We have perhaps never been as isolated as we’ve become in these last number of years. Our politics, COVID, the environment, remote work, an inequitable economy and more is dividing us, and we’re lonely and lacking in connection. I woke early this morning, feeling a familiar sense of dread—a feeling I remember all too well from eight years ago. By 3:21, I gave in and checked my phone, only to find deepening confirmation of what I feared. Despite the heaviness, I made it to my 6am spin class, knowing that caring for myself is essential, especially in dark times. My first impulse was to vent, to add to the outrage…
-
-
From waiting to leading: Sparking connection and purpose
Are you waiting for permission to make a move? I was, too, until I realized that the only approval I needed was my own. Last Friday night, I gathered an inspiring group of women in my mother’s living room in Eagan, MN—women from every corner of my life who have supported my journey and discovered their own Sparks. It reminded me that the path forward is often about taking the leap ourselves, gathering our community and creating the space we wish existed. The ripple effects of that night continue, and it’s just the beginning.
-
What AI Showed Me About My Skills (and How It Can Help You Too)
How does someone with a non-traditional path showcase their skills, particularly if they aren't looking to do a conventional job search? That’s where AI came in.
-
Embrace the essence of summer—(re)Discover Your Spark
Today, wake up and pay attention to where you are right this minute. Every season of life is short, and if your “next” feels unknown, join us for a virtual (re)Discover Your Spark retreat to guide you back to being present and purposeful.
-
Life lessons learned in Bath, England
Putting on events, launching new programs, starting a business...taking whatever leap you're considering taking is never easy, but regardless the work it requires, you better be able to say it was fun to do or what in the world is the point?
-
This little kitchen in Burnham, England, Spark and 16 years ❤️
That little house brought us back together, slowly but surely, as we carefully danced around and with each other, mending the hurts and traumas of the past years; its small doorways and rooms gently forcing us to reach toward each other versus apart until we’d (re)discovered and built upon our initial attraction to create an abiding love.
-
Join the Spark movement: Let’s collaborate and grow together
For close to four years, I've been offering various opportunities for people to say yes to Spark work. I've loved the hundreds of people I've worked with in all these many ways we've engaged in this joyful work together, but it's time for me to change it up.
-
Navigating a silent battle: chronicling the creative journey
How do ideas and Sparks appear to you? I get asked often where all the words live in me. Truthfully, I don't know. They make themselves known to me, most often as a quiet but serious voice inside, and almost always from seemingly out of nowhere. My entire life, all my best writing has arrived like this and fallen out of me, like cool, clear water from a simple glass pitcher. Because I don't really think it comes from me. It's much more accurate to say my writing comes through me.
-
Shame and isolation be damned
Shame at what's weighing you down breeds an almost frenzied desire to isolate. Mustn’t be discovered by everyone else, by anyone else–no one will understand what you’re going through; shame convinces you that you are the only person who has “failed” in this way, fallen down or been dragged down by someone else. Isolation, in turn, feeds fully off the stories you continue telling yourself as the shame piles higher and higher, burying you under its massive, crushing layers.
-
What do you miss when _________ masks _________?
One more piece of back story: I am not a joiner. Of anything. I can't say why exactly, but I've always been that way. Actually, that's a lie. I can say why: it's rooted in absolute insecurity. If I join and fail, how will I be perceived? If I join and don't belong, what will I do? If I join and do belong, am I not all that special after all?
