DAISY A. HICKMAN
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Thank you Laurie Buchanan for the Versatile Blogger Award in 2012. Find a link to Laurie's site below.
In May of 2011, this award was given to SunnyRoomStudio by Trish Nicholson, a New Zealand author & photographer. Find a link to her site below.
Thanks, C. Lee McKenzie, for this award in 2010. Find a link to this wonderful young adult author below.
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Thanks, Mary Montague Sikes, for this 2010 award. Find a link to this author below.
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Thank you author C. Lee McKenzie for the Stylish Blogger award in May of 2011.
Category Archives: Inspiration
A Whisper Away
Welcome back to LifeThemes2012 – a new blog series celebrating the 2-year anniversary of SunnyRoomStudio. As you know, this series is based on the wonderful quote by Rilke: “The only journey is the journey within.” And to facilitate our journey within, we’re looking at life themes … unearthing them for greater self and universal awareness. [...]
Also posted in LifeThemes2012, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged Conversations with God, creative writing, Jen Knox, Lao Tzu, Neale Donald Walsch, Rilke, RUMI, spirituality, To Begin Again Comments closed
The Only Journey
Does your life have a theme? Or several, perhaps? If you were to change the primary theme, how would you do it — where would you begin? The only journey is the journey within. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke When I launched SunnyRoomStudio about two years ago, I planned to explore life themes in some depth. [...]
Also posted in LifeThemes2012, Meditation, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged life themes, Maya Angelou, Missouri Botanical Garden, Nancy Mellon, nature, Rilke, St. Louis Comments closed
A Friendly Force
What if every new day felt like the start of a brand new year? Any reason this shouldn’t be the case? Do we take time too seriously, perhaps? Can we open our “minds of habit and conformity” just enough to let in a bit more light? Welcome to SunnyRoomStudio 2012 Einstein once said: “The only [...]
Also posted in Spirit, Wisdom Tagged A River of Stones, Einstein, Fiona Robyn, In the Wilderness, spirituality, Thoreau, TIME, Writing Your Way Home Comments closed
Be Content
Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the world belongs to you. ~Lao Tzu At what point in your life did you begin to realize that the above quote was true? Were you a youngster, a teenager, a young adult, a senior citizen? [...]
Also posted in Meditation, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged 2012, contentment, evergreen, Lao Tzu, new year, resolutions Comments closed
This Beautiful Winter’s Morning
So what is left to be said this holiday season, 2011, that hasn’t been said a million times, a million ways, already? Probably very little. Yet, I have one observation to share … one more holiday thought … to pass on before we say good-bye to Christmas, welcome the new year. Charles Dickens seems to [...]
Also posted in Meditation, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged Albert Finney, awakening, Charles Dickens, Christmas, holiday traditions, Scrooge, Tiny Tim, winter morning Comments closed
A Miraculous Moment
Do you believe in miracles? Up to you, of course. But if you ask my 22nd Studio Guest, Nikki Di Virgilio, she’ll probably say YES. Here is her inspirational story, shared during this special season of Christmas. Thank you, Nikki, for your guest post. And welcome to SunnyRoomStudio. The Face of Fortitude by Nikki Di [...]
Also posted in Reflection, Studio Guests, Wisdom Tagged fortitude, sacred space, season of miracles, soul reporter Comments closed
This Season of Seasons
I do like Christmas on the whole…. In its clumsy way, it does approach Peace and Goodwill. But it is clumsier every year. ~E.M. Forster You have to admit … this is an excellent observation. The holiday season is never “perfect” and often it feels incomplete or stressful or downright bizarre — depending on your [...]
Also posted in Meditation, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged Christmas, E.M. Forster, goodwill, holiday, peace, South Dakota, traditions, winter season Comments closed
The Sun of Inspiration
If you’ve ever written anything–even a letter to an old friend–you’ll know what my 21st Studio Guest, Melissa Crytzer Fry, is exploring in her guest post. You’ve sealed the envelope, you’ve completed your book proposal, you’ve written the final chapter in a new novel — yet, the voice of doubt chimes in almost immediately. Was [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Idea Sharing, Nature, Reflection, Studio Guests, Writing & Writers Tagged Arizona writers, author process, Creativity, evaluation, Melissa Crytzer Fry, nature, RUMI, sunlight, What I Saw Comments closed
It’s Morning Now
FIRST THOUGHTS. The final piece in a series of blog posts (8, in all) focusing on waking thoughts that are so often overlooked. After the hectic pace leading up to a holiday like Thanksgiving, my earliest thoughts turn to what was missing. But something reminds me that it’s the season of gratitude. A season that [...]
Also posted in dah, First Thoughts, Reflection, Wisdom Tagged absence, divine, Faulkner, grateful, GRATITUDE, Henry Clay, holidays, loss, peace, Terri Guillemets, the quote garden Comments closed
On a Whim
FIRST THOUGHTS. Number 7 in a series of blog posts focusing on waking thoughts that are so often overlooked. Stepping from the world of dreams reluctantly today. As though in meditation, I notice a wave of peacefulness — a whimsical floating sensation. Have I been drifting on a spiritual current? Feels like it, although, I’m [...]
