Genevieve Parker Hill 1/19/15 Genevieve Parker Hill 1/19/15

I Got Myself Into This

Last week I wrote about how some successful writers/creatives swear by posting daily. I mentioned a few examples. One I didn't mention is Seth Godin. He calls getting his thoughts published "shipping," and does it daily. Last night found me spitballing to my family about ideas I have for Packing Lust, and about how I was playing with this idea of posting daily. My sister said that Seth Godin had a daily challenge coming up soon.

I looked it up, and of course it was starting tomorrow. With such serendipitous timing, I couldn't say no. Or rather, I couldn't just imagine I would do it at some vague point in the future. So I got myself into this 7 day challenge led by Winnie Kao, the Special Projects Lead for Seth Godin.

This is what happens when you say your intentions out loud. People give you suggestions and opportunities. It happened last night and after tweeting my intentions out publicly, I was committed.

I'm doing this as an experiment to see how the rhythm of posting daily feels. I tried it years ago and I couldn't maintain it. Why'd I fail back then? Maybe I can explore that this week and figure out a way to avoid whatever the reason was.

It feels good to start following my own advice.

http://yourturnchallenge.strikingly.com/

Editor 1/14/15 Editor 1/14/15

Travel The World Indefinitely Packing List

To: Everywhere and AnywhereTrip Duration: Undefined

Originally Published June 2012.

This is the dream list, not the real list. I enjoy variety in clothes and shoes too much to be this minimalist, but I'm getting here one step at a time and one multi-use item discovery at a time.

The Two Bags

One carry on size back pack
One cross-body smaller bag, purse, or hip-bag for holding money, papers, small camera, etc.

Electronics

Small laptop/netbook, cables, extra battery
All necessary adapters and battery chargers
Small camera & case
Phone/Ipad/Iphone /kindle? For entertainment, reading, skyping?
Doorstop alarm (or plastic door stop)
Earphones/headphones
Kindle and charger

Random But Important

Passport (with copies of all documents with trusted folks back hom)
Credit cards/debit cards
Cash
ID
Travel documents
Paper notebook
Pencil, pen
Jumping rope or parachute cable
Can opener
Flashlight
Small matches
Granola bar
2-3 gallon ziploc bags
Very small cable lock
Small travel candle
Vitamins and/or emercenG
Scissors
tape

Toiletries

Deodorant
Toothbrush
Fingernail clippers (share)
Comb
Solid shampoo/soap from Lush
Razor for shaving
Sexessories
Lip balm - burts bees spf 8 (share)
Tweezers
Face/body wipes (share)
Solid perfume
Travel GLO brush
GLO basic makeup pressed powder
Solid eyeliner- brown
GLO quadri-color eyes and cheeks
Band-aids (share)
Advil (share)
Eyebrow comber/thin brush
Small, super-absorbent towel (share)
Lunette
Pantiliners

Liquids (limited)

Hair conditioner for hair and shaving
Nail polish
Jojoba oil (trader joes) for moisturizing
Toothpaste (share)
Waterproof Mascara
Face cleanser (share)
Acne spot cream
Small concealer
SPF (recomended riemann once a day spf 20) (share)
Neosporin (share)

Wardobe - Medium Climate

Underthings

One strapless bra
One sports bra that doubles as a bikini top
One regular bra (wear)
Four pairs of underwear, one that doubles as a bikini bottom (wear one)
Three pairs of light-weight socks
black stockings, one pair

Accessories

Inexpensive/hard to steal jewelry
Lightweight hair accessories/headbands
Hair bands
Hair pins
Watch
Running shoes
Ballet Flats (good for walking)
Medium weight scarf
One warm hat
Belt in the same color as my ballet flats
Sunglasses

Clothes

Black tee
Black skirt
Black icebreaker bodyfit crew top
Nightgown
Long colorful broomstick skirt (wear as skirt or dress)
Light-weight jeans
yoga pants - dark color
Black workout shorts
One quick-drying workout top
One spagetti strap tank top
One long (tunic-dress) tee shirt
One tank top
Light weight trench coat with waterproof coating for travel
Emergency rain pain poncho (plastic)

Cold and/or Wet Climate Alterations

Boots instead of ballet flats (boots with caribiners)
Additional two pairs of heavy socks
Waterproof jacket with hood or warmer rain poncho
Gloves or mittens
Heavier weight scarf
Additional vest like ExOfficia women's convertible vest
Switch out warm cap to a extra warm hat with ear area warmth
Thermal underwear (long johns)
Switch out nightgown for warm pajama set

Hot Climate and/or Beach/Tropical Alterations

Flipflops instead of ballet flats
Additional swimsuit
Sarong/scarf instead of medium weight scarf
Sun hat instead of warm hat
Skip long yoga/travel pants

For more fantasy packing fun, check out my Pinterest board, What to Pack to Travel the World.

