Suzanne Strong's Blog

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Hey everyone,

Interesting research I heard of today was that Harvard in a study found that people who were humble were much happier than other people. The reason was because they asked questions, they wanted to learn. They wanted to learn how they could be better and didn’t act like an expert in every situation or relationship, they didn’t always think they were right. It’s a challenging concept but I’ve always thought that humility was an underrated quality. It’s something I look for in people. I feel like those people are always the best people I know, so yeah something to think about. 

I also recently volunteered with an organisation that cuts hair for people experiencing homelessness – it’s called Hair Aid. It was so beautiful to meet the people we encountered. They were definitely humble. We were giving away clothes, hygiene packs, shoes, hair products, moisturisers, shavers, cans of soup, and when I offered them to people, they only took what they needed. They thanked me. They were not entitled.

What I love about people in humble circumstances they are usually quite honest. I talked to this young woman who was on the streets due to domestic violence and taking drugs. She told me the whole story and she used to have a full time job. What struck me was when she said “the drugs fill the void” which I thought was such an honest, raw and deep observation.

Over the years, I have done a lot of street work with different organisations and I always see this, this raw honesty. There is no pretense. Not like in normal society where we pretend we are all together and perfect. I loved it. The research above reflects what I see. I just wanted to share the observation. In addition to the other street work, my brother experienced homelessness years ago, and I knew some of his friends from the street. They were always honest and raw. This is just an observation, maybe we can actually learn from these people to be more open and seek to be more open – not fearing the judgement of others.

Anyway, I admire their courage to keep going. She told me every night at 5pm she worries about where she will sleep, and that hit me. It’s so hard for women on the street. They are so vulnerable. What Hair Aid is doing all over Australia and even in other countries, is restoring dignity, making people feel great about themselves, removing any stigma they feel. They deserve to feel good, they are beautiful people, and very funny.

I always made sure I told them how good they looked after their haircut and you could see them walk taller, like they felt like a million bucks. It was so touching to see how they felt so good after their hair was neat, styled. They looked so handsome and so beautiful. It was a wonderful way to spend a Friday night. If you want to see what Hair Aid does you can check it out here. I am doing some writing for Hair Aid and it is a privilege.

Anyway, that’s all I wanted to share. We can learn from everyone around us.

Have a beautiful day! Suz

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Hey guys,

As you know I have been reading The Artist’s Way, and another chapter further along as well as still practicing my Morning Pages every day. The latest wisdom – which I think most of us know, but it is good to be reminded. Be present in each moment and grateful for everything in this moment. Find the joy and peace in these moments.

Life is lived in these micro moments. We still have to deal with our unconscious feelings and thoughts, but it is a great exercise to live in this one moment.

Do activities that keep you in the moment, it might be kayaking, playing sport, surfing, walking in the bush, it might be doing art, craft, watching a movie or climbing a mountain, going to the beach. So many things. Reading a book! Live in this moment, and appreciate everything you have as we all have things to be thankful for!

Have a beautiful day! Suz

Hey guys,

I wanted to check in and let you know how the Artist’s Way is going. I have been writing the Morning Pages every morning for the last two weeks. It has been amazing for me. It has helped me to be lighter every day and it also helps to unlock your creativity. This is basically writing therapy and I know that this helps us free ourselves from what is on our mind. It also helps us to see things in our lives – and to see how we are either off track or we are doing well. You don’t need to read back over it, but I do as sometimes I can see these amazing things I am learning. A lot of this comes through actually writing things down. The unconscious communicates with us what we really feel and we release this onto the page and then we can move into the day and be more crreat.ve

The other aspect Cameron talks about is the Artist’s Dates – this is where you take yourself out or do something replenishing for two hours every week. This is to fill up your creative bucket. This will be different for all of us. It could be going to an art gallery, or it might be going to a market or baking, everyone will have a different thing that makes them feel energised. It needs to be alone however. So, you can’t bring anyone else along. I have found this also extremely replenishing. It has been amazing.

But I just wanted to report back and say how I am really enjoying reading this book and implementing these simple things in my life. These simple changes and doing writing therapy or Morning Pages every morning has been making me feel lighter and I would highly recommend this. In the morning I go out on my verandah with a cofffee and I enjoy the sun, i do not take my phone out there. I talk to God and write. It is a special thing I have been doing lately, and my son, who lives with me, has said how he feels I have been happier. Even yesterday when I did some painting, it made me so joyful, to do something I love to do.

