A few days ago, I emailed to ask, "What
have you been working on lately?"
Turns out, you guys have been working on... a lot!
Here is the third Show & Tell newsletter of the year—a big, beautiful collection of your amazing projects and creations.
In this round-up, you'll see... Books. Podcasts. Poems. Brand new businesses. Classes. Paintings. Apps. Websites. Inventions. Exciting, public projects. Personal, tender, quiet projects. And more.
Every time I sit down at my computer to put together this list, I am moved to tears by the sheer generosity, kindness, and unstoppable resilience of
the human spirit.
In a world that can feel so violent, so dark, so bleak... look at what we still manage to create. And create. And create.
Without further ado, here is... your art.
. . .
—
Giampaolo developed a tool called Kjuicer—short for Knowledge Juicer—which helps you consolidate information and read faster. Here's a free demo.
— Ahna created The Sleep Kit for Kids, which includes a book and a gentle audio track, designed to help kids sleep soundly through the night.
— Caitlin is performing in a one-woman show called THE PROTÉGÉ. It's happening in Brooklyn. She calls it a "self-help / dance party / workshop / baptism." Sounds incredible!
— Doña is offering Holiday
Nurturing Letters, a free series of audio recordings to help you slow down and de-stress during the holiday season.
— Emily makes swimwear from garbage found in the ocean. She says, "it's not as gross as it sounds." She takes plastic
cups, straws, and other pieces of harmful ocean debris and transforms them into stylish suits that are fantastically cute!
— Kirsten wrote a book called Before I Let You Go. She says, "Every mother has things she’d like to tell her child but there never seems to be the right time; the conversations are just too personal or too raw." Kirsten wrote this book to express heartfelt messages to her son.
— Diana is proud
to announce her new health coaching business.
— Another Sarah started a blog called Of the Moon. She says, "it’s all about mamahood and magic, and is a space for me to explore this massive transformation I’ve undergone since having a
baby."
— And a third Sarah is super-excited about her class, which is called Put Your Money Where Your Happy Is. She teaches you how to enjoy a beautiful quality of life even if you don't
have a massive income—and how to spend money on things (and experiences) that really bring you joy. (I got to peek inside at the online classroom—it's amazing!)
— Jay is excited about his new project, The Unreal Collective. It's a 12-week workshop for taking action on
the idea, project, or business you're excited about.
— Robbie is a stand-up comedian. He wrote a book of funny short stories for you to read while you're sitting on the toilet. Entertaining and highly practical!
— Alexa is shouting with joy about her company, Wishbeads. You can get a bracelet
with a hollow section where you can tuck a wish, goal, dream, or intention inside. Secret words inside of jewelry—what a beautiful idea!
— Theresa is very proud of her friend Pete, who wrote a children's book called The Salmon's Tale, which
teaches kids about the importance of caring for the environment.
— Nicole is thrilled to announce her new book, Eat This Poem. It's a literary cookbook celebrating food and poetry, filled with 75 recipes and 25 poems from America's most beloved writers like Jane Hirshfield, Billy
Collins, and Mary Oliver. What a fantastic idea, Nicole!
— Flannery says, "I am so excited to share my jewelry line, Sparkle Bomb. It’s crazy fun, colorful and sparkly!"
— Cayly is delighted to announce her podcast, Curiouser and Curiouser, which she hosts along with her friend Tracey. Cayly says, "Getting curious about my life and questioning my assumptions about everything has been incredibly life-changing for me. This podcast is a chance to give others permission
to do the same." — Dariana launched her new website last week! She's an illustrator. Here's some of her beautiful work:
— Tonia is stoked about her new podcast, where she dives into topics like how to have a healthy holiday season, how to manage
your stress levels, boost your immune system, and more.
— Anne made a free class that's especially for professional writers who work inside of organizations. If you feel tired of waiting for your work to be "reviewed" and "approved" and go
through miles of cumbersome red tape, Anne's class is for you!
— Alison created a virtual advent calendar inspired by one of her favorite writers, Mary Daly, a radical feminist philosopher.