What About You?

Is there anything I left off that you think should be on there? Could you travel with this list? Need more? Need less?

Genevieve Parker Hill 1/13/15 Genevieve Parker Hill 1/13/15

The Power and Difficulty of Connecting Daily

I'm learning so much from my research into how artists make a living from their creativity. One thing that keeps coming up for folks that have quickly built a solid income up from zero is communication with their audience or fans. Not just any communication, daily communication.

How to Get Rich Quick(er)

These creatives attribute their success almost entirely to the daily post. It's a ticket to success -- and transparency or honesty, which is a huge factor in our ability to connect with our audiences or market, no matter what line of business we are in.

I'm thinking of a copywriter/ online marketing expert who writes an email every day to his followers. He teaches all his clients to write the daily email, saying it is his key to success.

I'm thinking of the author of a diet book who posts a daily vlog to YouTube sharing what she's eating and how she's living a healthy lifestyle daily, as well as advice for those who want to be healthier. She has over 300,000 subscribers.

And I'm thinking of artist Jolie Guillebeau, who built her art business up quickly by sending a daily short email with a photo of the day's work and a story or observation about it.

She still sends those emails. I'm on her list and love the daily peek into a painter/potter's mind.

It's Too Hard

So why don't I do the daily post? Why don't most creatives?

It's like the story I heard in Hollywood. A well-known screenwriter regularly teaches a sold-out seminar where he takes hours to break down and analyse the structure of the classic film Casablanca.

At the end, he promises that if all present would just repeat the exercise regularly, they will because successful screenwriters. How can he make such a promise, he asks? He knows very few, if any of his students will follow through. No one is willing to spend the time on such a tedious exercise.

Daily posts take a lot of time. I tried it a few years ago and gave up because I felt I'd over committed and couldn't keep putting in the time to come up with thoughtful posts every day.

The other major obstacle to daily posts is feeling vulnerable.

There will come a day when you feel you have nothing to write, or that what you have to share is something that feels too honest, too vulnerable. But that just might be what connects you most to your audience - what creates a strong sense of loyalty.

I'm not saying that you have to post daily if you want to make money from your art. I am saying that if you want to build an audience relatively quickly, posting daily is a tried-and-true method. Of course, one you have an audience, you have do have to actually sell something to them. But that's another topic for another day.

Don't Do What I Do

So, do as I say, and not as I do. Post daily if you want to quickly cultivate a passionate audience for your work.

And maybe one day soon I'll find a way to post daily too.

Editor 12/15/14 Editor 12/15/14

Adventures in the Antarctic (and what to pack)

Note: This is a guest post by Christine Bernasconi, a professional photographer, blogger, avid traveler and people lover. I'm really excited she's sharing her 2013 adventures in the Antarctic with the Packing Lust Community. I hope you enjoy! --Genevieve

Going to the Antarctic was always a dream of mine since I was 5 years old :) I'm not exactly sure why I had this dream at such a young age. I just remember looking at books and giving my Dad the 'Scott' book {not sure which one} for a birthday one year.

It obviously started something for me.

It way exceeded my expectations and I feel humble and blessed that I've had the privilege of experiencing this awesome part of our planet.

It really was the trip of my dreams. Whales, seals, penguins (lots of them) birds, beautiful landscapes and icebergs – I really, really loved the icebergs.:)

_MG_8730

We organised our trip through Quark (click here if you’re in the States) or Peregrine in Australia (click here).

We booked the ‘Crossing the Circle’ Tour which was 14 days aboard the ‘Sea Spirit.’ – a beautiful ship. Well appointed spacious rooms, an open bar :), dining room, theatre lounge, a library, gym, a hot tub, gift shop and lots of deck areas to relax and take in the sights. The service? Seamless. Nothing was a chore for the staff and everything was done with a smile.

A zodiac heading back towards the Sea Spirit

The Sea Spirit

The ship carried 114 passengers of which 49 of them were Australian. Being such a small group meant great friendships were formed early. We were all linked by the same thread – an adventurous nature and the desire to experience the Antarctic. I met people from all over the world. I know I will remain friends with some of them forever. We all shared something very special.

