Category: creativity


Greatest hits of Newvine Growing

Greatest hits of Newvine Growing

I’ll be in Austin for the next several days at the geek spring break known as South by Southwest Interactive — all manner of people interested in the Web, mobile, social media and video games, among other things, descend on a city with the unofficial motto “Keep Austin Weird.” It’s an excellent experience because you almost can’t help but have…

Feel the fear and do it anyway

Feel the fear and do it anyway

“Feel the fear and do it anyway” ~ Susan Jeffers I’m blessed to have some fabulous people in my life, including career coach Kim Ann Curtin. Kim met with me recently to help me strategize about where my career is headed and how to get there. As we talked about various possibilities, Kim asked what I was afraid of. My…

Musical role models in strong, soulful ladies

Musical role models in strong, soulful ladies

Now you have to know I’d love a story that starts like this one in the Brooklyn Paper recently: Mavis Staples is the queen of reinvention. The Chicago-based singer and civil rights icon has been a staple on the gospel circuit for over 50 years, making her name foremost in spirituals with her family’s group, the Staple Singers, who added…

Two months 'til 40 and counting

Two months 'til 40 and counting

After talking about it for years, I finally started beginner piano lessons last spring, in part because the approach of my 40th birthday felt like  a good deadline. I fantasized about learning a song that I’d be comfortable playing in public, maybe even hosting a big 40th birthday bash with New Orleans Bingo Show headlining and with me playing my…

What brings people to Newvine Growing?

What brings people to Newvine Growing?

Some people arrive here because of links I post on Facebook or Twitter. Others subscribe to e-mail or RSS updates, and some generous readers pass along links to friends who might be interested. Search engines are also responsible for a good chunk of traffic. And while some people arrive after searching for, say, Ben Jaffe, happiest people in the world…

Newvine Growing is all about evolving and growing

Newvine Growing is all about evolving and growing

I launched this blog nearly two years ago as a means of exploring my own mini midlife crisis. I wanted a venue to explore questions like what makes life meaningful, what makes us happy, who should my role models be in living life well. Of course being a data nerd, I’m interested in which of these issues get the most…

Coming attractions on Newvine Growing

Coming attractions on Newvine Growing

After a month of daily gratitude posts, it’s taking me a bit to regain my rhythm of regular content — but I do have some good stuff in the hopper: I sat down with Larry Kirshbaum, formerly CEO of Time-Warner Book Group and now head of LJK Literary, and he shared the unvarnished truth about moving from a corporate gig…

I am grateful for: Bugs Bunny

I am grateful for: Bugs Bunny

When I was a kid, Saturday mornings meant cartoons and cartoons meant Bugs Bunny. Looney Tunes anchored Saturday viewing, with a whole wonderful cast of characters including Daffy Duck, Roadrunner, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian … but the star was Bugs. Bugs taught me about pop culture, including gangster movies and hillbilly music, and of course, about opera. It was…

I am grateful for: excellent contest entries

I am grateful for: excellent contest entries

As part of the Month of Thanksgiving, I’m running two — TWO! — contests: what are you grateful for? who are you grateful for? Readers have submitted some excellent entries already but I’m greedy. I want more more more! The deadline is Saturday, so take a few minutes to share who or what makes your life better by going to…

I am grateful for: public art

I am grateful for: public art

John has an art show tonight in Brooklyn and I will beam like the proud wife I am seeing his paintings showcased by ContaminateNYC. But one of the things I love about New York is that even when you aren’t at a gallery, museum or other designated art event, you’re surrounded by art. Last Friday we were headed to an…

I'm grateful for: people I've never met

I'm grateful for: people I've never met

A guest post from the ever-fabulous Lara Zielin:   I probably spend too much time online and, if my increasingly strobe-light-like brain is any indication, it might not be doing me as much good as I think. But I will say one thing about the experience: being online, and utilizing social media tools in particular, has connected me to some…

I am grateful for: traditional jazz

I am grateful for: traditional jazz

Preservation Hall Jazz Band plays New York tonight and I’m such a geeky fan girl that I’m going even though I think I’ve seen them five times already this year. Traditional jazz is my soul music. It never fails to make me happy. Whether I am covered in mud on a rainy day at New Orleans Jazz Fest or packed…

James Tobin, historical author, on how and why he writes

James Tobin, historical author, on how and why he writes

This post continues an occasional series on writers — how and why they write, what inspires them and how they overcome challenges like writer’s block and rejection. Previously we’ve heard from Jim Ottaviani, Lara Zielin, Bruce DeSilva and Jennifer Worick. Today’s Q&A features a baker’s dozen questions with Jim Tobin, a newspaper reporter turned author and college professor. From the…

Chuck Close illustrating AOL's anniversary

Chuck Close illustrating AOL's anniversary

One of my most popular posts ever was about the artist Chuck Close reinventing himself after a blood clot left him physically unable to use his hands the way he used to. So of course I was intrigued to start seeing AOL ads featuring Chuck Close. To celebrate their 25th anniversary, AOL commissioned Close to do a “Project on Creativity.”…