— Bobbi wants to shine a spotlight on her cousin Kristen's work. Kristen is a Dental Hygienist and the founder of Strength in Smiles. Kristen is heading to Tanzania for an entire year to provide dental health services for preschool and school-aged children. Safe travels,
Kristen! You are absolutely amazing! (To support this incredible project, you can donate here.) — Eva lives in Croatia. She's a psychologist. This year, she's been leading creative expression classes for grown-ups. She says,
"I'm proud of myself for doing this. It's so difficult to put yourself out there and not know what comes next. But I pushed through my perfectionism and fear because I want to live a life with more colors, and help others do the same!" Look at Eva's colorful supplies!
— Jilly is leading a women's retreat focused on making peace with—and nourishing—our bodies. It's happening in a lodge in the
forest.
— Fabi created an 11 day Mindset Holiday challenge. It just wrapped up and she had a blast putting it together! She loves teaching people
about Kundalini Yoga, Meditation, Numerology, and all kinds of healing and mystical arts.
— Silvia created a 25-day e-course that teaches you some basic Italian phrases, as well as Italian Christmas traditions.
How fun is that?
— Krysta is proud to announce her newsletter, The Intersection, which covers running, writing, and everything in between.
— Anna is gushing with pride about her
daughter, who is appearing in a musical theater production. Anna has been working hard behind-the-scenes to help make costumes, props, and of course, snacks for the hungry performers. — Andrea created The Year of Dreams, a journaling kit for people with big dreams. Look how lovely it is!
— Ruth started a club. She says, "it's for women who want to let go of any expectations ever placed on them, and
(unapologetically) embrace all of who they are, and all they want to be."
— Carmen self-published her third book, Back in the Day, which contains a collection of mixed media collages. The artwork was inspired by an assortment
of vintage family photographs discovered in her grandmother's old blue suitcase. She told me, "My original plan was to publish in January 2017. But, life gets in the way, doesn’t it? I’m just so glad I finally did it!" Congrats on getting it done, Carmen!
— Natasha is a creative director and branding expert and she's excited to offer a 1-hour session called The Power Hour. She says, "It's so rewarding to help someone see their work and their brand in a clear light and be able to take off from there!"
— Curtis is jazzed about his
collection of paintings, entitled Controlled Chaos. For Curtis, painting is "a practice in learning how to trust the process of spontaneously making things without pre-planing or controlling the outcome." Here's one of his pieces...
— Lisa is launching the Divine Trust Academy in 2018, where she'll teach you how to connect more strongly with your intuition and higher self.
— Erin created an online class about personal branding. She said, "At first I
didn't think I could do it, but then I looked fear and self-doubt in the face and completed the project in under 3 weeks!" Amazing! She's excited to create more classes in 2018.
— Family corner! My aunt Lucy started a blog dedicated to Japanese cuisine as well as restaurant reviews and recipes. She says, "Despite 2 broken ankles in the past 8 months, this labor of love keeps chugging along!" Go Lucy! Side note: Lucy works as a virtual assistant and I can vouch for her meticulous organizational skills! — Deb emailed to share her article about Jungian analysis, which is a type of psychotherapy. (Deb, I hope you'll publish your article somewhere, if you haven't already done so. It's great!)
— Kelly is proud to announce that she is now the Chair of the Advisory Board for the Inland Ocean Coalition. Their mission is to protect the world's lakes, rivers, and oceans. Their work includes cleanups, monitoring, and testing to keep water clean for all. Kelly is thrilled to be involved with "a cause
that is incredibly important to the survival of our planet." — Sue created a very snazzy, energizing 30-second video to promote her new program.
— Michelle wrote a book called Purpose, which includes coloring sheets and journaling questions to help you align with your life's purpose.
— Yvonne runs a company called mobilhome. She makes cute felted pouches where you can tuck away your smartphone as soon as you step into your home—removing the temptation to "check just one more thing." Her mission is to inspire people to unplug and connect with loved ones in a non-digital way.
— Barbara is a historian who does research to help authors make their novels more historically accurate. She has a newsletter filled with fun historical
tidbits and writing prompts.
— Chloe is working on a novel called The Red Pearl. It takes place during the Revolutionary War. Here's how she describes it: "When a woman's life is shattered by a terrible assault, she finds the strength to fight back by spying on local
officers. However, her actions bring back a years-forgotten temptation and threaten to shatter her marriage." (Chloe, please let me know when it's finished... I want to read it! — Otiti is teaching a writing class called Your
Beautiful Dreams. When I peeked at the site, I noticed... it's already sold out! (Congrats, Otiti!)