Our voyage left from Ushuaia (the bottom of Argentina) and it was a two day trip to the Antarctic Peninsula across the Drake Passage. I loved watching the mainland of Argentina disappear behind us. To me it felt like a true adventure. We explored many bays, islands and channels of the Antarctic Peninsula over the 14 days of our voyage.

Leaving Ushuaia and the South American Continent behind

The most amazing part of the trip however (besides the scenery) was the service and professionalism provided by the expedition leader and her team. Cheli is a true leader and a wonderful, passionate individual. All of her staff have an expertise, whether it be birds, whales, glaciers, photography or history. They have all done many similar trips and their experience and knowledge is second to none.

Each day in the Oeanus lounge, one of them would present a lecture on a particular aspect of the Antarctic – marine mammals, the great Antarctic explorers or sea birds – just to name a few. There were even some documentary movies about this fascinating part of the world. It was wonderful to be educated and to hear them speak so passionately.

Most nights one of the expedition staff would sit at your dinner table to get to know you and mix with the passengers. This really personalised the trip and within a few days, they were also friends.

Each day we usually had two zodiac expeditions to an island or part of the Antarctic mainland. Getting everyone in and out of the zodiacs plus keeping everyone safe and informed was handled brilliantly by the expedition staff.

Each disembarkation and embarkation meant going through a disinfection process (you had to step in a solution) to protect the fragile environment.

These outings were fantastic. Whilst you saw lots of scenery from the ship, getting out on the water, feeling the wind in your face and observing the scenery and wildlife from this low perspective was awesome :)

Hootin along...

Hooting along

Every single island or mainland excursion offered something individual. The landscape was always vastly different, and yes, there were always penguins :)

_MG_0556

I never tired of looking at the endless beauty that surrounded us. I loved being on the shore and exploring. Lots of the islands had relics from days gone bye – old whaling boats and whaling stations, whale bones and huts that would have housed the brave people that spent part of their lives living here.

An old hut - Deception Island

An old hut – Deception Island

The wildlife was spectacular. Albatross flying at the back of the ship, humpback whales, Minke whales and even Orca’s! Wedell, Leopard and Crabeater seals and of course, penguins. Sometimes these animals were seen from the decks of the Sea Spirit. At other times you were up close and personal with these animals in the zodiacs.

Imagine being in a zodiac – drifting through the brash ice – icebergs all around you and a humpback surfaces around 50 metres away? What a scene. Absolute magic.

This humpback whale was so close to our zodiac...

This humpback whale was so close to our zodiac…

_MG_8260

Look at the size of him…

So close...

So close…

The Albatross. What a magnificent bird

The Albatross. What a magnificent bird.

The staff organised trivia games, we danced the night away a couple of times , met the Captain at the ‘Cocktail Party’ and I got ‘over enthusiastic’ in an auction to raise money for the penguins (I really wanted that Antarctic water.)

Other nights we sat in the bar talking to our new friends over a glass of wine (or two) – well, you couldn’t go to bed early as there was up to 18 hours of light per day!

We celebrated Australia Day on board with a BBQ up on deck and one patriotic Australian had our flag – I certainly won’t forget Australia Day 2013 in a hurry!

I also participated in ‘The Polar Plunge’ – yes, you could dive into the Southern Ocean (with a rope tied around your waist) to experience the ‘coolish’ waters of the Antarctic. Yep, I did this too. Click here to read about that adventure.

I slept a night on the ice – yes, I did. You can also read about that here :)

I also also slid down a mountain at Neko Harbour (it was so much fun, I felt like a 5 year old)

Yours truly...

Yours truly…

One of the highlights (there were so many) was Crossing the Antarctic Circle. That was a great day. The weather was really cold (-2) and it was a fantastic to think we were at 66 deg 33’44′ S. To mark this occasion, the crew organised a fantastic event called ‘Kiss the Fish’. We all grouped outside on the bow of the ship to Cross the Circle and the crew dressed up in various ‘fishy’ style outfits. King Neptune was there and we all had to ‘Kiss the Fish’ before being given a red mark on our foreheads which denoted ‘Crossing the circle.’ One word – hilarious – especially kissing a frozen fish!!

Me, taking a pic and kissing the fish

The most common question I’ve been asked since being home is ‘How cold was it’? On the warmest day it was 8 degrees and the coldest -2. Nowhere near as bad as I thought. The only time I felt really cold was on the ‘crossing the circle day’ and at times in the zodiacs when we were going a little faster than the normal trawling speed. Quark supplies you with a parka (yours to take home) that really does the job. They also lend you ‘boots’ for the duration of the trip. These are used every time you leave the ship.