Also posted in Creativity, First Thoughts, Meditation, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged a course in miracles, Eckhart Tolle, ego, happiness, joy, miracles, peace, spirituality Comments closed
Dream Writing
FIRST THOUGHTS. Number 6 in a series of blog posts focusing on early morning impressions that are lost in the haste of alarm clocks, schedules, and daily routines. ♥ The whisper of an idea. An intriguing scene from a story you’ve never read or heard about. The faint outline of a dream you want to [...]
Also posted in First Thoughts, Reflection, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged dream writing, F. Scott Fitzgerald, fiction, Joan Didion, New Zealand, Robert Olen Butler, RUMI, Steinbeck, Studio Guest, Tolstoy, Trish Nicholson, Willa Cather, Words in the Treehouse Comments closed
Letting Go
FIRST THOUGHTS. Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn. ~ Elizabeth Lawrence Relaxed, adrift, deeply silent. My waking hours brought thoughts of autumn and how the earth is preparing for its long winter nap. At least in many parts of the world. I wondered if our rose bushes, covered in old [...]
Also posted in First Thoughts, Meditation, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged autumn, beauty, George Eliot, GRATITUDE, Henri Matissee, Kahlil Gibran, Leo Buscaglia, letting to, loss, morning, roses, surrender Comments closed
Facing Fear
First Thoughts. Do you ever start to wake up in the morning with reluctance? With that feeling of … fear? Maybe you have a difficult day at the office on your calendar, maybe you have a dental or doctor visit that you’ve been dreading, maybe you have a big decision to make or a funeral [...]
Also posted in Creativity, First Thoughts, Reflection, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged awareness, Deepak Chopra, Morning Joe, Oliver Goldsmith, peace, present moment, Samuel Johnson, spirituality, Starbucks Comments closed
Rather Wonderful
My guest, Fiona Robyn, writes that she is “on a mission to help people to slow down and fall in love with the world through writing. Fond of earl grey and home-made cake.” Immediately I wanted to get to know someone who is also fond of cake. Many of us are, of course, but how [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Reflection, Spirit, Studio Guests, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged A Year of Questions, Anne Lamott, author motivation, Buddha, cake, Fiona Robyn, George Harrison, Kaspalita, mindful writing, Stanley Kunitz, The Wild Braid, write, Writing Our Way Home Comments closed
An Infinite Noise
First Thoughts. As dawn peeks closer, I notice my first thoughts of the day. The ones that still seem tied to the world of sleep. To dreams. To rest. They are different than the thoughts that percolate as the day moves forward with a rush of light and warmth. An autumn day in blossom. Have [...]
Also posted in First Thoughts, Nature, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged Lao Tzu, memories, Paul Simon, SILENCE, Thomas Hood Comments closed
No Small Thing
Have art and creativity helped to empower you? Have you sought answers to difficult situations by looking within? Do you want to go “beyond” a conventional story line? My lovely guest, Jennifer Paros, is a writer and an artist from Seattle, Washington. She wrote an early chapter book for children called Violet Bing and the [...]
Also posted in Art, Reflection, Spirit, Studio Guests, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged Author magazine, children's book, Eckhart Tolle, Jennifer Paros, Seattle, spirituality, Violet Bing and the Grand House, wisdom Comments closed
Shine a Light
As many of you know, this is the 2nd post in a new series called First Thoughts. Capturing early morning thoughts can be insightful, creative, revealing. So these blog posts will flow organically with my first thoughts of the day. Most will appear on Friday morning, unless I have a guest and then the schedule [...]
Also posted in Art, First Thoughts, Nature Tagged British Columbia, Creative Potager, Fiona Robyn, Marianne Williamson, Mayne Island, McCrory Gardens, Peter Renner, Precious Seconds, Terrill Welch, Writing Our Way Home Comments closed
Morning Contentment
Good morning. Have a couple of questions for you … Do you spend a lot of time dwelling on what’s “wrong” with the world? Do problems (real or imagined) consume your mind? Contentment is something I often think about early in the morning. It’s a good time to think about what’s right with the world. [...]
Also posted in First Thoughts, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged a course in miracles, blue jay, cardinal, goldfinch, nature, Poetry, prairie, woodpecker Comments closed
Taking It All In
So, okay, we were all young once. Naive. Innocent. Curious. Maybe even cute. But those bangs … ! What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly. – Richard Bach Then time moved on, offering a viable context for mortal evolution. For growth. For learning. And, yes, for transformation. Caterpillar [...]
Also posted in dah, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged Einstein, Emily Bronte, grief, loss, Richard Bach, RUMI, Toni Morrison Comments closed
Sun Garden
As summer winds down it seems like a good time to think about the incredible beauty of gardens — as powered by the sun. The rain. The earth. By now, we can begin to take this beauty a bit for granted, but why not celebrate and savor the bounty of nature every day? Pleasure and [...]