— Jacqueline wrote the first draft of a 50,000-word book in less than 30 days, to celebrate National Novel Writing Month. She told me, "I finished a day early on November 29!
With kids, animals, life, and client work, I STILL did it." So amazing! Eventually, Jacqueline's book will be available on her site.
— Jen is launching a new website very soon! She says, "I want to live in a world where people, especially those with mental
illness, feel less alone." (Me too, Jen. Please keep me posted on when your site is up and ready for visitors.)
— Nikki is a painter. She's making lovely holiday ornaments painted like globes. Because why not, right?
— Chelsea is currently battling stage 4 cancer. She's 33 years old. She created a foundation that sends bags filled with uplifting gifts to people who are
fighting cancer. She writes, "The world needs more love. Especially those drudging through their darkest days battling something that has taken over their life. Let's bring them a little happy by giving them a blue bag of love and support... and to remind them they are not alone!"
— Siobhan has a new podcast called Girl Be Free, which she describes as "pep talks to inspire, empower and teach women how to get unstuck and cultivate the life they want."
— Joy is thrilled about her science writing business, Eco-Write. She uses her writing skills to help government agencies, universities, publishers, professional associations, and nonprofits with reports, books, grant proposals, web content, and more.
— Josie used to be terrified of public speaking, but now she's leading a workshop in London called Being Visible for Introverts. It's free to attend. How amazing is
that?
— Victoria is overjoyed about her new project: The Being Me Podcast. The first episode will be released soon!
— Last but certainly not least...
Similoluwa started a project called The Liquid Network at her university in Nigeria. Once a month, she hosts a meeting with coffee, twenty people from different backgrounds and perspectives, and one topic to discuss. Topics range from politics to relationships to mental health to finances. She loves this monthly gathering because
"it's a chance to get people talking about—and listening to—things that really matter."
I love that, Similoluwa. What a beautiful thing to do!
. . .
And there you have it!
Whoa! What a tremendous list of projects!
Congratulations! Bravo! Hooray! Look at what you've done!
And if you're reading this
email and thinking...
"Oh my gosh, all of those people are amazing, and meanwhile, UGH! I haven't created ANYTHING lately! My life is a big, stupid waste! What is wrong with me?! Why can't I finish an amazing project like all of those people?"
... if those kinds of thoughts are
running through your mind, I want you to stand up, if possible. Stand up on your feet. Raise your arms into the air. Become as big and tall as you can. Stretch up, up, up. Shake out your fingers. Swivel and shake out your waist. Then exhale in a big, long whoosh. Exhale of that panic, stress, and self-criticism out of your body.
And then go create something.
It can be something tiny. It can be a 3-sentence "thank you" email for someone who's made a difference in your life this year. It can be a drawing of your dog, doodled onto a napkin. It can be a 1-minute audio recording for your sister or brother—a little pep talk to boost their day.
Go create something, anything—big or small, public or private—just to remind yourself:
"I can do this."
You can do it. You can take sixty seconds, and you can create something
lovely, inspiring, generous, and meaningful. Something that adds a little light and positivity to the world. Something that brightens your mood—and that brightens another person's day, too. You can do it today.
-Alex
PS. To everyone who submitted a project: THANK YOU. You made my inbox a very bustling, exciting, colorful place! I got over 350 emails filled with incredible projects. I decided not to cram all of them into one newsletter because my
eyeballs started to get a bit wobbly. So, if you emailed me—and your project wasn't listed here—fear not! It will be included in the next Show & Tell newsletter, which will be sometime in early 2018.
PPS. If you'd love to stop procrastinating and finally write your book, do your blog, make your podcast, launch your coolio thingie, whatever it may be... I
am teaching a free class tomorrow and you're totally welcome to attend! It's called Stop Waiting, Start Writing. Sign up here and instructions will be emailed to you. If you can't make it tomorrow, sign up anyway, and you'll get a recording afterward that you can watch anytime. Here's to less waiting—and more
creating!
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