For anyone that's going on one of these trips, here is what I took with me…..

All the sea sick medication I could find (travel calm, the wrist bands, ginger tablets) – It worked for me, I took one travel calm the first night – just in case and a couple of other ‘rougher’ sea days wore the wrist bands – all good.
2 sets of thermals – bought from the Kathmandu store – black bottoms and pink/black/white and blue/black/white long sleeve tops.
2 really warm zip up hoodies – one from Kathmandu and the other from the gift shop on the ship.
4 pairs of super warm socks (Kathmandu store.)
2 pairs of warm track suit pants.
A warm hat.
2 pairs of water proof gloves (only ever wore one pair) and they were too cumbersome to take pics with, so I bought a fingerless pair from the gift shop on the ship.
A warm sleeveless vest (bought from a shop in Ushuaia.)
Waterproof pants – if you're an Aussie, you will pay a fortune at home for these. I bought them in Ushuaia the day before we left at around $50AUD – bargain – (there were plenty of sizes and choices and plenty of shops selling this gear in Ushuaia.)

Check out the sunny weather...on this day I just had a tshirt on under a hoodie...

Check out the sunny weather…on this day I just had a tshirt on under a hoodie…

Each day when we went on a shore excursion off the boat I wore…

A thermal top and bottom and trackpants over the thermals.
Waterproof pants over the track pants (the track pants tucked INTO the boots.)
A warm sleeveless vest over the thermals or, if I felt a bit colder a long sleeve hoodie.
2 pairs of socks (always.)
The parka, hat and gloves.

Here I am in one of my 'thermal tops'

Here I am in one of my ‘thermal tops’

On the ship (which was as warm as toast) I wore…

Jeans and a tshirt and sometimes a hoodie. I dressed up one night for the Captains cocktail party (if you call a skirt and top seriously dressing up.)
Closed in shoes (my rockports.)

Back in Buenos Aires and Santiago I wore….

shorts and tshirts (super humid.)

So if you’re interested in going and want to know more – I'm gonna have to come with you to show you the ropes :)

Please feel free to contact me in the comments section below or on Facebook , twitter or pinterest.

Me in action...

Me in action

Genevieve Parker Hill 10/14/14 Genevieve Parker Hill 10/14/14

8 Tips for Creativity + Stress Management During Pregnancy

Prince Charming and I, adventurers that we are, created a perfect storm of stress by following this recipe:

Take 5 of the unofficial list of the top 10 most stressful life events you can undergo:

Having a baby.
Leaving a job.
Moving to a new continent.
Writing a book while launching a separate product.
Moving back in with the parents as an adult.

Stir. Then bake under an oven set at 350 degrees of jet lag and reverse culture shock.

My pulse is racing just listing out this recipe for stress.

So what's the recipe for serenity?

I've had an extra push of creativity these past few months, probably because I'm anticipating being completely and happily lost in baby-la-la land for a while once the little elf gets here sometime in early December. Stress stifles creativity, so it's important for me to keep those stress levels as low as possible. (Oh, and that's right, it's good for the baby too.)

These tips might help you even if you aren't pregnant, but just going through a stressful time, as all of us normal human beings tend to do from time to time.

Here are some things that have worked for me to keep stress levels at bay so I can stay creative and keep working on the latest book and finish the 30-Day Map to Get Rid of Your Crap. I'd be lying if I said the following keep me in a state of queenly serenity 100% of the time, but they do keep me royally calm at least 3% of the time. Or maybe I just do them 3% of the time and it would help if I...

Do These Things More

1. Marrying well.

Well, this is actually not a habit I do regularly, but something I did once, and did well, even if I do say so myself. He recently asked me "what do you want for lunch, baby?" And I said, "Hmmm... I think Shrimp. Lime Cilantro Shrimp." This exchange happened in front of my mom, and she immediately laughed and said something like "If you can give that answer, you know you married well."

Besides keeping me well-fed, Prince Charming is incredibly supportive about all my creative endeavors. And even my eccentric pregnancy plans, like studying hypnosis for a more comfortable birth.

2. Yoga

Somehow it feels like cheating to call it yoga, because it's mostly stretching and deep breathing for me since I don't know the names of any of the poses. (Except for shivasana, my favorite.) I've taken a lot of yoga classes, so I just do a lot of yogic stretching of any part that is soar or tight. It feels great and seems to help everything in life.