Also posted in dah, Nature, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged Albert Camus, Alice Bliss, Annie Proulx, Bird Cloud, dragonfly, Dwarf Alberta Spruce, flowers, garden, grief, Laura Harrington, loss, McCrory Gardens, memoir, Monet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, summer, swallows, Tagore Comments closed
Life Lessons: Energy & Light
My guest today is a woman of many talents. Author, artist, mother, spouse, founder of The Women’s Nest. So what fuels Melissa Foster, you may ask. What motivates her to reach out to others, creating a supportive community of women? When you visit The Women’s Nest you’ll see a site banner that reads: Real Women, [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Reflection, Spirit, Studio Guests, Wisdom Tagged author, Chasing Amanda, Come Back to Me, inspire, Megan's Way, Melissa Foster, positive energy, spirituality, The Women's Nest, women, Women's Literary Cafe Comments closed
Safe Haven
Since today marks the close of INSIGHT_2011 (our summer journey of meditative guideposts focusing on “less is more”), I want to leave you with some concluding thoughts about the wisdom of the prairie. The “power of place” in our lives. The magic of nature and open landscapes that tap something within — your spiritual essence, [...]
Also posted in INSIGHT_2011, Meditation, Nature, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, Reflection, South Dakota, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged awakening, e.e. cummings, Einstein, Megan's Way, Melissa Foster, spirituality, Whitman Comments closed
Sky of Your Life
Welcome back to … INSIGHT_2011 Guidepost No. 10 Key concepts: embrace the past, cultivate happiness, make time for the important things. I enjoy looking at concepts without an obvious connection to find a common thread. It’s creative. It’s fun. And it can be most revealing. From this moment I ordain myself loss’d of limits and [...]
Also posted in Creativity, INSIGHT_2011, Meditation, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, Reflection, South Dakota, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged Alice Bliss, creative discovery, ego, Laura Harrington, less is more, Megan's Way, Melissa Foster, Melville, spiritual practice, summer, Sunflowers, Walt Whitman Comments closed
A Bluish-green Infinity
INSIGHT_2011 has been a fun summer project. A series of meditative guideposts under the umbrella of “less is more” — a primary theme from my book Where the Heart Resides: Timeless Wisdom of the American Prairie. I picked this theme because it seems too easy to forget the powerful wisdom behind this concept. And [...]
Also posted in INSIGHT_2011, Meditation, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, Reflection, South Dakota, Spirit, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged author, Laura Munson, memoir, Missouri, Montana, New York Times, relationships, spirituality, Stephens College, This is Not the Story You Think It Is Comments closed
Consider the Lilies
Welcome back to SunnyRoomStudio. INSIGHT_2011 (our summer journey of meditative guideposts) resumes today with an idea that is especially appropriate for the middle of summer. Guidepost No. 8: Interject elements of fun into a plain ordinary day. Or combine work and fun whenever possible. Sometimes we get too serious about life. Or we take ourselves [...]
Also posted in INSIGHT_2011, Meditation, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged Kahlil Gibran Comments closed
Trial by Fire
I’m taking a brief pause from INSIGHT_2011 (our summer journey of meditative guideposts) to share a lovely guest post by my friend, Cynthia Ogren. Cynthia loves words. And she loves Riley, her adorable schnauzer. She recently moved to San Antonio, Texas, and also loves music. I first met Cynthia when I noticed that she sometimes [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Reflection, Spirit, Studio Guests, Writing & Writers Tagged author, Cynthia Ogren, Joan Didion, Khalil Gibran, schnauzer, The Year of Magical Thinking, writer Comments closed
Glorious Literary Lines
“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profundity. Kindness in giving creates love.” ~ Lao Tse Welcome back to SunnyRoomStudio — always a pleasure to have you here in this sunny space for kindred spirits. INSIGHT_2011 (a summer journey inward) continues today with meditative guidepost No. 5 — as our primary theme of [...]
Also posted in dah, INSIGHT_2011, Prairie, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged Annie Proulx, Bird Cloud, Lao Tse Comments closed
Across the Blank Page
Every now and then something jumps out at me — a word, an article, a book. Maybe beautiful words of poetry or a flower–a rose, a gardenia, a lily–catch my attention. A profound quote can resonate within me for days. The power of the human spirit is often most compelling. Stories of struggle that lead [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Reflection, Spirit, Studio Guests, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged Alice Hoffman, Author magazine, Bill Kenower, choices, creative writing, Judy Blume, Louis Sachar, Seattle Comments closed
Beauty of Balance
INSIGHT_2011 continues today with meditative guidepost No. 4 – and as many of you know, this is a 5-month summer journey focusing on “less is more.” While many of us believe in this principle, it is all too easy to forget in the rush of daily schedules. But by meditating on this theme throughout the [...]
