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Inclusivity, Diversity and Self-Publishing

When we were in Berlin last month visiting our daughter, we were invited to dinner by a wonderful group of folks from Israel. The guys happen to do business with my husband and are smart, capable men with smart, capable partners! My shoulders softened and my heart filled knowing they are there for my daughter and our family should we need anything. Trust me when I say, when your child lives so far away, these are the folks you want to be able to call!

At dinner that night, I was lucky enough (is it really luck or divine intervention?) to sit next to Sarah Cordivano. Sarah works as a Head of strategy and governance in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Berlin. She’s originally from Philadelphia and moved to Berlin 6 years ago. Her background is in data analytics and project management and she told me about the book she has just written: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: How to Succeed at an Impossible Job. The book is aimed towards anyone who is starting a job in DEI and wants to know how to get started, how to set a strategy and how to maintain a healthy relationship with the job. It’s very practical and hands-on. I loved her story and asked her to join me for an episode of MindFULL conversations. We talked about her book and her journey in writing it!

You can find our MindFULL conversation where you get your podcasts, on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Sticher or Google. Or click here https://mindfullconversations.buzzsprout.com/share

Even if her work isn’t your bag, maybe you’ve thought about writing a book. Listen to Sarah for ideas on how you can write one, too!

What The Borscht?

Last week I got a text and picture from my friend, John. It was the photo of 3 women and 3 guys, all standing by a food tent. My curiosty was piqued. Where were they? And who were those women?

Turns out, John, a retired United pilot, talked his retired pilot buddies into putting their time where their mouths are and going to the Ukraine to help feed refugees. Listen into this week’s MindFULL conversation as John phones it in from the World Central Kitchen food tent on the border of Poland and Ukraine.

You can find our MindFULL conversation where you get your podcasts, on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Sticher or Google. Or click here https://mindfullconversations.buzzsprout.com

And learn who the women are…

MindFULL conversations

What do you do when you are prone to micro conversations with people on planes, in lines and in yards as you walk by? What if you spent 25+ years having conversations with people about finance, health care, outdoor sporting gear, shoes, popcorn, insurance and window film? What about the books you read, the podcasts you listen to and ideas friends share that shift your perspective? You write this blog for 7 years and then you grow it into a PODCAST!

For years, many of you met me here each week on MindFULL Monday. Thank you! Now, as things change in my life, in the world and with the work that brought me face to face with so many, it’s time for me to change the way I spend time, and the folks I spend it with. As such, I am proud to announce that I am embarking on my own Second Arc (listen to Episode 2 – From Strength to Strength – about the book that inspired this change, From Strength to Strength by Harvard Professor of Happiness, Arthur Brooks) and learning the world of Voice Over Acting and Podcasting!

A few years ago, Ken and I built a sound booth in our basement. I set to work taking classes, getting coached, immersing myself in learning editing software and practicing. Then, I got a few breaks: A fundraising video VO gig, an audiobook opportunity (post to come, but check out Episode 4 – Love, Loss and Bold Living with Nancy Sharp) and another Tribute video. Next thing I knew, I was in a podcasting group and the idea to elevate the ideas and creative sharings from this beloved blog was born. My hope is that perhaps we can grow this into a community that shares ideas, where maybe I can even interview YOU and share what you are up to, so that together we can continue to be the better for time spent (my favorite success test).

Below is my Trailer – click on the > button in the bottom right-hand corner to hear it! And I am excited to have 3 other episodes on most platforms you listen to your podcasts on: Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google and Stitcher! Please subscribe, rate and leave a review, if you can! Here is my LinkTree for quick access: https://linktr.ee/robinglickstein . You can follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mindfullconversations/ and of course, here on The MindFULL Creative. I will try and post a little something each time I have a new episode to share. For now, 4 are up and you can hear them all. Then it will be MindFULL Mondays again in a few weeks! I hope you’ll tune in and find something that gives you a new perspective. Just like having a conversation with that friend you love.

Thank you for your support and good cheer!!

A Guilded Age

What are these times we are living in? The news is dismal, our connections are weakened by pandemic and politics, and it’s cold when it should be warm and it’s warm when it should be cold. However, we are resilient! And as such, fortunate to have ways and people who continue to leave us the better for time spent – one of MY favorite barometers for days and relationships.

One such person, who brings ways and joy, is my decades long friend, and creative muse, Rena Tobey. Rena is an educator by heart and an Angel in spirit. Years ago, when I met her, she was a Life Coach when it was a new genre. Man, did she have insight by the bushel. I still live by several thngs I learned with her. One, I’ll gift you with: Cherry Pie. When you have a situation and you think it’s only one way , see it as a pie and try to imagine other slices of what might be. This has helped me to soften my stance at times, for my self and others. It works!

Flash forward to today. Here’s her About from her webite www.renatobey.com

Rena values learning, creative possibility, and fun and dedicates her energy to sparking lively minds. Building on an academic and organizational career, she is passionate about engaging people with all forms of visual expression and filling the spoken word with verve.She has a PhD in Human and Organizational Studies, with 14 years experience as an organizational coach, trainer, and consultant. Recently, Rena completed her MA, art history program at Hunter College, with a thesis on Elizabeth Okie Paxton and her provocative 1910 painting The Breakfast Tray.

