Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Power Tools

Pictured above are two tools I consider critical to my work. First, let's talk about my personal savior, the Crock-Pot. You guys, I could write a book about the ways this little appliance has allowed me to write my books! In fact, I'm considering dedicating my next book to it: "To my darling Crock-Pot, who always bubbled faithfully away, silently and without complaint, allowing me to concentrate for hours on end without the slightest thought about what I was giving everyone for dinner." My current favorite book of recipes is by Judith Finlayson. The book I'm using is 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes. I love this book! I'm a vegetarian, but she's got plenty of excellent choices for everybody. So if you don't have a Crock-Pot, get one, and if you haven't used yours for a while, pull that baby out of the cupboard and plug it in! It will free you to concentrate on your primary purpose--your writing--while at the same time taking care of yourself and your family with good meals. Yikes! That's way yummier, healthier, and cheaper than take-out!

My second empowerment tool is the iPod. I walk every day. I drive too. Occasionally, I even do housework. At these times, I use my iPod to listen to empowering audio. This can be inspiring music. Or it can be an audio program for empowerment, such as one of Summer McStravick's. Her CD, Flowdreaming for Enhanced Creativity and Success, is particularly good. On iTunes, you can subscribe to lots and lots of empowering podcasts, many of which come from Hay House Radio. From my own web site, you can download my Transformation Meditations, specifically written to help keep your writing flowing. Or you can listen to interviews with all manner of artists, such as those on Fresh Air, to remind yourself that you are one of them. When you're an artist working alone, it's a good idea to keep the soundtrack that constantly runs through your brain as positive as possible. I don't know about you, but my own personal soundtrack gets a little pessimistic and whiny if I'm not careful. Motivational, inspirational boosts from the outside world, which are abundantly available, can provide that attitude adjustment I seem to need so often. My iPod is the key to keeping myself positively programmed.

4 comments:

Chookyblue...... said...

Hi just found your blog from Bonnie....I am a quilter/sewer and could not live without my crock pot as then you feel like you are caring for your family ....not really but dinner is done and you have the day free....yippee....

Sue T. said...

Wow -- I've never purchased a slow cooker because every recipe I've ever seen for them has been meat-based! There are vegetarian cookbooks?! I'll have to check that out! Thanks for the recommendation.

Cindy said...

Sara, I love the Flowdreaming CD. Thanks for recommending it. Now to get my crock pot out of hibernation.

Carrie said...

Sara,

I love my crock pot!! I got it as a birthday gift last month, and it has been cooking non-stop. I have made soups, dal, and even an amazing bread pudding from Judith Finlayson's book. Wow! I don't know how I ever got along without it. I love coming home from work and smelling the dinner all ready and waiting for me. It's like Dobby the house elf in the Harry Potter books was busy in my kitchen while I was at work.

Carrie