The concept of writer’s block is nothing new. But beyond feeling stuck, there are layers of complication when it comes to this often joyful/sometimes tortuous form of expression. It seems that the more you try to write well, the slower the words seem to flow.

What can you, a person who loves to write do about it?

I see your struggle, and I feel it more days than not. The answer for me was both surprising, and not. What is it that cures this freeze in the face of sitting down to write?

Reading about writing in books written by writers for writers.

(A.k.a. inception.)

I’ve been a writer all my life, but since I’ve begun writing professionally, I’ve found extra value in reading about writing.
Whether you write for pleasure or pay, professionally, personally, or otherwise…don’t make the mistake I did and wait too long to read the wisdom contained within these volumes’ pages!

Simply put, I wish I had found these titles sooner. Many have given me the figurative push forward I needed to sit down and get serious about putting pen to pad. So without further adieu, the best books for writers that I know of:

The Best Books for Writers (To Read)

From this writer to another!

Writing Down the Bones

by Natalie Goldberg

Starting off strong here, this is the book that arguably has made the biggest impact on my relationship with writing. Drawing parallels between the practice of zen meditation and the writing process, author Natalie Goldberg has shifted many mindsets with this classic concept. The subtitle is ‘freeing the writer within,’ so this book is perfect for someone who feels called to writing but trapped by their resistance to it. It looks at writing as nearly a spiritual practice, challenges the ‘rules’ of writing and creativity, and has sold more than one million copies worldwide (so you know it resonates!)

Random poignant quote from Writing Down the Bones: ““I write because I am alone and move through the world alone. No one will know what has passed through me… I write because there are stories that people have forgotten to tell, because I am a woman trying to stand up in my life… I write out of hurt and how to make hurt okay; how to make myself strong and come home, and it may be the only real home I’ll ever have.”

Bird by Bird

by Anne Lamott

‘Bird by bird’ refers to breaking down the writing process into more manageable chunks. Anne Lamott does a wonderful job of connecting with you, the reader, as she injects the reality of the writing life into her advice. The subtitle of this one is “some instructions on writing and life,” and that’s an accurate description for the often funny anecdotes and blend of wisdom Lamott shares. One of my particular favorites is her chapter on perfectionism, where she advocates fully for the value of “shitty first drafts.”

Random poignant quote from Bird by Bird: “If something inside of you is real, we will probably find it interesting, and it will probably be universal. So you must risk placing real emotion at the center of your work. Write straight into the emotional center of things. Write toward vulnerability. Risk being unliked. Tell the truth as you understand it.”

The War of Art

by Stephen Pressfield

If ever there was a book that equated to a much-needed kick in the arse, it’s this one. Pressfield writes in depth about the confronting the “resistance” that stops us from connecting who we are with what we really want to do (in this case, write.) Reading this feels part like you’re being led gently by the hand of a wise friend…and part like you’re being yelled at by a drill sergeant. (Which, if you’re anything like me when I sit down to write, I need the drill sergeant.) Use this book with its exploration of internal blocks and pep talk to get you going when you least want to begin.

Random poignant quote from The War of Art: “Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember one rule of thumb: the more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.”

Big Magic

by Elizabeth Gilbert

Whether you’re a lover or a hater of Eat, Pray, Love, chances are you’ll love Big Magic. It feels almost like the creative muse Gilbert describes has visited her with the sole purpose of gifting us this book. Not just for writers, but extra resonant with them particularly when she shares her own journey, Elizabeth Gilbert speaks to the creative in all of us and takes us back to the basics of why choosing a creative life is not only wise…it’s essential.

Random poignant quote from Big Magic: “As long as I’m still moving in that direction — toward wonder — then I know I will always be fine in my soul, which is where it counts. And since creativity is still the most effective way for me to access wonder, I choose it.”

