In a recent On Being podcast, filmmaker and Webby Awards founder Tiffany Shlain talked about taking creative responsibility for our digital lives. I was transfixed by so much of what she said, but especially this:

“We proactively can evolve the Internet and infuse it with character strengths… [The Internet] is creating a nervous system for the whole world… we can shape it and prune it.”

For the past year, I’ve been building two websites: one for Story Is a State of Mind School and one for myself.
 

I know that where we spend our time online affects our nervous system.

So I’ve been considering my nervous system (and yours) carefully for the past year as I’ve been making decisions about these sites.

I’ve been raising Story Is a State of Mind for five years, and the little school has grown up. It was time for it to leave the nest and get a place of its own.

It’s time for me to downsize, and get a little digital pied–à–terre for myself.

But if I’m going to add something to this buzzing network, I only want to add calm and clarity. My wish is for my digital projects to be a kind of stress relief.

Is it possible? Today we find out!
 

Welcome to my new website!

This is a new online home for me as writer and author, a website that allows me to stay connected and interdependent with my writing school, while the school continues to evolve.

Take a look around — my wish is that this feels like a clear, warm, and familiar space to learn more about me and my work.

Before our shoot, I told Johnny CY Lam that I wanted his photos to feel like light, freedom, clarity and joy. He nailed it.

While I wanted Story Is a State of Mind School to feel like magic and openness (“Give it an uncomfortable amount of white space,” I asked Brooke Semple, our designer), I wanted this site to be suffused with light and feel grounded in nature.

Wow. I’m blessed to work with these two brilliant, intuitive artists. They took my words and turned them into glowing green and gold beauty.

I feel so at home in this new space. The fields and sunlight are quintessential Prince Edward County, Ontario (fields I am now lucky enough to call home).

The beautiful maple writing desk was a birthday gift from Ryan last year, built by hand by a local Mennonite family. The interior plants, flowers and space are courtesy of my dear friend Alison Westlake, aka Coriander Girl.

I have tried to infuse both of these new websites with the character strengths I know. I’m beyond happy to open these digital doors today.
 

I hope that being here makes you (and your nervous system) feel calm and delighted.

Housekeeping note:

If you already receive emails from Story Is a State of Mind School, you’ll also hear from me (occasionally) now, too — whenever I have news to share about my writing, or special appearances and events.

If you aren’t on that list yet, get on it now!

And stay tuned for my first announcement from this site. I have very exciting news coming up. (It involves an upcoming short story festival visit, and I hope you will come see me there!)

Thank you so much for visiting today.

Love,
 

P.S. If you’d like to listen to the On Being episode that I mentioned above, you can listen here. I recommend it, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed by technology, and crave a sane and positive perspective on it.