I encourage you to implement some of this in your life, if you feel worried about work, relationships, money, family, health. Write things down when you wake up every day. It will help you. Also, the artist’s dates are also a great way to give yourself time every week to reset and replenish yourself.

Have a beautiful day! Suz

Hey guys,

I just wanted to let you know Freedom Writing and Where the Sun Rises are still free for another day or so. Where the sun Rises is also number 4 in Middle Eastern Fiction and no.5 in Historical Middle Eastern Fiction.

I will post again soon about the Artist’s Way, further along the journey.

Have a beautiful day! Suz

Discover how you can free yourself through writing. Two women fight ISIS in Syria.

Hey guys,

I decided to make my books for free for the next few days. So, if you’re curious about writing therapy in Freedom Writing or my novel (Where the Sun Rises) about Kurdish female soldiers fighting ISIS, you can download these for free!

It would be great if you can do a review or simply click one of the stars if you do read them. Thanks so much I really appreciate you!

Check them out as It is only for a few days – I will put the link on here,

Have a beautiful day! Go well. Suz

Hey everyone,

On the weekend I attended a workshop which was held in the USA and I had to stay up until 1-2am in the morning to be present. I did this, it was exhausting. I did this though as I wanted to hear James Pennebaker speak about his research about writing therapy.

He was a pioneer of researching whether writing things down helped people, and he did some studies in the 1980s that led to some amazing discoveries. The findings were that people reported few visits to hospital, counsellors, doctors, few absenteeism from work, better university grades, release from emotional pain and release from a traumatic occurrence.

Years ago, I went through a very bad thing in my life, my ex husband attacked me physically – around my neck and I left him. It was 18 years ago but I have often not stated what this was, but now I wonder why did I do this?

Anyway, it was traumatic and I was seeing it over and over in my head, until one night I decided to write it down as it happened and how I felt about it. When I did this it completely disappeared. This is how I know writing therapy works. I have been practicing it for years since, 2007 and researching it on and off over this time. I have done workshops with others and I have seen its power time and again.

Anyway, it was so cool to see James Pennebaker the original researcher and hear him talk about everything and his findings. He also told us a new addition to writing therapy he came up with was writing your words in the air. If you don’t have paper or pen – we did it as an exercise and it was very effective – I really liked it. I feel that you are more succinct and straight to the point, so if you are ever feeling massive feelings, and you don’t have a paper and pen, then using your finger and do some finger painting in the air! It’s more about the words you are using that creates the healing and release.

It was absolutely amazing to be part of this seminar and workshop and I learnt a lot. I will check out the other workshops as well when I can see the recording.

Thanks for reading. Have a beautiful day! Suz

Hey everyone,

On the weekend I attended a workshop which was held in the USA and I had to stay up until 1-2am in the morning to be present. I did this, it was exhausting. I did this though as I wanted to hear James Pennebaker speak about his research about writing therapy.

He was a pioneer of researching whether writing things down helped people, and he did some studies in the 1980s that led to some amazing discoveries. The findings were that people reported few visits to hospital, counsellors, doctors, few absenteeism from work, better university grades, release from emotional pain and release from a traumatic occurrence.

Years ago, I went through a very bad thing in my life, my ex husband attacked me physically – around my neck and I left him. It was 18 years ago but I have often not stated what this was, but now I wonder why did I do this?

Anyway, it was traumatic and I was seeing it over and over in my head, until one night I decided to write it down as it happened and how I felt about it. When I did this it completely disappeared. This is how I know writing therapy works. I have been practicing it for years since, 2007 and researching it on and off over this time. I have done workshops with others and I have seen its power time and again.

Anyway, it was so cool to see James Pennebaker the original researcher and hear him talk about everything and his findings. He also told us a new addition to writing therapy he came up with was writing your words in the air. If you don’t have paper or pen – we did it as an exercise and it was very effective – I really liked it. I feel that you are more succinct and straight to the point, so if you are ever feeling massive feelings, and you don’t have a paper and pen, then using your finger and do some finger painting in the air! It’s more about the words you are using that creates the healing and release.

It was absolutely amazing to be part of this seminar and workshop and I learnt a lot. I will check out the other workshops as well when I can see the recording.

Thanks for reading. Have a beautiful day! Suz

Have you ever felt stuck and wanted to spend more time in your creativity?

I have. My whole life. Yesterday, I started reading The Artist’s Way, which I have wanted to read for a long time but haven’t yet.

It has already affected me a lot. I have been a writer and visual artist my whole life, since I was a kid, but I gradually ignored it. I wanted to be a cartoonist, then a visual artist and then I discovered I wanted to focus on writing. It doesn’t have to be writing or art it is simply about being creative.