3. Sleeping a lot and taking naps.

I have always slept a lot, and of course now I'm sleeping for two, so I take as much horizontal time as my body wants. For a while in Palestine my sleep pattern was bimodal. According to Wikipedia, "Along with a nap (siesta) in the day, it has been argued that this is the natural pattern of human sleep. A case has been made that maintaining such a sleep pattern may be important in regulating stress."

My body naturally started bifurcating my sleep when I was worried about our friends in Gaza during the ethnic cleansing massacres there this summer, worried about Prince Charming working in Gaza, and anxious about where and how I would bring our baby into the world. Now that I'm back in the US and feeling that my family is safer, I've been sleeping through the night and not needing naps so much.

4. Ability to work on the floor of a closet.

I'm writing this while squatting in front of my computer on the floor of a large walk-in closet. I love it. All I need to write is a private space, even if it's small.

5. Writing every single appointment down in Google Calendar.

I love Google Calendar. It did take me a while to get used to checking it and adding everything to it. But now that it's habit, it helps so much because otherwise I wouldn't be able to keep track of appointments, travel plans, and birthdays. Even if I'm not in a particularly busy phase of life, I rely on Google Calendar and tend to forget things when I don't use it.

6. Eating tons of fruit and vegetables.

I have our nugget to thank for this, because the little monkey loves bananas and other fruit. I wake up craving a big fruit smoothie that I often add greens to like spinach and kale. I still eat plenty of pizza, I just try to load up on fresh produce as well. I polished off a watermelon this morning.

7. Meditation.

This one is so hard for me to do regularly. I skip days all the time. But if I can sit down in a quiet place for even 10 minutes, it seems to help. I don't really follow a particular technique. Sometimes I sit and breath and clear my mind. Sometimes I pray. Sometimes I meditate on things I'm grateful for, or do a forgiveness meditation. I just got an email from Charming's mom about this free meditation series. Maybe I'll do it.

8. Just doing it. (The creative work.)

Have you heard that the concept of will power is a myth? People who are able to stop procrastinating have learned skills to get the work done. I sometimes think of those skills as tricking myself, or turning things into a game. I don't sit down to write books because I have more will power than all the other people who want to write books, but don't. I sit down to write, probably because I told myself there might be chocolate involved, or that maybe after writing I'd get to belt out "Let it Go" with Elsa from Frozen one more time. (I don't even have a kid I can blame that on yet.) Or, like right now, that I'll just START this blog post and it will be just a few words then I'll get up. And here I am at the bottom of the post. Ha ha, Genevieve. Tricked ya again!

What do you do in stressful times to stay serene? Please share in the comments so everyone on the internet can learn from your experience.

Genevieve Parker Hill 10/7/14 Genevieve Parker Hill 10/7/14

5 Reasons to Have Hope for Palestine

By the time this blog post publishes, we will, if all goes according to plan, be back in the U.S. and our time in Palestine will have come to an end. It's been a challenging and adventurous 28 months here. With the ongoing conflict and occupation, it can be hard to stay hopeful about Palestine's future, but there is hope. I want to leave Palestine with hope that the people here will one day be free, and that the conflict will come to a peaceful and just resolution. To share that hope with you, I've compiled a brief list of links and reasons why I have hope for Palestine. These five (mostly non-political) things give me reason to be optimistic about this place.

1. The Arc

Many people in Palestine hope for a one-state solution to the conflict: a single, democratic state where all people can live freely in equality no matter their race or religion. While I think that idea is wonderful, I see it as unlikely. I think a toxic amount of racial injustice would result if the two countries were to become one and it would be very difficult for everyone to have equal opportunities because of the history here. However, perhaps it's better to try and face those obstacles than not try at all. A second-best and still hopeful option would be a two-state solution, with a free and independent Palestine living in peace with Israel.

Enter the Arc. The Arc is part of a plan for the physical infrastructure a successful Palestinian state would need. Created by the Rand Corporation, The Arc gives an important and inspiring vision for a thriving Palestine. Check out the 9-minute overview video here. It's worth a watch. More resources on the Arc are available here.

2. Occupied Pleasures

Photographer Tanya Habjouqa is capturing some amazing images of Palestine and Palestinians. From photos of the head-to-toe covered women of Gaza to images of belly-dancing Palestinian drag queens in East Jerusalem, her work is diverse and fascinating. Most importantly, the images reveal the deep humanity of a much-misunderstood group of people.

3. An Israeli Soldier Speaks

This compelling talk by former Israeli soldier Eran Efrati will give you an inside view into what it's like to be an Israeli soldier occupying Palestine and having the earth-shattering realization that you're "on the wrong side of history." His emotional, heart-breaking, and at times funny speech allows us to see what the conflict is like up close on the ground from both sides. It really is a must-watch, revealing talk. To read more soldier testimonies, check out the book Our Harsh Logic.

