The Power to Choose--a Child.

Some years ago, I wrote an essay called "Childfree by Choice."  I later wrote about the same topic for WebMD:
http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/features/child-free-couples-thriving-without-kids.

I've been happily childfree for years.  In fact, I knew at age 12 that I didn't want kids (this, after an exhausting bout of baby-sitting).  I've never once regretted my decision.

Though I would like to say that I like some kids--especially the Mazanecs in Florida, the Finchers in Tennessee and the Kayas in Massachusetts. And kids often like me.

Still, in the mass media, being childless is treated as a condition that needs...well, curing. 

The media saliciously tracks every pair-bonding couple for their procreation potential.  Well-meaning friends and family urge us toward breeding.

That's why I was thrilled to read actress Lisa Edelstein's (Dr. Lisa Cuddy on House) musings on the subject:  I'd love to be a real-life mother, but my life would be just as valid and rich if it doesn't happen."

Bravo, Lisa.  Lives are not only defined by children--or a lack of them.

Holding Up the Sky.

There's an African (or is it Chinese? A number of nations lay claim to it) saying:  Women hold up half the sky.

In honor of International Women's Day, celebrate the movement that's changing the world one woman at a time with songs and stories inspired by the the best-selling book of the same name. 

Sponsored by CARE, it's one night only--MArch 4--in theatres nationwide. 

Visit http://www.halftheskylive.com/ to buy tickets for yourself and the women you love.

An Ugly Tomato is a Beautiful Thing.

February is a tough month (and I'm not even talking about Valentine's Day).

But on a recent cold, dreary day, I found an fat, bright red, flavorful ugly tomato. At a Publix. In the dead of winter.

I did a double-take. Then I bought three--along with bacon, lettuce, mayo and sourdough bread and made a delicious BLT.

It was an unexpected delight that provided outsized pleasure.

So why am I relaying this produce-related fable?

Because it reminds us of the power of surprise. As a writer, I try to give readers word-related delights.

I think of them as verbal ugly tomatoes.

The Line Between Design and Writing is Blurry.

I am often asked where writing ends and design begins.

In my opinion, you shouldn't be able to tell.

Everyone knows that for communication to be most effective, words and images must be effectively balanced.

And while my title is writer, I often serve as a de facto creative director for smaller clients, helping conceptualize everything from a new logo to a web redesign to the layout of a brochure.

As I am writing, I often "see" how this could be achieved. For example, I might suggest that a particularly strong phrase be used as a graphic element, as a call-out or boxed item. Or I may suggest photograph that could further illustrate a point.

After years of working closely with other creative professionals--illustrators, photographers, web designers--I've developed a pretty infallible design aesthetic.

And I'm happy to share that knowledge with my clients to improve the overall impact of the messaging.

Because there's nothing worse than powerful words languishing in poor design.

What Bad Accents Teach Us About Authenticity.

Nine times out of 10 I cringe when an actor is attempting an accent--often a Southern one--in a film.  They usually get it wrong.  Hootingly, eye-rollingly wrong. 

Such was the case with Brad Pitt in Inglorious Basterds and appears to be so with Leonardo DiCaprio in Shutter Island.

The result?  A distracted viewer.

The same is true for a reader. 

The right words have an authentic voice.  Pick the wrong words or string them toegether in artifical ways and authenticity suffers.

That's why reading aloud is so valuable.  Your ear can hear a clunker.

Beautiful Morocco. Beautiful You.

Those who know me, know I love Morocco.  As proof, visit my travel website, http://www.wanderwomanonline.com/ and check out the picture of me in the Sahara and read my essay.

So, I was thrilled to discover Kahina, a line of argan oil beauty products from the country.  Highly concentrated with nutrients, the oil is extracted from the nut of the argan tree which only grows in Morroco.  It's sustainable and its saving forests in southwest Morocco.

Everything is 100% organic, the outer packaging is made from 100% post-consumer waste and 25% of the profits are donated to support the women who work in the cooperatives.  I was touched that each blue bottle bears the signature of the women who are taught to write, use cell phones and navigate local bus routes.

This is fair trade at its finest, spurred by the founder's journey to Morocco.

I recommend the travel basics kit, which includes a 1-2-3 skin care regime that meets TSA flight regulations.  I've been using argan oil at my hairline to combat winter itching and flaking.

Visit http://www.giving-beauty.com/.

Words That Work.

According to Dr. Frank Luntz, author of the book Words That Work:  It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear, there are 10 rules of effective language.  I offer these sound communication tips here:

Use small words

Use short sentences

Consistency matters:  it creates credibility

Offer something new

Sound and texture matter:  Alka-Seltzer's famed Plop, plop, fizz fizz

Speak aspirationally:  Martin Luther King Jr's speech "I have a dream"

Help the reader visualize:  i.e., Lexus's slogan, "The relentless pursuit of perfection"

Ask a question

Provide context and explain relevance:  American Express's campaign, "Don’t leave home without it"

Get Your Dose of Good.

I've become a fan of the magazine Good, an intelligent, themed quarterly (Winter 2010:  Slow Down) with the mission to help people live well and do good.

It's great, trust me;  it was nominated for two National Magazine awards in 2008. 

Taste Good thourgh the publication's talented bloggers. In particular, I like Carole Coletta riffing on cities: http://www.good.is/series/urban-renaissance/ and Mark Peter's Wordtastic,  http://www.good.is/series/wordliness/.

Direction Matters.

The Academy Awards nominations were announced yesterday.   It coincided with the arrival of a badly titled Netflix rental called State of Play.

Turns out, it was badly acted as well. 

All the A-list stars were uniformly awful:  Russell Crow dialed it in, Ben Affleck was flat, Rachel McAdams was miscast, Helne Mirren was shrill. In other movies, all have given top-notch performances.

This makes me think it was the director's fault. 

And that brings me to the point:  a weak, inexperienced or unskilled hand at the helm--even with top talent--can spell disaster.  It's true in movies and it's true with writing.

The best creative processes are collaborative, no doubt.  But you must ensure that the particpants are well matched in terms of skills. And, if things start to sink, you have to be willing to make changes to guarantee great results. 

A good writer knows that.  And so does a good client.

Your Brain on Technology.

Technology is weakening the brain circuitry controlling people skills, say the authors of iBrain:  Surviving the Technological Alternation of the Modern Mind, Gary Small and Gigi Vorgan.

Research has shown that  obsession with computer technology and gaming appears to be stunting frontal lobe development in many teenagers, impairing their social and reasoning abilities. 

That's right, technology is altering how young minds develop, function and interpret information.

Furthermore, a divide has developed in the span of just one generation between so-called "digital natives" who are hardwired for technology from toddlerhood and older "digital immigrants," who will be left behind politically, socially and economically if don’t adapt to technology.

So whether you are struggling to keep up or hankering to slow down, it bears repeating:  human contact remains the strongest way to strengthen your brain.