Also posted in INSIGHT_2011, Meditation, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, Reflection, South Dakota, Spirit, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged 100 Memoirs, balance, blog awards, C. Lee McKenzie, catching courage, Cathryn Wellner, Dani Shapiro, Devotion, Halfway to Each Other, Jolico Farm, Juliet Wilson, Kathy Loh, Laura Munson, Laurie Buchanan, Lynne Spreen, Mary L. Tabor, Mary Montague Sikes, Maureen Doallas, Maxine Cook, Missouri River, nature, Oahe Damn, Rebecca Rasmussen, Roz Morris, Shirley Showalter, Susan Pohlman, Terrill Welch, The Bird Sisters, THICH NHAT HANH, This is Not the Story You Think It Is Comments closed
A Shared Light
INSIGHT_2011 resumes today. And in case you missed the May 1st post outlining this 5-month journey of brief meditative guideposts for summer, you can find it @ Our Finer Moments (see sidebar). The 2nd meditative guidepost can be found @ As Beautiful as Dreams. This brings us to the 3rd guidepost, and as most of [...]
Also posted in Book Journey, INSIGHT_2011, Meditation, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged C. Lee McKenzie, Jane Kennedy Sutton, kindred spirits, New Zealand, RUMI, Stylish Blogger award, Tagore, The Ride, Trish Nicholson, Versatile Blogger Award, Words in the Treehouse Comments closed
Now I Can See the Moon
When I launched SunnyRoomStudio one thing was clear. I wanted to share the voices of kindred spirits in this sunny creative space. Getting to know people who share a passion for creativity is so rewarding, for one thing. But, on another level, I have the opportunity to bring a diverse collection of voices to this [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Reflection, Spirit, Studio Guests, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged 1920s, Crestmont, Crestmont Inn, Eagles Mere, historical fiction, Holly Weiss, Pennsylvania, polio, Walt Whitman Comments closed
As Beautiful as Dreams
INSIGHT_2011 resumes today. And in case you missed the May 1st post outlining this 5-month journey of brief meditative guideposts for summer, you can find it @ Our Finer Moments (see sidebar). Meditation used to sound a little “flaky” to me, I’ll admit it. But even ABC News pointed out via a segment called “Changing [...]
Also posted in INSIGHT_2011, Meditation, Prairie, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged Meditation ABC News, Thoreau, Whitman Comments closed
Standing at Water’s Edge
When you begin a creative project or simply want to tap into your creativity, do you sense an element of fear or doubt greeting you at water’s edge? It may be a subtle feeling, but it’s usually there. Yet, if you are committed to your work–to creative expression–you forge on. Or try to. “All art [...]
Also posted in Art, Creativity, Studio Guests, Writing & Writers Tagged Anne Paris, artistic potential, artistic support, couarge, Ph.D., Standing at Water's Edge, tapping creativity Comments closed
Our Finer Moments
On May 1, 2010, here in SunnyRoomStudio, I launched a 5-month book journey called INSIGHT_2010. Sort of like a summer literary journal, I covered the chapters from my book on prairie wisdom to see if its wisdom had been at least somewhat timeless, as the subtitle suggests. But also to share the book with readers [...]
Also posted in Book Journey, INSIGHT_2010, INSIGHT_2011, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged Charles W. Eliot, less is more, meditation, prairie wisdom, Sri Chinmoy, summer, Swami Sivanada Comments closed
Run Free and Explore
Who said it best? Ah, yes, Pablo Picasso. Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. And since it’s Easter, a time of beginnings, it seemed like a good time to think about children and art — art in all its many forms. [...]
Also posted in Art, Creativity, Idea Sharing, Poetry, Studio Guests, Wisdom Tagged children and art, Degas, Easter, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indianapolis Art Museum, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Picasso, Sarah Arkanoff Comments closed
Eyes of Wonder
Season of Gratitude This is just a brief post to acknowledge the many gifts of spring — the season of gratitude. It is now that we remember how nature encourages us, enlightens us, and always reminds us to look at life with eyes of wonder. So this spring spend some time with nature. Roam the [...]
Taking the High Road
Somehow I encountered the gifted Susan Pohlman. And her new book, her inspirational memoir. “Halfway to Each Other: How a Year in Italy Brought Our Family Home” was shortlisted for the newly established Inspy Awards. It was also awarded “winner” in the relationships category and “runner-up” in the memoir category at the 2010 Next Generation Indie [...]
Also posted in Idea Sharing, Reflection, Spirit, Studio Guests, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged Halfway to Each Other, Italy, memoir, Susan Pohlman, Thoreau Comments closed
Bluest Day
I’m sure you’ve heard that April is national poetry month. So I asked myself why do I love poetry. Not all of it, but most. And I also asked myself how SunnyRoomStudio could best contribute to this celebration of words and sentiment conveyed by lyrical lines all in a row. Finally, I decided to keep [...]
Also posted in Art, Creativity, Poetry, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged blue, da Vinci, Leonardo da Vinci, National Poetry Month, painting and poetry, photography, Poetry Month, South Dakota, Spring Creek Comments closed
Compassionate World
Do you think we live in a compassionate world? And how does one define such a concept? There’s a beautiful ring to those words — a compassionate world — yet we all interpret them quite differently. For example, you believe that something you’re doing is “compassionate” while someone else sits back quietly thinking: “How could [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Idea Sharing, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged Buddha, compassion, peace, spirituality, trees Comments closed
Bright Wings
Old meets new today via the first day of spring. In many ways spring feels like the beginning of a new year, even though that happened a while back, per our calendars. Bottom-line, this is a day of celebration. Life continues, life resumes, life pushes forward on the wings of hope. Emily Dickinson wrote: “Hope [...]
