Abby Dengler

“Creativity isn't just about making art. Making your life is the ultimate creative act. I believe creativity is contagious, and when we put some of that into the world, it gets passed from person to person… I hope you're here because you know that embracing creativity will help you live a richer, more fulfilling, more connected life.”
― Maggie Smith, Dear Writer: Pep Talks and Practical Advice for the Creative Life

“I don’t know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day.”
― Mary Oliver, Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver

“What do you remember about your life? When was the last time you felt joyful? What about devastated? Research shows you’re much more likely to be able to answer the second question than the first. Negative emotions carve deep ruts in our brains and are memorized by our bodies so they can be replayed over and over and over again. Positive emotions like joy and peace and love don’t always have the same impact. Do you want to get to the end of your life and remember only the negative? What parts do you want to remember? What we write down is what we remember. It’s like a time capsule in a way, a lifeline back to the best parts of ourselves. A little popcorn trail of words we can follow so that we never lose sight of the path we’re on. Words help us see ourselves more clearly. They help us remember who we are and what we’re here for. They help others remember us, too.”
― Allison Fallon, The Power of Writing It Down: A Simple Habit to Unlock Your Brain and Reimagine Your Life

“Emotional healing is not delivered through Amazon Prime.* In fact, the best things in life grow slowly: relationships, children, careers, the oak tree in your backyard, and your writing practice. Think of it like a garden. Get started now, so that in a few months, you will have something to eat. The reason I bring this up is so that when the feeling inevitably comes up that this is taking too long, you’ll remember these words and you won’t give up. You are about to get to the good stuff. The worst mistake you could make is to get days or weeks into this, worry you aren’t making any progress, and decide to move onto something more efficient and productive.”
― Allison Fallon, The Power of Writing It Down: A Simple Habit to Unlock Your Brain and Reimagine Your Life