve into its full potential, I had to be willing to let some lines go. I didn’t know if those were going to be replaced at the time, or if they just needed to be cut loose. But I trusted that I knew what I had to do. I didn’t know what was going to happen, I just knew these lines were hindering the story. I followed my gut feeling whole-heartedly and the results blew my mind.Now, I sit here reflecting on the possibilities for the evolution of my story that I would have completely missed had I not loosened my grip on what did not feel or fit quite right. Had I been stuck in my tunnel vision of attachment, I would have been blind to my intuitive pop ups and evolving ideas that were truly gifts to allow me to improve my story.So is it with life.As we evolve as humans, our desires change, our priorities shifts, and sometimes the things we used to want don’t align with our souls anymore. But what if we never give ourselves permission to change, revise, or edit our plan or our lives? How squishy and suffocating does that feel? To think that we never grow or experience personal evolution is ludicrous to me. If we aren’t growing, we are dying. And in our personal evolution, our personal stories (lives, careers, dreams, goals, desires) should be evolving alongside us too.When we get stuck in attachment to everything in our lives -- from our jobs to our partners to our cars to the picket white fence -- we create tunnel vision for ourselves. This tunnel vision does not allow us to see all of the magnificent possibilities that are constantly opening up around us if we would only let go enough to be able to open our eyes. After all, your soul is totally rooting for you and your intuition has your back. If you would only let go of how the story “should” go, it can unfold and blow your mind.What if you gave yourself permission to edit and revise your “plan” for your life on a regular basis? What would you change?What if you were open to let go of the parts of life that just aren’t fitting right? What if you quit pushing the parts that feel forced? Would that feel different?What if you let your heart lead, even just a little bit more, instead of being stuck in your head? How would that change your life?What if you gave yourself permission to let go of how you THINK life needs to go, so that it can unravel beyond your wildest dreams?What if you opened your eyes to experience the aligned possibilities that have been waiting for you? Imagine what you would find.I invite you to reflect on these questions. If you feel the call to journal, give yourself 2 minutes per question. Let me know how it goes.Honouring your Journey,KristinAbout the Author: loves chai lattes, inspirational quotes, hunting down incredible kids books, and writing in rhyme. She is a Children's Book Author, Self-Awareness Educator, and Momma of two who is on a mission to spread empowering and inspiring messages about following your passion, thinking outside-the-box, and believing in your big dreams. She is the author of Find us on Facebook & Instagram @InnerCompassBooks or check out our that is full of FUN printable activities for your children.

The Transformation of a Manuscript (and Me)

We are in the final editing round for my next Children’s book and it blows me away to watch how a rough draft will go through so much transformation. Before submitting my manuscript, I thought it was “done.” Then, as I reread it (after not looking at it for a while), I had some new ideas and it got a substantial edit before I even sent it in for the first professional editing rounds! About 30 new lines were added and some were cut loose which allowed the storyline to flow better.Editing is so critical. Obviously. But it is so amazing to me to watch a work transform and grow into what it is truly capable of, just by sharing it with some new eyes. The neat thing about self publishing, is at the end of the process, the edits that my editor sends are my call. I get to choose which to keep. Now I know she’s a professional editor, so I do take her suggestions fairly seriously. But there are still times when I liked my word choice or the flow it had before. Other times, her suggestion leads to a new wording idea. It is really fun to experience. (Just let me adjust my nerd glasses here for a second

Let Them Be Little

Let them be little.Take them by the hand.Squat down to see the ladybug.Lift them up to the tree stand.Stop to smell the flowers.Let loose playing at the park.Spark curiosity by pointing outThe Big Dipper in the dark.Together, build the greatest fortThe world has ever seen.Connect with understandingWhen friends are being mean.Have an open heart-to-heartWhile you’re playing make believe.Share the wildest dreams in your heartThat you’re each hoping to achieve.Make time to go out exploringTo fuel that giant sense of wonder.Get fired-up for their passionsSee what magic lives up under.Go on a rock hunting expedition.Be sure to ask the rock its name.Then build a wondrous fairy houseTo spark that imaginative flame.Teach heart-empowered messagesThrough reading favourite books.Pause for integrative questionsAnd to resolve any puzzled looks.Paint Picasso-style self portraits.Collaborate silly songs that rhyme.Have dance parties in the kitchenWhen it’s the middle of supper time.Get all dressed up on Halloween.Show the kids you’re excited as can be.Prove you’ve lost your inhibitions.Let your imagination run wild and free.Overflow their hearts with love.Give them way too many kisses.Make up imaginative stories andBelieve in magic unicorn wishes.Give your undivided attention.Play bumper cars out on the deck.Wrestle, tickle, give piggybacks,Feel those little arms around your neck.They don’t need to grow up fast.So, let them just stay little.They’ll be full grown before you know it,Show them how to be free and little.About the Author: loves chai lattes, inspirational quotes, hunting down incredible kids books, and writing in rhyme. She is a Children's Book Author, Self-Awareness Educator, and Momma of two who is on a mission to spread empowering and inspiring messages about following your passion, thinking outside-the-box, and believing in your big dreams. She is the author of the Children's Book coming soon titled Find us on Facebook & Instagram @InnerCompassBooks or check out our that is full of FUN printable activities for your children.

Update on I've Got the Magic in Me

Book two has been a tough journey in getting it (and me) to a place where it was feeling ready. I had a lot of resistance, left brain freak-outs, self doubt, and self sabotage show up. At first I thought it was just my ego taking me on a fear-based trip, so I tried to navigate without allowing my ego to totally derail me. (Emphasize TRIED). In the end, I felt as though I was forcing it. It didn’t feel right. Was it because of fear, or intuitive gut feelings?? I think a combination of both. Once I got a clear view of the fear, it still wasn't feeling right. And I knew that if I kept pushing myself forward through it and it already didn’t feel good, that it probably wasn’t going to ever sit well.I realized that I cannot be scared of whether other people are going to like my book. (Duh!) I also realized that I need to absolutely love my book, be so passionately excited about it, and want to shout from the rooftops about it if I want to keep committed to the process and follow through on my vision.In the end, I knew neither book 2, nor I, were actually really ready. It needs more incubation time (who does?!). And when I finally let go of the need to push forward with book 2, I was able to have a fantastic idea unfold of what I’m going to do with it. It needs a mild revamp but I have a plan. When we are too attached to how we ‘think’ things need to go, we can miss other opportunities, ideas, and awareness. When we are too attached, it’s like we have blinders on. This was a great lesson to learn, yet againnn. (Apparently i need to really GET IT this time!)All of this to say that I’ve Got the Magic in Me is going back on the shelf, is going to be mildly revamped, and now is in line for position of book #4.Luckily, I had another manuscript mostly completed and waiting. It unraveled with divine timing and is now up for Book #2 and in the editing stages. Illustration descriptions are coming together nicely as well (and with so much more ease than I’ve Got the Magic in Me).In the midst of January’s emotional rollercoaster, another divinely timed happening (which confirms to me that I’ve made the right choice), is that as soon as I told my project manager what I was wanting to do, she mentioned they had a new illustrator they just hired. She looks fantastic and is not swamped with 15 other projects (like my previous illustrator was)! This is marvellous as the illustration time will be greatly reduced. I am still going to be more realistic with launch timing (and potential hiccups) in saying that I’m really hopeful that my next book will be available in online streams before Christmas 2018 — hopefully well before.Once I am through the editing process I will release details on this next book. The sneak peak info is that the main character is wildly creative.