4. Juthour Arboretum

From the website "Juthour Arboretum in Ramallah offers a natural reserve where we preserve native trees and plant species, working through educational programs and eco tourism to model and encourage greater individual and communal responsibility towards our threatened natural environment and heritage in Palestine." This eco-park was started by our friends and neighbors in Ramallah, Palestine. I've visited and hiked its terraces many times with Jelly Bean. They've put an incredible amount of work into saving trees so that Palestine's natural heritage will not be forgotten or destroyed by the many threats to it such as the occupation, violent extremist settlers, over-development, construction dumping, and littering. Check out and support what they are doing, especially if you care about preserving the natural beauty of Palestine.

5. The People

I've met some incredible people here, resilient people who have an amazing ability to keep going and maintain hope in the face of an under-occupation experience ranging from the utter monotony of three hours of checkpoint traffic to the overwhelming brutality of missile strikes on civilians in Gaza. To read more about the people we've met here, check out some of the posts in the Palestine category.

Genevieve Parker Hill 9/9/14 Genevieve Parker Hill 9/9/14

How to Write and Publish a Non-Fiction Book in 17 Weeks

I'm currently in the middle of a very exciting time: drafting my third book, tentatively titled 12 RITUALS FOR ART + INCOME: Learn and Apply the Habits of Successful Artists, Writers, and Other Creatives.
I thought I'd share with you my plan to complete and publish the book by the end of November, 2014.

The Plan

Week of August 4: Draft The Beginning (first chapter)
Week of August 11: Draft Chapter 2 and organize interviews
Week of August 18: Draft Chapter 3 and title research/testing.
Week of August 25: Draft Chapter 4
Week of September 1: Draft Chapter 5
Week of Sept 8: Draft Chapter 6
Week of Sept 15: Draft Chapter 7 and begin cover design
Week of Sept 22: Draft Chapter 8 and ask for Beta Readers
Week of Sept 29: Draft Chapter 9
Week of Oct 6: Draft Chapter 10 and continue cover design
Week of Oct. 13: Draft Chapter 11 and ask for Beta Readers
Week of Oct 20: Draft Chapter 12
Week of Oct 27: Draft Chapter 13
Week of November 3: Draft Chapter 14
Week of November 10: Re-write and send to Beta Readers.
Week of November 17: Complete cover design, write book description and any other sales copy or launch copy needed. Set up/spread the word about hard launch via Author Marketing Club.
Week of November 24: Incorporate the thoughts and edits of my beta readers and soft launch the book! (Hard launch will be December 30, 2014.)

Eating the Elephant

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time goes the cliche. The first version of the plan had me working on the book until the last day of December. And when I talked to Prince Charming about my plan to work right through our baby's birth and even work the week of Christmas (ha... ha ha, ha), there was enough eyebrow raising that I thought maybe there was a slight chance I was biting off like, huge elephant bites at a time when my life will already be a feast, metaphorically and literally. So I tightened up the schedule so I can enjoy my baby and holiday time. I did this by making my elephant bites a wee bit larger earlier in the plan, but still chew able. I allowed for those bigger bites by saying "no" to some other things in my life. This is the key you have to understand if you are going to fit more in.

Drafting to Soft Launch

The plan is a very tight schedule and includes up until the soft launch (the publishing of the book on Amazon.com). The hard launch is when the publicity takes place and the book reaches a wider audience.

If you have the time, I recommend adding a few additional weeks to give yourself some breathing room on your own book. I think 20 weeks is a good goal for this process.

Research Time

Please note that this plan does not include the majority of the research time for the book. I'll still be researching throughout my drafting time, but I've also already done a lot of the research. This is a topic I've been intensely interested in for years. I tend to naturally collect information on topics I'm interested in, and I did, both before I knew I'd be writing about this, and more systematically after I started blogging about it, sometime over a year ago.

Word Count Goal

The book will likely hit somewhere between 42,000 and 60,000 words. This is enough to get the point across without being too much of a time investment for busy readers. Each chapter will be around 3,000 to 4,300 words, so that's less than 1000 words a day. Hey, that's a pretty easy bite of the elephant!

P.S. FYI I would probably never eat a real-life elephant.

Publishing

I use Amazon's KDP program which makes the publishing process both easy and very quick. See this post for more about why I love this program for self-publishing authors.

