Your April Creativity Mini-Challenge + New, Exclusive Short Story by Me!
A quick, 5-minute creative hit to take you into the weekend
Hello, Protagonists! In this post, you’ll find:
🤓 Reader’s Corner: What I’m Reading this Week
🏆 Announcing Our $2,500 High School Writing Scholarship Winners!
🎉 5-minute Creativity Mini-Challenge
✍🏼 A new short story by me (published exclusively here on CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY)
📸 Where is the photo from?
🤓 Reader’s Corner: What I’m Reading This Week
“What is Turkish Delight?” - (article, Gastro Obscura) - As one of many, many children who grew up enchanted by Turkish delight in the Narnia books (only to be disappointed when I got to try it), this article sets the record straight—Why was the candy tempting enough for Edmund to betray his family? And where can you get a delicious version?
“Why Children’s Books” - (article, London Review of Books) - Speaking of children’s books, this piece by famed British author Katherine Rundell was a lovely reminder of the power of books, for all ages but especially for our littles.
Thanks to our community member, Sam Robinson, for sending me this link!
🏆 Announcing Our $2,500 High School Writing Scholarship Winners!
We had over 1,300 applications for the Ryan Stripling “Words Create Worlds” Scholarship for Young Writers, our scholarship for high school seniors, and I am thrilled to announce our two winners:
Congratulations to Juan P. and Ella F.! (Because they are minors, I won’t include more personal details here, but they will be contacted privately via the Bold Foundation, our scholarship administration partner).
Edit: It looks like their profiles and essays are public, so feel free to read about these amazing young writers here!
Juan and Ella will each receive $2,500 to use toward their college educations. I was so impressed by their passion for writing and their beautifully written essays.
Hooray for young, talented writers in the world!
🎉 5-minute Creativity Mini-Challenge
It’s a common myth that creativity has to be a huge undertaking. I actually believe we can spark it with just small moments, and anyone can do it, not just professional artists.
Also, these little bursts of creativity can lead to larger inspiration or simply bring a smile. Both are wonderful and enough in their own ways.
So here is your Creativity Mini-Challenge for this month. It’s based on a picture from my life and will only take you five minutes. (Below, you’ll find my take on it, although I admit time gets away from me once I get going.)
Look at the photo below (alt text available for accessibility).
Tell yourself a super short story or doodle something about it.
(optional) Share your story in the Comments below!
REMEMBER—This is supposed to be whimsically rough! It’s not about perfection. It’s five minutes to dream—just for you. Have fun!
CREATIVE.INSPIRED.HAPPY is a warm, vibrant community of thousands who believe that EVERYONE can spark creativity and build an inspired, happier life.
✍🏼 A new short story by me (published exclusively here on CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY)
Writer's block: when your ideas are on strike and your keyboard is just a very expensive paperweight.
Sheila dreaded the appearance of writer’s block. She would question why she’d bothered buying that sleek chrome laptop. Why she’d had the audacity to think she was capable of being a novelist. Hell, sometimes she’d even start hating books in general, as if their existence were personal commentary on what she lacked.
“I hate to see you struggling,” her mother would say during these moments. “Why do you insist on doing something that’s so hard? There are plenty of other things you’re good at that don’t require this much effort.”
Ironically, though, those were always the comments that would rile Sheila up, motivate her. Because the struggle of writing—the effort of it—made her feel alive. The mere fact of having an imagination reminded her that she was human.
“Creativity is a process,” she would say, as much to her mother as to herself. “It ebbs and flows, but as long as I sit in it, the words will come.”
Then Sheila would head off to the nearest coffee shop, splurge on a fancy drink, and open her laptop.
Today, she wrote just one sentence.
Tomorrow, she deleted it but wrote two more.
She did this every day for two weeks, being patient with herself, diligent but gentle with her soul.
And eventually, the writer’s block broke, and the words flowed freely once again.
🥰 Want more of my writing?
Buy one of my books for yourself or a reader in your life!
THANK YOU for supporting my work! I write these books for you. 💗
📸 Where is the photo from?
Tom and I usually work from home, but we like to go on Working Coffee Dates once every week or two. We’ll pick a morning when we’re feeling portable and take our laptops to a coffee shop, then sit down and work companionably across the table from each other for a couple hours until we’re hungry enough to go home for lunch. This photo is from one of our recent Working Coffee Dates—I have to say that the coffee here is way better than what I brew for myself at home!
Been working on poetry for fun. So wrote a Dizain for the mini-challenge. It's simple, but fun practice! Enjoy...
There is a sweet foam heart on my coffee.
I came to this little cafe to work.
Dragged myself in with my laptop groggy.
The day had begun with caustic remark.
For more spice I order cinnamon bark.
The barista marked my hesitation.
Sweeping me up in a brief flirtation.
I secure my coffee with heart foaming.
The remark forgotten, work forsaken.
The modest kindness sets my mind roaming.
Ryan stayed in bed while Marie woke early. He was awake, but pretended to sleep while she fumbled in the dark for her shoes and phone. Neither had slept well. The argument and accusations they had hurled at one another still felt like fresh wounds despite the quiet hours in between.
Ryan opened one eye while Marie left the bedroom. He heard her stop in the hallway to get her laptop out of her bag and proceed to the kitchen. It was bill day, and Marie would spend the next hour or so ensuring that all the payments were made. At least she wasn't making him leave, he thought.
Ryan rolled on his back and sighed. He knew he needed to make amends. He heard Marie head to the bathroom and crept out of bed quickly. He took the coffee that had turned on automatically and added foam just the way she liked. He shaped a heart in the foam and placed the cup next to her laptop, just like he did on the day they met. Ryan left the kitchen just as Marie returned.
He went to the small living room and sat on the couch. Marie continued to pay bills. He heard Marie close her laptop and stood when she walked in the room.
"Sorry," he said.
"Me too," she answered.