Also posted in Poetry, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged blue heron, Bright Wings, Columbia University Press, Gandhi, Hope and Love, Jane Hirshfield, peace, SPRING Comments closed
Dancing with Time
According to our clocks, many of us have now moved an hour ahead — as required. Yet, the path to youth, according to Picasso, takes a whole life. So what will you do with this hour of time, this surface change that is mostly meaningless? Ignore it. Bemoan it. Question it. Really, there is little [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Poetry, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged life journey, path to youth, Picasso, PURPOSE, SPRING, TIME Comments closed
Out of the Blue
As most of you know, when looking for kindred spirits to grace the corridors of my SunnyRoomStudio, I look for men and women with a wonderful message. Artistry, creativity, enlightenment. A depth of perspective. A willingness to connect in meaningful ways. People who offer us the inspiration of their beliefs, abilities, and courage. So when [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Reflection, Spirit, Studio Guests, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged Asperger's syndrome, Becoming a Life Change Artist, Dr. Kathy Jordan, Dr. Oz, healing energy, Kathy Jordan, Leadership development, OPRAH, psychologist, Reiki Comments closed
My Creative Younger Self
Have you ever thought about the spiritual energy of wind? Or the muscular energy in sunlight? Annie Dillard has. So you are in good company if such questions have come to mind. There is a muscular energy in sunlight corresponding to the spiritual energy of wind. ~Annie Dillard I think I was drawn to the [...]
Also posted in Creativity, LifeThemes2012, Prairie, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged annie dillard, Carnegie Mellon, child art, memories, pancreatic cancer, Randy Pausch, spiritual energy, sun, sunlight, The Last Lecture, WIND, yellow Comments closed
Cloudless Heaven
What I feel for you seems less of earth and more of cloudless heaven. –Victor Hugo Over the years we all develop definitions of love. Today, Valentine’s Day, brings some of those sentiments into sharper focus. But it’s also a good day to simply trust life. To trust life to bring us the experiences we [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Poetry, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged cloudless heaven, grandmother, loss, Love, RUMI, valentine's day, victor hugo Comments closed
Spiritual Roots
A year ago today, 2-7-2010, I wrote my first blog post in SunnyRoomStudio: a creative, sunny space for kindred spirits. Then I shared that message of welcome on a page called Blog Purpose. And I published another page called Studio Vision. So now an entire year has elapsed. Many kindred spirits have been discovered. People [...]
Also posted in Creativity, dah, Reflection, Spirit, SunnyRoomStudio, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged blog anniversary, Eckhart Tolle, Einstein, memoir, Natalie Goldberg, Old Friend from Far Away, Open Road Media, peace, Picasso, spiritual roots, spirituality, Tagore, vision, Writing Down the Bones Comments closed
Beyond Conventional Wisdom
True talent must be expressed. And though the author of the next few sentences is most humble and unassuming, his artistic gifts and personal determination are most inspiring. ◊ I started painting when I was 15. I failed art in high school. There was no moment of inspiration that cued me in to my destiny [...]
Also posted in Art, Creativity, Reflection, Spirit, Studio Guests, Writing & Writers Tagged art, coffee, conventional wisdom, Liquid Light, memoir, painter, Paul Jackson, watercolors Comments closed
Clamoring to be Heard
Today I’m writing about a simple observation, one that is likely apparent to most of us. As the global population grows, it seems more and more people are clamoring to be heard. Have you noticed? Along with more people, the abundance of technology facilitates this communication frenzy. Yet, the more in tune I am with [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged Missouri River, Noise, SILENCE, stilling basin, Tolle Comments closed
First Light
As we know from the esteemed poet, Robert Browning, “God is the perfect poet.” Still, many of us try to write poetry and create art, knowing we are up against a tough act. When I encountered Terrill Welch and her artistry, I knew I’d discovered someone who, indeed, had a deep appreciation for the poetry [...]
Also posted in Art, Creativity, Reflection, Spirit, Studio Guests Tagged artist, British Columbia, Canada, Creative Potager, First Light, Terrill Welch Comments closed
Caring for Life
Getting the new year off to a strong start … If you would like to read my guest post on Mary Tabor’s blog, I invite you to venture by and say hello. Mary’s author blog is here and she was also my guest here in SunnyRoomStudio. (Find Mary’s post on the page called Studio Guests [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Guest post, LifeThemes2012, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged caring for life, literary, Mary L. Tabor, memoir Comments closed
Long Winter’s Nap
I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. SunnyRoomStudio celebrates the gift of life and spiritual awakening each day, but for January 1, 2011, I offer this moment of creative reflection to acknowledge the past year and the days ahead. Gratitude — for friends, family, pets, nature, and gifted creative souls who light [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Idea Sharing, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged 2011, awareness, celebration, goals, Little Gidding, long winter's nap, new year, spirituality, T.S. Eliot Comments closed
The Gift
I’m very pleased to report, for those of you following the “story of Noah,” that he will be coming home tomorrow, Friday the 17th. We send warm thanks to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center located at 1365 Gortner Avenue on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota for providing Noah with [...]
