Birthday wishes. Brand new website. 2015 workshops. So much love!

Published: Thu, 12/11/14

16 hours ago, I turned 30 years old.

I spent my birthday with my parents and my true love, doing absolutely... nothing. (The best kind of celebration!)

Yesterday was a different kind of "birthday," too.

Because yesterday... my new website came into the world!

It's clean, fresh, and oh so zen.


It's not just a new "look," though.

You'll find a lot of new corners & treats to explore.


Including:

- A collection of essays on how to approach your work with discipline & love: Devotion.
- A very sexy writing workshop for singles & couples (with champagne & desserts): Sugar.
- A lively writing workshop for people who dream of writing a short & simple book: Make A Tiny Book.
- A workbook with a 3-word philosophy that could change the way you write... everything: Feel. Know. Do.
- A digital edition of my debut novel, Milk & Honey, featuring selected recipes & a music playlist.
- A Gratitude list, a section for the Press, and clean, tight new Policies.
- An alphabetical list of (pretty much) everything I've ever written.
- And more. Explore at your leisure.


In case you're curious:

- Paul Jarvis designed the site.
- Danielle Cohen took all of my new head shots & media shots.
- As of right now, Sugar and Make A Tiny Book are the only two workshops I am planning to lead in 2015. They are both happening in Portland, Oregon. If those two sell out and there's a demand for more action, I will open up additional dates. Keeping it light. Goin' with the flow.


Reinventing my website was a powerful exercise for me.

It compelled me to look closely at my body of work & decide where to focus my energy.

It also compelled me to clarify my cause. My mission, as a writer and writing teacher.


This is what I know:

Words have great power, and it’s important to wield that power with great care.

Words can change minds, open eyes, heal wounds, break hearts, or start wars.

It all depends on how you use them.

I want to live in a world where people communicate with deep respect and care -- not sloppiness or cruelty. A world with less friction and more understanding.

My mission is to create that kind of world...

- By leading by example, as often as I can.
- By sharing everything I know about writing, communication, and the art of human connection.
- By issuing little reminders to make the right choices. (We all need those little nudges. I know I do.)


Thank you for joining me and for being part of my work, my cause, and my little corner of the Internet.

Hope to see your beautiful face in 2015...

-Alex

PS. Song of the day: "Anything Could Happen." Sing it. Believe it.

PPS. My birthday wish (one of them, anyway) is for you to write something that makes someone else's day... a little better than it was before. It could be a text. It could be a poem. It could be a blog post. Or a handwritten letter. Or... who knows? Set your intention. Let it be simple. Ready? Go.