That, and so much more, Rena brings to bare. Wanna taste? Check out her latest offering this Thursday – a library program, February 17th at 7 p.m. EST. https://tuxedoparklibrary.libcal.com/event/8828173

And if any of you are watching A Guilded Age, then I think you will appreciate so much of what Rena has to say – she is like having a companion who whispers details and brings to life what you are watching. So fun!! Check her out. I promise you will be the better for poking around her site and finding other books to read, things to hear and insights to carry you away from the news… and toward better moments.

Armchair Travel

Sticking close to home, but yearning to leave? Wanna travel, but can’t bare the thought of “what ifs”? Well, lucky for you – Sketching Spain Barcelona is just the ticket! Pre-Covid, my friend, art teacher and creative Muse, Judith Cassel-Mamet, and her delightful art partner, Danny (who lives in Spain), put together a sketching trip to Spain. But alas, this year’s trip is postponed – in person. Lucky for us, Judith and Danny have made it possible for us to still go – and you can join in, all from the comforts of your own armchair. Check out the links below and see how you can spend the winter months learning how to sketch, enjoying the sights of Barcelona and even learning about the wines that might have been served! So fun, you may want to bring a friend! Give the gift of Sketching Spain to yourself AND a friend! It will truly be the trip of a lifetime. And you won’t even have to wear a mask. Empaca tus lapices y disfruta!

Sketching Spain: All About Vino	https://online.classes.sketchingspain.com/courses/sketching-spain-all-about-vino?ref=58921e
Sketching Spain: Barcelona	https://online.classes.sketchingspain.com/courses/Sketching-spain?ref=58921e

MindFULL Evolution

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Music Que: Frank Sinatra, My Way

Courage. According to Ellen, it’s “being scared and doing it anyway.” Letting go. The theme of the year. Compaction. My own made up word – a combination of Compassion and Action. Mix it all up and you have, “Time for NEXT!”

For the last year, I’ve written about NEXT, talked to many, many, many women about where they are with NEXT and given it a lot of thought. I’m in that phase of life, where what was is no longer, and what will be, isn’t yet. I can feel the small subtle shifts of change beneath me, around me and inside of me. And I have to say, after the ups and downs of the last two years, I’m finally ready to get up off the sofa and put down my iPad, bringing to life that which I’ve thought of, talked of and watched everyone else do.

And so, after 7 years of writing The MindFULL Creative, I’ve decided to sunset the blog as it is, and evolve it into something new. The new is in creative development, but the exciting potential has propelled me to sit and write posts that have been collecting in my Blog Box. I think I have enough to share on all the MindFULL Mondays still to come before the end of the year. Please stay tuned!

Thank you to all my friends and readers. Creating this blog was a big leap for me. From learning how to technically execute it, to coming up with a name and logo, committing to its’ content and generating the courage to put myself out to you, I have learned a lot. Most of all, I learned there isn’t one way to do anything. There are many.

As long as one of them is mine…

What have you MindFULLY created and then decided to let go of it? Let us know!

Free The Monkey!

I love signs. Both metaphorically and physically. I look for them everywhere. When the clock strikes 11:11 (which is crazy that I happen to notice it so often), I see it as a sign to set an intention. Years ago I made this little reminder sign and keep it on my shelf – Choice. It’s Yours. Use it.

sign

So it was a sign to me that on Saturday, Ken and I happened to take a road trip to Salida, a small creative town about 2.5 hours from Denver. We had never been and were looking for something different to do for our anniversary (after 28 of em, you have to keep coming up with new ideas, right?) It was a beautiful, vast blue sky, open plains kinda drive. Along the way, we played music and shared stories from the week.

I told him how I learned an awesome metaphorical story from one of my favorite people, and Kabbalah teacher, David. David and I had been talking about Letting Go. He told me about the study of monkeys in the jungle and their bananas. Seems traps were set by placing bananas in cages with small slits just big enough for the monkey to put his hand through and grab a banana. The kicker came as the monkey, while holding tight to the banana tried to pull his hand back out. No can do. The tighter the grip, the less space to pull, and thus, the monkey was stuck.

All the monkey had to do to be free was let go of the banana.

So imagine, my delight when strolling the Salida Art Walk a few hours later and Ken pointed out this sign!

monkey

The next day, at 11:11, I set an intention to Let Go and “drop” several bananas. Here’s to one free Monkey!

How do you MindFULLY Let Go ? Let us know!

Crack Me Up

I’ve been on a roll this past week. After months of dormant creativity, I engaged in some serious work about what was blocking me. As soon as I got down and honest, it was amazing how my energy began to flow! I started looking at things that were bothering me, not so much as problems, but as chances to create what I wanted, instead of reacting to whatever was on the 2am list.

