Writing Prompts & Inspiration
Blogs about writing, mindfulness, and self-care.
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A collection of articles my readers enjoyed the most
10 essential life lessons this decade has taught me
The end of the year is always a good time for a little introspection and internal decluttering. This year I started with a decluttering frenzy of the little bolthole at the back of my Airbnb/home where I keep my personal belongings in cyclone proof boxes. As I held a...
Why luck had nothing to do with my self-directed life
You are so lucky. I hear it all the time. I bet you are thinking it now, looking at my photos. But let me tell you, luck had very little to do with the self-directed life I have created for myself. Yes, I live in an idyllic place, surrounded by rice fields, within...
Do you feel the urge to write? Why you can’t afford to wait.
Do you feel the urge to write? If you're reading this, you probably do. Here's a very simple piece of advice for those who do feel that urge to write: sit down and start writing already. Don’t wait for the time to be right, because it will never be right. I say this...
5 secret benefits of ageing we don’t talk about often enough
5 secret benefits of ageing I don't feel a day over 40, but I am inching closer to 60. Am I panicked? Nope. To be honest, I am quite looking forward to it. Maybe I am just lucky, but I don't worry about ageing. Truly. I never have. But I know plenty of people who do....
10 essential life lessons this decade has taught me
The end of the year is always a good time for a little introspection and internal decluttering. This year I started with a decluttering frenzy of the little bolthole at the back of my Airbnb/home where I keep my personal belongings in cyclone proof boxes. As I held a...
Why luck had nothing to do with my self-directed life
You are so lucky. I hear it all the time. I bet you are thinking it now, looking at my photos. But let me tell you, luck had very little to do with the self-directed life I have created for myself. Yes, I live in an idyllic place, surrounded by rice fields, within...
Do you feel the urge to write? Why you can’t afford to wait.
Do you feel the urge to write? If you're reading this, you probably do. Here's a very simple piece of advice for those who do feel that urge to write: sit down and start writing already. Don’t wait for the time to be right, because it will never be right. I say this...
Latest Blogs
Our most recent articles
Always wanted to write a book?
If you've always wanted to write a book, make sure you read this first: It never ceases to surprise me how many people tell me that they’ve always wanted to write a book. Of course, it makes my heart sing, but be warned, between writing a book and thinking about it,...
The Healing Power of Writing: Finding Calm and Resilience in Difficult Times
When I was told that the man I loved, the man I had only just married, was going to die from cancer, I instinctively bought a journal. I needed to document my complicated feelings. Writing things down helped me hold on to the pieces of myself as I was falling...
A solo writing retreat: why every writer needs one and how to do it
What is a solo writing retreat? A solo writing retreat is a set period of time when you make writing your exclusive focus. It requires that you take a vacation from your regular life—your day job, your family, your social media accounts—so that you can dedicate...
Writing Advice
My top advice for creating a regular writing practice that might just change your life
How to Start Writing Your Life Story
Everybody has a story that matters. Writing your life story creates a legacy for your loved ones and for future generations. It is also a way of examining your life a little deeper. Writing your story will help you recognise that you have lived a meaningful life and...
How to Write a Book Proposal for a Memoir
What I learned from writing the book proposal for my memoir I got so many questions about the book proposal I recently submitted as part of a retreat I took last year with London-based agent Jacq Burns, that I felt compelled to share with you what I learned from the...
How to Write When You Don’t Have Time | Tips for Writing When Life is Busy
"A word after a word after a word is power." -Margaret Atwood In March 2020 when a global pandemic was declared (remember that moment?!), I accidentally got stranded in Australia with only a carry-on. Suddenly I found myself in a remote place, living alone, during a...
Writing Prompts
Creative writing prompts to kick-start your practice
5 writing prompts to declutter your head for more focus, productivity and happiness
Three years ago I radically decluttered my house, packed a backpack and moved to Vietnam. Living clutter-free is as liberating as Marie Kondo promises it to be. Now Airbnb guests enjoy my clutter-free and permanently tidy home, while I rent a sparsely furnished house...
5 easy ways to generate your own creative writing prompts
There's no such thing as a writer's block. If you're having trouble writing, well, pick up the pen and write. No matter what, keep that hand moving. Writing is really a physical activity.Natalie Goldberg You've always wanted to write, but you don't know how to start?...
7 fun ways to get your writing mojo back when the spark has gone
Feeling stuck and uninspired? Getting your writing mojo back is as simple as treating your writing practice like a lover. Seriously, to me writing feels very much like being in a relationship. You’ve got to nurture the flame to keep the spark alive. There is the...
Retreats
Photo essays of past retreats & tips on the how and why of writing retreats
A solo writing retreat: why every writer needs one and how to do it
What is a solo writing retreat? A solo writing retreat is a set period of time when you make writing your exclusive focus. It requires that you take a vacation from your regular life—your day job, your family, your social media accounts—so that you can dedicate...
What to Do in Mission Beach | Our Retreat Guide!
This blog post is all about what to do in Mission Beach. Before I dig in, here’s a little backstory about my relationship with this beautiful part of Far North Queensland. In 2020, the Coronavirus Pandemic forced me to abandon my adopted home of Vietnam and rediscover...
Tropical Writing Retreat Australia – Mission Beach Retreat Photo Essay
I recently opened the doors of my beachfront home in Mission Beach to five fabulous women who spent 5 magical days together in our inaugural writing retreat Australia. If you haven't heard of it before, Mission Beach is a small, unspoilt beachside town in the Wet...
Mindful Living
Thoughts and inspiration on living more mindfully
No mud no lotus: simple mindfulness wisdom when things are tough
“If a lotus is to grow, it needs to be rooted in the mud. Compassion is born from understanding suffering.”“No mud, no lotus.” Thich Nhat Hanh. When things are tough and you can’t see the light, the simple mindfulness wisdom of a zen mantra can be the torch that...
Setting new goals: why you need to focus on the seeds you plant today
“Do not measure success by today's harvest. Measure success by the seeds you plant today.”Robert Louis Stevenson After the punishing heat of summer, autumn has finally arrived here in Hoi An with perfect timing. It comes just after the mid-autumn festival, Tet...
Sound Bowl Balancing explained: why it’s good for your Soul
Have you noticed the hype around Himalayan singing bowls lately? From New York to Bali, sound healing is touted as the latest cool thing to do alongside yoga and mindfulness meditation. Feeling a bit skeptical about it all? Don't worry, so did I just a few...
Lifestyle Posts
Stories from my life, exploring the world and my inner self
What Iran has taught me about Mindfulness
This article was originally written for the travel writing competition "Fearless Footsteps" by Intrepid Times, about overcoming fear, real or imagined, when traveling. Overcoming Fear in Iran One Breath at a Time I am holding onto the metal side panel of the...
Vietnamese New Year: Photoessay & Writing Prompt
This photo essay for Vietnamese New Year was first published in February 2019. It was my first Tet, or lunar New Year, in Vietnam this year and I am still glowing from so much happiness and from the chance to start the new year twice. Tet is short for ‘Tet Nguyen...
My life isn’t as glamorous as you think: location independence is hard work
My life isn't as glamorous as you think: location independence is hard work That's what I wanted to say to a friend the other day when she called me ‘the busiest non-working person’ she knew. Non-working? Come again? I was flabbergasted. Incensed even. How dare she?!...
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