The Artist’s Way

by Julia Cameron

The biggest reason The Artist’s Way is so frequently cited, why it’s had an impact on me, is creation of a concept called ‘Morning Pages.’ An on-and-off, but often very necessary, part of my routine, it is essentially “based on the belief that writing out three pages of free-form writing, in longhand, each morning, will unclog one’s mental and emotional channels of all the muck that gets in the way of being happy, productive, and creative.” (From The Artist’s Way in the Age of Self-Promotion.) This is yet another argument for getting out of our way, for creating just for the sake of creating, which can be so easily lost in today’s freelance economy and online attention spans.

Random poignant quote from The Artist’s Way: “We’ve all heard that the unexamined life is not worth living, but consider too that the unlived life is not worth examining.”

Still Writing

by Dani Shapiro

These words from a seasoned writing teacher and author speak more to the writer’s lifestyle, mindset, and approach to the world. Written in a memoir style, she shares so much wisdom about art and craft but with a softer tone. It’s less about telling you what to do and more about showing you how she’s done it.

Random poignant quote from Still Writing: “I believe that we don’t choose our stories,” she began, leaning forward. “Our stories choose us.” She paused and took a sip of water. Her hand, I noticed was steady… “And if we don’t tell them, then we are somehow diminished.”

Bonus Pick:

On Writing

by Stephen King

Full disclosure, I am in the middle of reading this now, so I can’t speak to it fully. I included it because it is the most recommended book on writing that I know of, and I am certain it will be of value to many.

Random poignant quote from On Writing: “In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.”
Side note: I have purchased many of these titles now, as I refer to them often, but checking one or many out from your local library is also a great place to start.

And with that I wish you…

Happy (and healthy) Writing!

What other books on writing have you helped you?

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As a freelancer, I like a healthy balance between being in my own world and being surrounded by others. Routine is both my best friend and my worst enemy — I find it encourages productivity but stifles creativity. When I’m short on inspiration, sometimes it’s as simple as a walk through a new neighborhood followed by a couple of hours in a coffee shop with good vibes. I find that even changing up my seating in a familiar place can help me see things in a new light.

Finding a public space to work in offers the best of both worlds. And because there’s nothing like caffeine to fuel both productivity and creativity, for me, I find myself in the city’s best coffee shops more often than not.

When I’m on deadline, I have to prioritize the Internet connection and minimize distractions. When I’m out more to journal or generate ideas, I choose coffee quality above all else. Most days you can find me at my neighborhood go-to’s, which offer a bit of both.

Whether you’re a local (hello!) or a visitor to San Francisco (welcome!,) take it from me…this is my hard-earned list of the best SF coffee shops and where to work remotely in San Francisco:

Just Plain Good Coffee

• Sightglass
• Four Barrel
• Ritual
• Blue Bottle
• Philz

Cute Interiors

(Beware: No wifi!!! GASP!)

• Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters
• The Mill
• B Patisserie
• Le Marais

Excellent Work Space

• Workshop Cafe
• Yakini Q Cafe
• The Social Study
• The Interval at Long Now
• Capital One 360 Cafe

Best of Both Worlds

Also known as…where you’ll find me most days:

• Saint Frank
• Jane on Fillmore
• Coffee Bar

Best SF Coffee Shops To Work In, By ‘Hood

Mission: Haus Coffee
Hayes Valley: Arlequin Cafe
Castro, North Beach: Reveille Coffee
Pac Heights: Jane on Fillmore
The Haight: Flywheel Coffee
Marina/Cow Hollow: Illy Coffee on Union
Presidio: Starbucks (honestly, the prettiest little Sbux you ever did see)
Russian Hill: Saint Frank
Nob Hill: Contraband Coffee Bar, Nook
SOMA: Sextant Coffee Roasters, St Clare, Coffee Cultures
Financial District: Mazarine Coffee, Chai Bar
Inner Sunset: Hollow
Outer Sunset: Andytown
Inner Richmond: fifty/fifty

SF Coworking Opportunities

• WeWork SF: 25 Taylor Street (+13 more locations)
• Nomad-A-What: 639 Clay Street
• Parisoma: 169 11th Street
• Canopy: 2193 Fillmore Street and 595 Pacific Street
• The Laundry: 3359 26th St
• Bespoke Coworking: 845 Market STreet
• Spacious
• Covo: 981 Mission Street
• AvantSpace: 2181 Greenwich Street
• Makespace Coworking: Rotating

Coworking for Women in San Francisco

• The Assembly: 449 14th Street
• The Wing: 115 Sansome Street, Suite #200

Most of these co-working spaces are available by the month, but I haven’t quite wrapped my head around the idea of paying someone so I can go into an office. If I’m going to go into an office that much, you’ll pay me, thanks! (However, the women’s coworking spaces do tempt me!)

