Author Archives: Adena Atkins

Meet the Enemy Part 1: Taking Stock

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Adena Atkins

Note: This is the first installment of a weeklong intensive, with one or two exercises per day (which are bolded). Please, if you follow this series in full or part, share your valuable experience and reaction to the enemy. And of … Continue reading →

Posted in Announcements, Beliefs, Challenges, Courage, Definitions, Experiment, Inquiry, Insights, Practices, Series, Well Being | 6 Comments

29 Ways to Nurture Friendship

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Adena Atkins

This list is lifted directly from John M. Gottman’s book, The Relationship Cure. I haven’t changed a word. One reason I haven’t is that I trust Gottman’s take on this subject, more than my own. Gottman is a doctor of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Year’s End Benedictions: 2011

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Adena Atkins

Note: This is an updated repost. Year’s End Benedictions have become a tradition with me–please join! I find New Year’s resolutions fascinating–several of my obsessions converge in them. Tradition–The creation and maintenance of shared ritual is so powerful. Culture–Culture shapes … Continue reading →

Posted in Inquiry, Joy, musings, Practices, Refinements, Rituals, Time, Traditions, Well Being | 4 Comments

Shift into Winter: Six Steps

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Adena Atkins

It’s a pretty day.  Sunlight is backlighting big soft clouds, and the shadows are purpled and crisp. I’m sitting by a fire, drinking tea, and my heart is finally quiet. Time to make a shift. As we entered fall, we … Continue reading →

Posted in Inquiry, musings, Practices, Rituals, Series, Time, Traditions, Well Being | 4 Comments

Downsizing the Alarm

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Adena Atkins

Over the summer I stopped meditating in the mornings. It was a deliberate decision–a friend and I were working our way through Julia Cameron’s artist workbook, Finding Water. Cameron suggests writing three full pages of freestyle freehand each morning, a … Continue reading →

Posted in How-To, Organization, Practices, Productivity, Refinements, Rituals, Self-Discipline, Time, Tips, Well Being | 6 Comments

Dream Big in 10 Steps

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Adena Atkins

This Thanksgiving weekend I found myself with a little more time than usual. Resident angel Jessica Lynne suggested that I use this largesse to fashion a dream board. She made one about a year and a half ago and assured … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Repost: Beyond Turkey

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Adena Atkins

Hi all! It’s almost Thanksgiving again and I wanted to share this post. I still haven’t sent out all of  last year’s thank you cards, but they are waiting, patiently, along with a host of unwritten thanks for this year’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Announcements, Joy, Lessons, Practices, Refinements, Relationships, Rituals | 4 Comments

The Why and the What

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Adena Atkins

I think it’s Hemingway who once wrote that it’s not the why that matters in writing, it’s the what. Still, the why can be fun and it’s something a friend asked me to ponder. Join me in my homework! Quick! … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Safety and Sirens and My Supposed Writer’s Block

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Adena Atkins

I’m drinking Earl Gray tea out of a big white mug and the mug is hot. I’m sitting inside the People’s Republic Koffee Shop. Today I worked on a new song. This is a big deal because in the past year … Continue reading →

Posted in Insights, Lessons, Well Being | 6 Comments

The Finding Stuff Trick

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Adena Atkins

For the last two and a half months, I’ve been living in a pretty tight space. I don’t mean that in any metaphorical way, what I mean is that I share a small studio apartment with another busy artist. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 22 Comments