Your Project

I hope today's post helps you on your own book writing project! Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or thoughts. Please share this post with that person you know who has a non-fiction book inside them just waiting to get out.

photo credit: Just Us 3 via photopin cc

Genevieve Parker Hill 9/1/14 Genevieve Parker Hill 9/1/14

Top 5 Packing Tips for A Long-Term Mission Trip

This is part one of a guest post by Thomaida Hudanish, a blog reader and traveler who I met when she came to Palestine as part of the trip she talks about in this post. Stay tuned for part two which will be published in early November. Enjoy. - Genevieve

Type of Trip:

Extended Volunteer/Mission Trip/Pilgrimage a.k.a. Around-the-World-to- Help-Children

Length of Trip:

Indefinite

Destinations:

India, the Middle East, Western Europe

Overview

In November 2013, I set off for a trip to volunteer with Orthodox Christian ministries in various places, beginning with an orphanage outside of Kolkata, India and continuing to a school in the West Bank, Palestine. While I packed with the intention of continuing to volunteer after these first two assignments, instead I returned to the United States via a 5-week tour of France, Germany & England, to seize a job opportunity in line with the same goals and mission that inspired me to take this journey.

Tips

1. Two Kinds.

Rick Steves says that there are two kinds of travelers: those who packed light and those who wish they had. I agree and I'm still in the second camp. As much as I wish that I could throw everything on my back and jump onto a moving train, that's not the kind of trip I planned and let's face it, that's not the kind of traveler I am. So, yes, PACK AS LIGHT AS YOU CAN. Then read on to learn why I'm still glad I brought more than I wanted to.

2. Tell Your Story.

I packed a letter-size laminated US/World map and an inexpensive, 20-pg photo album with pictures of friends, family members and everyday happenings in my life at home. These are two tools that helped me to share about my life and relate with new friends, in many cases across language barriers. Alternatively, you might consider making a little slide show to flip through on whatever electronic device you bring.

3. Compartmentalize

I'm a huge fan of packing sacks, regardless of brand. They help me to stay organized even after I settle into a location. The other thing I did was to create designated Ziploc bags for my office, first aid & medications and electronic accessories. For example, the "Office" bag held pen refills, a permanent marker, binder clips, a highlighter, sticky tack, post-its, and a glue stick. The "First Aid" bag had Bandaids, anti-diarrhea medication, vitamin-C packets, hydrocortizone cream and so on. Another Ziploc held chargers, plug converters, cords, and extra batteries. This way, even on the road, everything had a place. I also packed a few extra Ziplocs in varying sizes.

4. Fashion vs. Function

Knowing that my travel destinations could involve the beach, a formal event or a professional work setting, I had to plan for variety, but focus my packing on the known activities: playing with children and going to church. Long skirts were a must for the conservative cultures and monastic environments that I intended to be a part of, so I brought three. Additional favorites were: a merino wool pullover, a cream-colored long- sleeve shirt with some lace detail to help dress up some outfits, a lightweight henley with adjustable sleeve-length, black leggings, and a pair of comfortable, sturdy mary-jane style Privos. A daily moisturizer with SPF was the MVP of my cosmetics, but I also used a little makeup, sparkly hair accessories and earrings for special occasions.

5. Technology on the Road

I didn't want to lug my laptop around the world--what a hassle! As a writer, however, it's the one tool I used every day. I brought along an extra hard drive for biweekly backups and packed it in a separate bag from the laptop in case of theft. In addition to writing a blog, editing photos and keeping up with my family and friends via Skype, I used the laptop extensively in each volunteer position. I purchased a new camera for the trip because documenting my experiences for readers at home was a priority. My older point & shoot camera came along as backup for excursions involving sand, water or questionable security.

Another gadget I like for journeys big and small is the humble headlamp. It's great for reading in bed after you've crawled under the mosquito net for the night.

Thomaida wrote a series of articles about her 7-month volunteer pilgrimage covering India, Turkey, Israel/Palestine, France, Germany and England at www.honeybeebuzz.org. She lives, writes and dreams up new ways to make the world a better place in Portland, Oregon.

Genevieve Parker Hill 8/12/14 Genevieve Parker Hill 8/12/14

My Top 3 Takeaways For a Wealthy Creative Life - WDS 2014

Part of my USA travels this July included a trip to Portland, Oregon for the World Domination Summit, "a gathering of creative, interesting people from all over the world." More from the Eventbrite description: "Every summer, thousands of people travel to Portland, Oregon for an immersive experience in life, work, and travel."

My top 3 takeaways for the creative life from WDS 2014:

Use your imagination to increase your bravery.