Last but not least, sometimes I actually do work best from home. Most if not all of the coffee shops listed here offer delicious beans for home brewing. I’ve been using this Italian-made espresso machine for years, and it’s the only thing that comes close to making delicious espresso at home (budget-friendly for what it is, too!)

Other resources, for finding workspaces and keeping your sanity:

• WHA App (Work Hard Anywhere) or Workfrom (app)
• Freelancers Union
• The Freelancer, by Contently
• Map of Best Coffee Houses by Wifi

Anything missing, San Franciscans?

If you liked this post, check out the rest of my San Francisco pieces. Also, my Instagram is full of my favorite SF spots! I love this city like no other, and it brings me great joy to see others fall in love as well <3

<< Book your San Francisco hotel >>
<< See more San Francisco guides >>

The post Best Coffee Shops to Work Remotely from in San Francisco appeared first on Part-Time Traveler.

Photo by Brad Bernard

Patrick has an inspiring career story (as well as being an all-around great guy.) Patrick has always studied photography — he even holds a degree in it. By trade he shot commercially for General Mills in his home state of Minnesota. He rose to the top quickly. It was, in his words, a comfortable, secure job in a coveted role. How many people do you know that have a corporate job and still get to make art in it every day?
One year Patrick won a photo competition that took him to the island of Kauai for a week. He found endless inspiration in the natural beauty of the island. After returning to his job and a cold Minnesota winter, something shifted.
Brad of MyWanderlist and I met Patrick on Kauai earlier this year, where he now runs Kauai Adventure Photography Workshops (KAPOW!) All of us were individually inspired by a mutual friend who shares our story and connected us all (Sherry Ott of Ottsworld.) The three of us bonded over many of the same joys and challenges of leaving a corporate career to pursue your dreams —

Dreams that mean living in your ideal place, running your own business, and of course, travel.

Patrick took us to some of the coolest spots on Kauai, both for photos and for adventure. He challenged me to step up my photography game. (The guy has won National Geographic photo competitions.) He made ‘getting out of auto’ less intimidating. Best of all, he helped me see that a few simple steps before, after, and during the photography process really make a difference in final image quality.
It’s easy to get caught up on the complication of all the factors that enhance a photograph. I often get bogged down in the “bells and whistles” of my DSLR camera…
Here is my simple, boiled down version of what I learned (and am trying to stick with:)

Improve Your Travel Photography

[box]

Shoot in RAW and get off auto.

Use a tripod.

Edit them. [/box]

To slightly expand upon that:

• Shooting in RAW (especially landscapes) will require a much larger SD card (trust me – the image file sizes are huge!) but you’ll have one major post-production tool you can’t get with a JPEG…adjusting the white balance!
• And while I don’t do it all the time, shooting in RAW has taught me to be more selective about the photos I take, edit, and store. (Sometimes it’s more overwhelming to have so many digital images to choose from after.)
• Tripods are also a great way to take pictures of yourself while traveling solo. I see them as the anti-selfie stick. (Just say no to selfie sticks.)
• As far as editing goes – so many times I think I’m happy with a shot but if I take a little extra time to adjust highlights and shadows or color to better represent what I actually saw…I’m much happier with the outcome.

A few more key tips!