Also posted in Pets, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged Albert Camus, dreams, gift, Haiku, holiday, invincible summer, joy, Love, Minneapolis, Minnesota, miracles, Noah, Pets, season, St. Paul, University of Minnesota, University of Minnesota Vet Med Center, Zen of Noah Comments closed
Zen of Noah
Knock on the sky and listen to the sound! –Zen Saying All conditioned things are impermanent. Work out your own salvation with diligence … Buddha’s last words. Zen is a kind of unlearning. It teaches you how to drop that which you have learned, how to become unskillful again, how to become a child again, [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged Buddha, nature, Noah, Osho, winter peace, YOGA, ZEN Comments closed
Winter Reflection
On a recent road trip winter offered light snow. And while the peace and beauty of the countryside conveyed many things, the concept of winter reflection predominated. Something about the gentle white blanket on either side of the highway left me feeling calm, content — and curious. What will I accomplish this winter? What will [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged Dust of Snow, George Bernard Shaw, mindfulness, Robert Frost, snow, THICH NHAT HANH, Whitney Peckman, winter reflection, winter sky Comments closed
An Intricate Dance
“Of all the species on the planet, the human being alone has an inherent taste for enlightenment and the ability to realize it.” Michael Bernard Beckwith, in his book Spiritual Liberation: Fulfilling Your Soul’s Potential, pointed this out in a chapter called “Minding Your Spiritual Manners on Planet Earth.” In another chapter Beckwith mentions names, [...]
Also posted in Idea Sharing, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged beyond name, Clint Eastwood, Daisy, Eckhart Tolle, ghost writer, Hereafter, K.L. Stover, Keith Stover, London, Matt Damon, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Nail Your Novel, peace, Roz Morris, RUMI, spirituality Comments closed
Peace at Dawn
It’s still quite dark on the Dakota prairie, and when I began this blog, I wanted some posts to flow with the dawn — for me, the most peaceful time of the day. So today I’m going with more wonderful advice from Natalie Goldberg in Old Friend from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir [...]
Also posted in Prairie, Reflection, Spirit, Wisdom Tagged Brookings South Dakota, C. Lee McKenzie, Cover to Cover, dawn, DazyDayWriter, Eckhart Tolle, Facebook, grain, GRATITUDE, harvest, Jane Friedman, Jane Sutton, kindred spirits, LaBelette Rouge, Laura Munson, Maxine Cook, Natalie Goldberg, Shirley Showalter, Sinai, South Dakota, SunnyRoomStudio, Twitter Comments closed
Mary Tabor’s Living Memoir
Natalie Goldberg in “Old Friend from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir” writes: “Memoir is taking personal experience and turning it inside out. We surrender our most precious understanding, so others can feel what we felt and be enlarged. This means that when we write we give up ourselves.” I think you’ll agree that [...]
Also posted in DazyDayWriter, Reflection, Studio Guests, SunnyRoomStudio, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, Marianne Williamson, Mary L. Tabor, McCrory Gardens, memoir, Natalie Goldberg Comments closed
Sensing the Unseen
Today marks the final post for INSIGHT_2010, our look at prairie wisdom in today’s world, some 10+ years after I published Where the Heart Resides: Timeless Wisdom of the American Prairie. I’m considered creating a journal that includes some of the more intriguing quotes from the book, so will keep you posted on that. But [...]
Also posted in Book Journey, Creativity, INSIGHT_2010, Poetry, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, Purpose of Blog, Reflection, South Dakota, SunnyRoomStudio, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged A New Dawn Awaits, Deepak Chopra, Diane Meier, E.Dee Conrad, Eckhart Tolle, Frank Delaney, Jane Friedman, kindred spirits, Michael Beckwith, pasque petals, South Dakota Festival of Books, The Season of Second Chances, WIND Comments closed
A Generous Spirit
We’ve almost completed our 5-month book journey revisiting the pages of Where the Heart Resides: Timeless Wisdom of the American Prairie. I hope you’ve enjoyed this project, which I coined: INSIGHT_2010. Collectively, we’ve brought new insights to this material and also considered its timeless nature in a swiftly moving world. So thank you for stopping [...]
Also posted in Book Journey, Creativity, DazyDayWriter, INSIGHT_2010, PrairieWisdom, Reflection, South Dakota, SunnyRoomStudio, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged Anna Arch, challenge, generous spirit, grace, INSIGHT_2010, personal growth Comments closed
SunnyRoomStudio Book Journey
Welcome! SunnyRoomStudio is home to DazyDayWriter blog. I hope you enjoy visiting my creative, sunny space for kindred spirits. I’m Daisy Hickman. If we haven’t met, you may want to visit a page called “about me.” But, basically, I’m a writer and poet, and this is my blog. For specifics, you can visit the Studio [...]