And so, when at dinner last week I splattered salmon butter on one of my favorite summer easy dresses, I rushed home to wash it. Despite my best efforts, the spot wouldn’t come out. Bummed, I let it go. And then in the shower, it hit me…tie dye it! Barely dry, I ran out back, made a concoction of bleachy water in a spray bottle, simply rubber banded around the spot and a few other places and sprayed away. Viola’! Now I like it even more!

Check out this lovely essay about Kintsukuroi and then take a look around your home and life. What’s broken that you aren’t willing to throw out and yet maybe struggle to live with? Perhaps there are some relationships that are pretty cracked, but valued. Or maybe there’s an object, like my Bobie’s cracked vase that I waited years to own. I love it and use it as a planter. I found a vine that sits inside and drapes over the crack. I don’t even notice it when my heart delights at it’s place on my table.

http://www.camiimac.com/good-juju-today-blog/kintsukuroi-more-beautiful-for-having-been-broken

Sometimes it’s easy to see a spot, or a crack, or what is missing in our lives, and feel badly. But sometimes, if we just reframe it, tie-dye it or fill it with gold, we hold it differently and it can become a new and valued treasure.

What was cracked in your life that you were able to MindFULLY Kintsukuroi?

Let us know!

MindFULL Mother’s Day Gift

shell While every day should be Mother’s Day, the designated day to celebrate a special woman in your life who MindFULLY mothers you, is next week. And do I have the perfect something you can send…Roses.

BFD, you say? Well, actually, yes! For the roses I’m turning you on to will last for six months. And that is truly a MindFULL way to show someone just how much she really means.

How did I find these amazing roses? Via Luxe Bloom®, the innovative flower company founded by one of my First Bosses, Marketing Mentor, Friend, and Style Icon, Shelley Rosen. While I am tired of the phrase “BadAss Woman”, Shelley really is. After rising through the ranks of the Sales Promotion Agency world and McDonalds, Shelley launched her own brand management company, AirLift. She has helped grow almost any major brand that comes to mind. It’s no wonder she turned her attention to flowers. And I think it’s kinda funny that her last name is Rosen and she sells Roses. Meant to be.

When I asked Shelley about Luxe Bloom® and Mother’s Day, she said, “Mother’s Day is a magical time for Luxe Bloom®. We receive so many gift requests and seeing the notes that accompany the gifts make us smile with joy. Mom’s do so much for us, why not gift her something she can just enjoy with no care? At Luxe Bloom, we sell real rose arrangements that can last up to 60 days without any water or care. Simply open the box and display. Leading luxury hotels like the St. Regis Washington use our rose displays to make a high impact for luxury guest just two blocks from the White House. We are changing the way people buy flowers with our time and money saving innovation. Our no care roses are sure to please.”

So, check out their Mother’s Day Collection. If you buy now, they can ship by Monday May 8^th to make it in time for Mother’s Day! And for MindFULL Creative friends, use the promo code FRIENDSFAM for a 10% off discount on your purchase.

https://www.luxebloom.com/collections/all

Delight, honor and lasting sentiment. Now, that’s MindFULLY Creative!

How do you MindFULLY honor the Mothering Women in your life?

Let us know!

In This Together

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? It depends on who’s looking. For many kids, while they see themselves reflected over the sink, they rarely see themselves in young adult books and movies.

That’s where In This Together Media shines like a beacon, beckoning All kids, of All races, sexual orientation, and socio-economic diversity. In This Together Media strives to offer “diverse, realistic, unwhitewashed representations of kids, especially girls, in YA and middle-grade literature.”

When you visit In This Together Media, http://inthistogethermedia.com/ this gorgeous description greets you and pulls you into a world that celebrates All stories.

“We believe that everyone should be able to imagine themselves when they pick up a book or watch a movie. Sadly, today’s media doesn’t reflect everyone. We’re out to change that. We package books and films to create more diversity in media. We highlight the stories of all children and young adults, including gay, black, girls, transgender, and more. Beyond just highlighting them, we want them to be the stars of the stories we create, inspiring others just like them to be who the are – with confidence and power.”

Excited about the company on many levels, I was also really inspired by the founder’s stories. Over the last month, almost every woman I have spoken with seems to be grappling with the same questions: “What’s Next?” “I’ve done the same thing for so long, what can I possibly do now?” Founders Carey Albertine and Saira Rao were classmates at University of VA. Carey has an MBA, worked in Investment Banking and has held various positions in the creative world of late night television. Saira has been an attorney and news producer. After they became Moms, they recognized that few books reflected the rich and diverse world they occupied. Together they created their company and used Kickstarter to help fund it.

Basically, they stopped talking and got doing.

Check out this awesome article on them from Fast Company https://www.fastcompany.com/3031332/most-creative-people/the-stars-of-these-young-adult-books-swear-struggle-and-generally-act-l

And check out their latest offering — Emily Ziff Griffin’s debut YA novel, Light Years.

Let their mission MindFULLY lead you through a real world in YA literature, and let their story of friendship, tenacity and possibility inspire you to do something that speaks to you. Afterall, we all have a story.

What could you MindFULLY create that would reflect your world? Let us know!