I have to commend Kevan for outing himself and for sharing feelings that we can all relate to, even though many of us might not care to admit it. I totally get the questions of talent and self-worth, the irrational second-guessing of skills and talents, the yearning to produce meaningful results that we can truly feel proud of. I certainly have my share of those emotions, too.

But writing, indeed doing anything creative, also feels, to me, like the great equalizer. More years ago than I’d care to admit, I was riding the wave of a pretty successful career in software engineering. At its peak, I was the technical liaison between Intel’s graphics chip division and Microsoft’s Windows. Not bad for a small-town girl from cow-town Wisconsin! But talk about feeling like a fraud. I felt like I was supposed to handle all the technical details and all the politics—all while making it look totally effortless. It wasn’t effortless, of course, but it was a heck of a lot easier than writing, and I suspect I was better at it, too.

Why, oh why, then, do I write? I write precisely because it’s so darn hard. Yes, I like a challenge, and I’m stubborn, and I want to continue to improve and find ways to make it easier. But I also love knowing that it’s hard for everybody. What joy, what freedom–it’s not just me! How can I be a fraud if we’re all struggling in this together? Even multi-published, award-winning authors (and artists) say every time they sit down to create it’s the same feeling of dread. No one prances around pretending it’s easy (if they do, we all KNOW they’re robots!). There is a huge community of like-suffering souls out there. And of course, self-publishing notwithstanding, one hopes there are some very talented and worthy gatekeepers barring the path to publication until our efforts are ready for primetime (now THEY must feel some pressure, don’t you think?).

I think that the beauty of writing, or attempting to master any other creative endeavor, is that it is so clearly a life-long apprenticeship. Even the masters feel there is still much more to learn. We all strive to enhance our skills and perfect our craft. We are all on a hero’s journey that will not end until the very last breath. We have all been forced (I hope) to switch from a fixed mindset (talent) to the growth mindset (practice). Now we just have to work at it, individually, yet all together.

Many thanks to all my creative friends who are walking this road with me, and to the ones who slap me upside the head and tell me to “knock it off” whenever I feel like giving up!

I cannot speak Swedish, and this is not me. Nope, neither is this, although it’s fun to see my name on Amazon.

I do not write paranormal romance novels, although it sounds like fun and maybe someday I will.

I have never been, nor ever will be, a member of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (G.L.O.W.), although I was a cheerleader (small ‘c’) and am a member of the Gorgeous Ladies of Publishing (G.L.O.P.).

I would love to be a zookeeper, but I’m not.

I enjoy playing with my camera, but I’m not a professional photographer.

Not an executive search professional, or a finance and business affairs executive, or a science teacher.

This is DEFINITELY not me.

Perhaps a pseudonym is in order? Any ideas?

Does anything interesting come up if you Google your name?

Throughout the holiday season, Starbucks will contribute five cents from the sale of any of (Starbucks) RED Exclusive beverage (the three beverages that make up the Starbucks popular holiday trio) at all of their US and Canadian stores to the Global Fund to invest in AIDS programs in Africa.

“(RED) is making remarkable progress in the worldwide effort to address AIDS in Africa,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman, president and CEO. “We have a deep partnership with coffee growing regions in Africa. We are proud to partner with our customers to contribute toward an AIDS-free Africa.”

Schultz joined Bono, co-founder of (RED), for today’s announcement in front of 10,000 Starbucks partners (employees) at the company’s 2008 Leadership Conference in New Orleans.

“(RED) is coming to a corner near you thanks to Starbucks. I’m very excited to be able to say that,” said Bono, co-founder of (RED). “The business of Starbucks with roots in Africa and branches all over the world is an ideal fit for (RED). It’s pretty mind-blowing to think that millions of people can buy (RED) going about their daily lives and in doing so raise millions of dollars to fight AIDS in Africa. That’s not a bad hit from your caffeine.”

(Starbucks) RED Exclusive Holiday beverages go on sale November 27, 2008 and continue through January 2, 2009.

1. What are your nicknames?
One of my best friends called me Spoory Laur (since my maiden name was Laurie Spoor). I guess I’m not really a nickname kind of gal, though.

2. What was the first movie you bought in VHS or DVD?
Dirty Dancing. I still have it!

3. What is your favorite scent?
Pumpkin pie.

4. What one place have you visited that you can’t forget and want to go back to?Whistler, B.C., my favorite (borrowed) “cabin” in the mountains. Thanks, dear friends, for all the wonderful mountain getaway trips!

5. Do you trust easily?
Yes, probably too easily.

6. Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think?
I think before I act, way too much. I just finished reading Chris Eboch’s Well of Sacrifice, and I think I need to take a lesson from Eveningstar: sometimes you need to act before you think, or the opportunity is lost.

7. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
Politics, negative ad campaigns, lies and manipulations of the truth, the deep divisions and disagreements in our society and around the world.

8. Do you have a good body image?
Good? No. Sufficient? Yes.

9. What is your favorite fruit?
Hmmm… tough call. Peaches or strawberries? (You decide; I hate making decisions.)

10. What websites do you visit daily?
My Google calendar, Google reader, Facebook (in that order).

11. What have you been seriously addicted to lately?
Coffee, the all-important productivity enhancer. Facebook, the fun but insidious productivity killer.

12. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
Determined, modest, generous, glamorous, wonderful mother.

13. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?
The theme song from I Dream of Jeannie (no, I have no idea why it’s in there).

14. What’s your favorite item of clothing?
Pajamas, the fuzzier the better.

15. Do you think Rice Krispies are yummy?
Yes, with or without butter and marshmallows. Snap, crackle, pop!

16. What would you do if you saw $100 lying on the ground?
Just lying there, with no one around and no idea who it belongs to? Well, in that case, I’d pick it up, silly!

17. What items could you not go without during the day?
Coffee. Hugs and “I love you”s from my family. (Okay, family comes first, but they don’t come anywhere near me until after I’ve had my coffee.)

18. What should you be doing right now?
Cleaning the car out for the drive down to the Second Annual Kidlit Blogging Conference!

Now, to tag eight more who haven’t yet been tagged. I’m going to tag a few Facebook friends since they don’t have active blogs that I know of, but hopefully they can post their answers on their wall or profile or something.

Bernie, Chris, Rob, Jim, Peggy, Kirby, Joni, and
Molly.