We are scared. Our imaginations, when used correctly, are powerful things. Put those two together and you have a recipe for bravery. Over and over, the speakers talked about how scary it was to take risks in life, business, and creativity. But if you use your imagination in a positive way, you can do anything. It's like the tired advice given to professional speakers to imagine audience members all naked. Stuff like that works. But here are some more original examples.

Gary Hirsch got interested in how art impacts peoples lives for good, and hand painted a bunch of tiny robots, giving them away to people as "bravebots." He and a team hand painted one of these for every summit attendee. He's got photos of people holding these before they go in for chemo, surgery, and before doing other, less physically scary things, like, oh, write a book. His challenge to us was to "activate" our little bot by posting our brave thing on social media. So I did. My one brave thing: write and publish a book by the end of 2014.

Tiny home builder Dee Williams came onstage wearing a "superhero cape" that was actually a Delta airlines blanket. Just that alone took guts. In a moving and hilarious speech, she talked about how walking around in her every day life wearing her "invisible superhero cape" gave her not only buns of steel and better posture, but an attentiveness to how she might help people around her in grocery stores, parking lots, and other daily-life places.

Declare yourself.

Saying your dreams out loud can be magical. A simple declaration of identity or action, spoken to an audience, has more power in your life than unspoken thoughts.

Speaker Elisa Blaha Cripe had trouble definining what she did. After lots of soul-searching, this is her answer: "I make stuff." And she really does. It's powerful because there's so much integrity in her statement. She is an artist and crafter and she is constantly creating.

She had us write down our declarations.

Mine: I'm a writer.

Scarier: I write inspiring books that help people live better, happier lives.

Scariest: I am love.

Take imperfect action.

This gem came from most of the speakers, but was most clearly stated by one of my favorites, Jadah Sellner, who told authentic stories about the imperfections and failures that went along with her entrepreneurial journey. These stories were encouraging in light of the very successful business she eventually built (after lots of failure.)

I was struck by how the action people took was most assuredly and often NOT the action I would have taken. Ever. After witnessing the effects of an oil spill, "The Planet Walker" John Francis decided to stop riding in cars and took a 17-year vow of silence. Would I have ever dreamed up that response? No. Was it effective in changing things? For him it was, probably because it came from a true place inside him.

A fellow attendee, "The Poem Catcher" decided to travel the world with a large butterfly net. He asks people to write and donate poems and throw them in his net. Then he makes books and sells them and gives the proceeds to charity. Here he is:

These actions are creative, possibly insane, and probably imperfect, but they are working.

However, it's called imperfect action because it doesn't always work. Don't be afraid to try something else. There's no shame in trying and failing if you learn and try something else.

I'm writing a book on creativity, and will be focusing on that throughout this fall. I'll use this space to write about what I'm sure will be a very imperfect journey towards a completed book. I look forward to sharing it with you.

What do you think of these takeaways? Which one is speaking to you the most?

More About My Experience

This was my first time going to the summit, although I've thought it would be fun to go since I first heard about it a couple of years ago. It is the first event I've attended as an investment in myself as a writerpreneur, which felt good in that little-bit-scary, challenging way. I showed up alone, nervous about an entire weekend of meeting strangers. With over 3,000 other people in attendance, would I meet the right ones? Would I learn a lot, make exciting connections, and have fun?

I needn't have worried.

Before the first day was even halfway over, I felt that I never wanted to speak or blog again, because I had met so many good-hearted people doing wonderful, interesting, creative, world-changing things. People with so much to share, so much wisdom. All I wanted to do was listen and learn from these people. Of course the funny thing about creative and world-changing people is that they are curious and they wanted to hear about what I was doing too. Each person I met was encouraging and genuinely interested in what I was doing, some energetically offering helpful advice, encouragement, or connections. I don't remember the conversational content of several of the most impactful interactions I had, just how they gazed into my eyes with so much gentleness, acceptance, love and undistracted presence that my life is changed for the better. Not a single person I talked to was cynical, jealous, or discouraging.

One B-schooler I met up with during the welcome party, Jackie Knechtel at Pure Vibrant Living, rushed me around, introducing me to about half the attendees, it seemed like. When I asked how she knew so many people there, she said that she'd traveled to over 50 countries, and just loved people. People loved her too, basking in her warmth and openness and hugs.

Throughout the weekend I continued to meet kindred spirits, like this wonderful woman who runs Alight Biz Solutions. She and I plotted together about creativity, project management, book writing, and empowering women in business. And we shared the summit's gift to us: a free hot air balloon ride.