Also posted in Book Journey, DazyDayWriter, INSIGHT_2010, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, Reflection, South Dakota, SunnyRoomStudio, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged competition, Erin K. McCartney, lemon pie, prairie cook, Whitman Comments closed
Use a Zoom Lens
EVEN though I wrote this chapter some 10+ years ago, I remember the experience well. Late at night, probably after midnight, and I found myself at the keyboard — writing with a bit of urgency, as if the words were flowing from another source: another dimension. But morning arrived and I was half afraid to [...]
Also posted in Book Journey, DazyDayWriter, INSIGHT_2010, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, South Dakota, SunnyRoomStudio, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged Big City, Bright Lights, C. Lee McKenzie, Columbia Missouri, Heat-Moon, Jay McInerney, Nail Your Novel, paul jackson art, River Horse, Roads to Quoz, Roz Morris, Stephens Comments closed
Raise Some Chickens
I couldn’t find a picture of a chicken for chapter 13 — so, hopefully, these lovely ducks will suffice. As many of you know, this is a summer book journey called INSIGHT_2010 : a literary journal designed to revisit the pages of Where the Heart Resides: Timeless Wisdom of the American Prairie to determine if [...]
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Reel of Life
INSIGHT_2010 : summer book journey : began may 1st : concludes october 1st : revisiting my book about prairie wisdom to see if its wisdom is universal and timeless : sharing with readers and seeking their insights : also looking at the writing / publishing process : thank you for stopping by, welcome back ↔ [...]
Also posted in Book Journey, DazyDayWriter, INSIGHT_2010, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, Reflection, SunnyRoomStudio, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged Harold Schuler, priorities, reel of life Comments closed
A Prairie Song
Keep a Song in Your Heart is chapter 11, as INSIGHT_2010 continues. Again, my thanks to all of you who share keen insights in the comments section — this is a collective book journey and your ideas are most welcome here. — “Happiness doesn’t depend on what we have but it does depend on how [...]
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Embrace the Past & Suntrees
Chapter 10, Embrace the Past, now on tap as INSIGHT_2010 (our collective summer book journey) continues. But, first, let me digress. This lovely photograph was taken by my daughter, Erin, last summer, nearly 7 months before I’d even considered starting a blog or developing a site called SunnyRoomStudio. So, browsing through photographs today, I was [...]
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Strike Out on Your Own
Photo by ERIN_km (Dallas-Ft.Worth) Welcome back to INSIGHT_2010, a summer literary experience: a collective book journey. Whenever I’ve had to put a good book down for a couple of weeks, due to other projects or obligations, I’ve always looked forward to picking up the thread once more. So here we are: picking up the prairie [...]
Also posted in Book Journey, DazyDayWriter, INSIGHT_2010, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, Reflection, South Dakota, SUNNY ROOM STUDIO, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged Circle of Life, Independence, Laura Ingalls Wilder, State of Mind Comments closed
A Quiet Sense of Purpose
Welcome back to our summer literary experience — a collective book journey called INSIGHT_2010. Today we’re exploring the 6th chapter in my book: Cultivate a Quiet Sense of Purpose. Thanks again for your insightful comments on the ideas presented here. And please feel free to add your ideas. SunnyRoomStudio is a creative, sunny space for [...]
Also posted in Book Journey, DazyDayWriter, INSIGHT_2010, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, Reflection, South Dakota, SUNNY ROOM STUDIO, SunnyRoomStudio, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged Giants in the Earth, O.E. Rolvaag, PURPOSE, SILENCE, South Dakota Magazine Comments closed
Try Almost Anything Once
Our summer literary experience — a collective book journey coined INSIGHT_2010 – continues now with chapter 5: Try Almost Anything Once. Welcome back! Your insightful comments have inspired me a great deal. I appreciate, so much, knowing that you’re enjoying this recap and finding it worthwhile. I’m also starting to incorporate links to other blogs [...]
Also posted in Book Journey, INSIGHT_2010, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, Reflection, South Dakota, SUNNY ROOM STUDIO, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged adventure, beyond comfort zone, inner peace Comments closed
Insight_2010
Our collective book journey, INSIGHT_2010, continues today with chapter 4: Create Rituals and Sayings with Heart. “Magical in nature, rituals thrive in prairie communities. Simple and unadorned but repeated over the years without fail, such acts build meaning and purpose into life in a way, and to a degree, that mystifies yet redeems.” This is [...]
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Build a Bridge to Yourself
Welcome back to our book journey: INSIGHT_2010. I’m so glad you could make it! As many of you know, this is a 5-month project revisiting the pages of my book: Where the Heart Resides — Timeless Wisdom of the American Prairie. I also close each post with a personal sidebar about the writing or publishing [...]
Also posted in Book Journey, DazyDayWriter, INSIGHT_2010, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, Reflection, South Dakota, SUNNY ROOM STUDIO, SunnyRoomStudio, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged peacefulness, self-awareness, TIME Comments closed
Discover Your Truth
Welcome to my 5-month book journey, INSIGHT_2010, as we continue to revisit the pages of a book called Where the Heart Resides: Timeless Wisdom of the American Prairie. I published this book against all odds and without the aid of an agent. ( That was a few years ago though … when it was still [...]