Julia Cameron talks about how being creative is connecting to the Creator, or the Life force and becoming part of this creativity. She says you don’t have to believe in God but to have a belief in another force. I believe in God so that is fine for me. I thought it was interesting how she talks about having this connection with the Creator as we create. I have at times invited the Divine into my work, but Julia makes the distinction that I am entering into a communion with the Divine rather than inviting Him in to mine. In the past artists believed this and lived in this, I think it’s time for us to admit and recognise the spiritual in our lives. Our lives are not just physical; they are spiritual and emotional as well. So, when we connect to the creator we can allow it to come out and simply be available for this. A lot of modern artists experience this and I believe this happens for me as well.  

She talks about our lives as being a work of art as well. It is so inspiring. Julia talks about why we don’t pursue creative lives she has a series of statements we tell ourselves, I related to these, definitely. See if you relate to any of these:

Stop telling yourself it’s too lateStop waiting until you make enough money you will do something you loveStop telling yourself you dreams don’t matter and you should be sensibleStop fearing your friends and family will think you are crazyStop telling yourself that creativity is a luxury and you should be extremely grateful for it.

(Cameron, 2020)

I certainly did. It was not until recently that I gave myself permission to write in a more concentrated way, rather than as on the side. I work in writing copy and communication but I am writing my second book about writing therapy and my third novel – I have been editing and finishing. This has been amazing, but now reading this book it is helping me to embrace this even more!

One of the practices the book teaches is called the Morning Pages, which is basically writing therapy. I have done this for many years now.

Julia talks about everyday writing down three pages of whatever comes into your mind, your emotions, worries, fears, happiness, anxiety, or thoughts. Write it all down, dump it down onto the page. This is pure writing therapy. I have been doing this for a long time, but committing to a contract with this The Artists Way to do it every day for 3 months is a great way to focus.

I have been doing it every morning for the past four days and I feel lighter. I have written a book about this, if you’re interested here is a link to it https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Writing-Free-Through-Therapy-ebook/dp/B01MSB34DA/

So, I wanted to share my experience with this amazing book and how it is allowing me to pursue my creativity but I was pleasantly surprised to see it is about practicing writing therapy. I am working on my second book about writing therapy with more techniques. If you are feeling like you want to explore your creative side – in any way it doesn’t have to be art, writing or music, it can be anything. This is an excellent book. I am enjoying it!

Thanks so much for reading and I will keep blogging about the other concept Julia talks about – Artist Dates. I want to do some vlogs and blogs about my experiences as I go. Thanks again and have a beautiful day! Suz

Hey everyone,

It has been a while since I have blogged. I have lately been listening to Jane Austen novels on audible.com. It has been so inspiring for me as a write, especially in the area of dialogue.

I have been immersing myself into the language and dialogue of Jane Austen’s world. She is a master of creating perfectly timed, perceptive, insightful and character revealing dialogue. So, for me it has been amazing to be surrounding myself with this. Audio books are great as you can take them wherever you are and you can be enjoying a book while cooking or driving (obviously safely). It has been extremely inspiring for me.

I recommend reading Jane Austen or listening to her, if you want some inspiration. Or other books anything that gets you going. I definitely still love reading physical books and I do this all the time, but I am enjoying doing this at the moment. Thanks for reading. I am also finishing some editing and writing of my second novel and I am excited about this.

Have a great day!

Suz

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Hey guys,

I wanted to just share that I am still doing editing on my third novel, Particularly, I wanted to share that a good method for this, if you are a writer is to hear your work read out aloud.

I have used a website named Revoicer.com and it has some realistic AI voices that can read with different accents. Or you can do it in word I believe and in some PDF programs as well.

What is really useful is to hear your words read aloud, as you can see if this flows, did your imagery work, the cadence of the sentence structure, was it jarring?

I just listened to my first chapter, and I don’t know if you have ever had this but if you haven’t read it for a while it sometimes surprises you what you have written. Haha….

Regardless, I feel like it is a really good way to edit and revise your work, if anything stands out that you don’t like you can go back and edit the text. These programs are good for this now, I mean they are stilted somewhat, but that’s okay. You are revising.

Anyway, I just wanted to share that. I am hoping to get some of this editing done soon and then I will be getting a final edit, as I have already done a process with an excellent editor Jordan, from Scotland. I found him on Reedsy.com. He was brilliant with developmental and copy editing for my next book.

Anyway, until next time, have a fab day!

Suz