There’s one big plus to cooking, aside from having something to eat. And it’s that when you do, your house smells like food. Sauteed onions. Roasted sprouts. Seared pork. A pot of jasmine rice. A slow cooker teeming with chili, the steam slipping out like a secret. An entire tray of bacon, hoisted out of…
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The time I tried to move up in the world (Day 3)
READ MORE: The time I tried to move up in the world (Day 3)When I was 23, I was hired for my first office job as an executive assistant at a management consulting firm in Cambridge, MA. I served as admin support for three brilliant management minds, one of whom used to work in the military and helped invent email. I only half understood what they did, or…
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Get up, get out, get in a cab: The secret to creativity (day 2)
READ MORE: Get up, get out, get in a cab: The secret to creativity (day 2)I put off reading Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit for a long time. I saw it come across the transom when I was an editor, and thought, there’s a brilliant, successful artist, and I’m sure we have nothing in common, and I’m sure she has lots of advice for things I won’t do. I’m sure…
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The day I missed long division set me back in life (Day 1)
READ MORE: The day I missed long division set me back in life (Day 1)As the first-born of three daughters, I was a self-disciplined kid. Well behaved. Type A. All A’s. I did my homework. I nailed, absolutely nailed, every spelling test, plus the bonus words. And I was sure I’d never, ever be smart enough. In the third grade, I missed a few days of school, and when…
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Join the 21-Day Thaw…And defrost the ideas you forgot you had
READ MORE: Join the 21-Day Thaw…And defrost the ideas you forgot you hadI live in a small studio in Manhattan. That means I have a small refrigerator. And an even smaller freezer. It’s the size of two shoeboxes. Enough for three bottles (gin, vodka, tequila) to lie horizontally, wedged next to a bag of frozen veggies, and some mummified food I don’t remember buying. My freezer is…
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How to Prepare Your Talk Without Starting from Scratch
READ MORE: How to Prepare Your Talk Without Starting from ScratchYou have a big talk coming up. So you say to yourself, I’m going to sit down right now and write it. You type one sentence: “Good afternoon.” You delete it. You wonder if you’re a fraud. You wonder why you’re doing this. You wonder what to have for dinner. Then: Oh would you look…
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3 Questions to Ask Before You Do Your Next Talk
READ MORE: 3 Questions to Ask Before You Do Your Next TalkThere’s nothing like getting tapped to speak at an event or conference—it’s not only nice to be asked, but it speaks volumes about what people think of you: That you have something of value to share with their community, and they want it. That said, there are three questions I ask myself before I accept,…
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4 Ways to Get Laughs on Stage (even if you’re not that funny)
READ MORE: 4 Ways to Get Laughs on Stage (even if you’re not that funny)Of all the people you’ve seen get up in front of a room to speak, how many do you really remember? Very few. And chances are the ones who made an impact probably made you laugh, too. Solid content gets a nod. But funny gets rave reviews. Funny gets asked to speak again. And again. Here’s…
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Happy Accidents: Why Staying Open Should Be Part of Your Plan
READ MORE: Happy Accidents: Why Staying Open Should Be Part of Your PlanAfter I finished my session on creativity at the How Design Live conference, a woman approached me and handed me a note. “I know now that I was meant to be here,” she said, dreamily. “I mean, I’m not even part of this conference.” Wait…what? But before I had time to call security, she was…