Also posted in Book Journey, Creativity, DazyDayWriter, INSIGHT_2010, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, Reflection, South Dakota, SUNNY ROOM STUDIO, SunnyRoomStudio, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged Care of the Soul, Eckhart Tolle, GRATITUDE, OPRAH, The Power of Now, Thomas Moore, Timeless wisdom of the American prairie, TRUTH, WHERE THE HEART RESIDES, Whitman Comments closed
Envision
INSIGHT_2010 continues now with my 5-month book journey to revisit my ’99 book: WHERE THE HEART RESIDES — Timeless Wisdom of the American Prairie (William Morrow_Harper Collins). If you’re just tuning in, my BOOK JOURNEY post provides all of the details and A Dance With Destiny considers the book’s introduction. Now, on to chapter one: [...]
Also posted in Book Journey, DazyDayWriter, INSIGHT_2010, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, Reflection, South Dakota, SUNNY ROOM STUDIO, SunnyRoomStudio, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged "Dakota" by Kathleen Norris, Blue Highways, Bob H. Miller, BOOK REVIEWS, Booklist, Envision, Frances Jones, Henry David Thoreau, My Antonia, PIONEER, PrairyErth, South Dakota, Stephens College, Willa Cather, William Least Heat Moon, William Trogdon, window, Window to the Heart Comments closed
A Dance with Destiny
So here we are — delving into the book introduction for WHERE THE HEART RESIDES: Timeless Wisdom of the American Prairie. If you missed the Book Journey announcement, last week’s post provides the details for this 5-month project to revisit each chapter in the context of 2010. More than 10 years has elapsed since the [...]
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BOOK JOURNEY
In 1999, I published a nonfiction book called: WHERE THE HEART RESIDES — Timeless Wisdom of the American Prairie. (William Morrow, Eagle Brook imprint) About the time my book was released Harper Collins purchased William Morrow. The hardcover edition features wonderful black and white photography by Artist Bob H. Miller of Rapid City, South Dakota. [...]
Also posted in Book Journey, DazyDayWriter, INSIGHT_2010, Poetry, Prairie, PrairieWisdom, Reflection, South Dakota, SUNNY ROOM STUDIO, SunnyRoomStudio, Wisdom, Writing & Writers Tagged chapters, Hollyhock Comments closed
Step Back
Earth Day’s 40th anniversary. National Poetry Month. Both of vast importance in Sunny Room Studio. As a poet, nature has inspired so many of my words. Lyrical, prose that paints a vivid picture, or sometimes the motivation to write in the first place. To pick up my pen. So despite the enthusiasm of spring, cleaning [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Poetry, Reflection, Wisdom Tagged Earth Day, INSPIRE WORDS, National Poetry Month, STEP BACK Poem Comments closed
Spring Universe
I’d never seen or heard of Elizabeth Magnolia until my sister sent these wonderful pictures from Memphis. Besides her yard, Lisa had seen them at the Dixon Art Gallery, but not anywhere else. So I had to look them up. One description mentions their “elegant drama” and “luminous, pale yellow, cup-shaped flowers.” I can see [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Idea Sharing, Reflection, Wisdom Tagged Daffodil, Dakota roots, Dixon Art Gallery, Elizabeth Magnolia, lilies, London, Memphis, spring flowers, spring universe, sunflower, symbolism of flowers Comments closed
Beyond Controversy
Somewhere beyond headlines and the woes of the world, most of us wish for a private space of personal peace. Yet, the drama of the world seems relentless, as if defying us to create and sustain inner peace. Apparently, we must try to look beyond controversy to discover this path: this state of mind. Or [...]
Also posted in Poetry, Reflection, Wisdom Tagged Beyond Controversy, ESCAPE, Personal peace Comments closed
Hidden Harmony
Via the calendar and the seasons, spring has arrived. A great time for an open house at Sunny Room Studio. Take a tour, wander through the pages and let me know what you think. While my life interests are somewhat diverse, there are many underlying themes to be discovered here. Creativity. Inspiration. Wisdom. Nonprofit organizations [...]
Also posted in Creativity, LifeThemes2012, Nonprofits, Poetry, PrairieWisdom, Purpose of Blog, Reflection, Wisdom Tagged beginnings, HARMONY, OPEN HOUSE, SPRING Comments closed
Poetic Life
Poetry can be something to write, read, or memorize. Precise words on paper, favorite lines to read time and time again. But what about creating a poetic life? What might that look like from your perspective? Here’s my thinking … Let’s assume, for a second, that life is poetry. That there is an underlying magic [...]
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Road Trip
Change of Heart Driving on, they were still caught in my rearview mirror, the golden sunflowers lighting up the flat lands of eastern South Dakota, so I traveled more slowly now, wanting to hold them in view, and noticed how the importance of laundry stacked high at home and needing my attention, had faded in the moment, in quiet [...]
Also posted in Creativity, Idea Sharing, Poetry, PrairieWisdom, Reflection Tagged CHAMPAGNE, CHANGE OF HEART, creative inspiration, laundry, Sunflowers Comments closed
Spring Notes (1)