Pay attention to the light. I’m all about composition, but it was a game changer for me to start paying attention to how I could best capture light or best lighting in a photo.
Take 10 seconds to reframe your shot. Again, it’s easy to get crazy here with all the possible angles and poses. The one tip I try to live by is to take the shot as I first see it, then take ten seconds to try something different. Some of my favorite shots come about this way, just by simply looking for something different with intention.
Play with the light. I might be letting my amateur flag fly here, but I had no idea until I worked with Patrick that you could literally play with light and say, in a 30 second exposure night shot, take a flashlight and illuminate something in the shot that would then be highlighted in the final image.
If you’re shooting something popular or common (sunsets, the Eiffel Tower) take a step back and think about how you could shoot it from a new perspective. (This came from Sherry Ott, who is also an amazing photographer!)



Other Notes!

• Practice makes perfect (sort of.) Don’t get hung up on the details. It’s supposed to be fun. No photo is perfect! That being said, the more you shoot the better you’ll be.
• If you’re not comfortable with manual mode, try shooting in Av (Aperture priority) where at the least you can control the ISO (important!) In most instances you’ll want your ISO to be as low as possible, either 100 or 200. You’ll see a huge difference in the quality of your images (less grainy!) Av is also the best way to control depth-of-field.
• When you’re wanting to control movement, try Tv (Shutter priority.) One of the things I’ve learned is that shooting waterfalls with longer shutter speed in this mode creates that stunning water flow we all want to achieve. You’ll always have to play with the settings here (depending on water flow and speed) but I find starting with 1/10 is a good place to start.
• Night shots! Oh, you’ll definitely need that tripod. The advice I’ve gotten is to shoot with a 30 second exposure (to let in as much light as possible) but you’ll need to stay extremely still for the image to come out crisp. You’ll also want the lowest f-stop setting and to adjust the ISO according to the amount of moonlight.
• Some images look good with a vignette (add in post-processing) and it can be a useful tool to focus the attention of the eye.

Lastly (most importantly!) Editing should enhance a photo to be more like it looked in reality, with your own two eyes. I see so, so many over-processed travel images and some are beautiful…but I just want to shout, why why why! It is my belief that if you process a photo, it may be beautiful but it’s not real. Call it stubbornness or a request for authenticity, but especially when trying to capture a person or place in travel…we don’t want it to be misrepresented. Editing is an important tool of conveying what you saw, not twisting into fantasy (just my own humble opinion.)

If you want to learn from Patrick as well, he offers his photography workshops in both a group and one-on-one setting. (Highly recommended.)

PS: Many of you asked, so…

Here is my travel photography gear!

My Camera // UV filter // Favorite Accessory // Travel Tripod // Remote // SD Card 

The post Improve Your Travel Photography in Three Simple Steps appeared first on Part-Time Traveler.

Seven years ago I received a job offer after completing an internship while still a student, and I began working just two weeks after I graduated from college.  Since then I’ve worked with avid determination to fit travel into my life — amongst career demands and within my 3-4 weeks of allotted vacation time.  I remain passionately convinced that for working professionals, time to travel is not only possible but, for many of us, highly necessary.

Yet at present my life has taken on a completely different shape.  I ask myself as I realize — it’s true!  When did I become a full-time writer?

One year ago I decided to take the leap of faith into freelance work — and the lifestyle that comes along with it.  Though it took longer than that for me to really own it, and though I still have days where I question my choice, I’ve finally grown comfortable with the fact that I’ve carved an actual career path for myself.  

I’ve spent countless hours researching, debating, and searching for what feels something that arrived suddenly.  Isn’t it funny how that happens?  Months of small efforts, enlisting new habits, and planting the seeds…and then one day, all of a sudden, you’ve got something to show for it.

By no means has it come without sleepless nights and panicked grasping — but waking up excited to face the day and itching to get to work is something I will never again take for granted.

Today is also my half-birthday.  I know it’s not much, and that it’s a bit silly to even celebrate a half-birthday at all, but I take the opportunity to reflect and take stock of where my life is headed.  

As I approach twenty-nine (read: almost thirty) I feel more than ever the pressure to walk the traditional path — you know, the one we’re all supposed to want without question, the one it feels everyone is following but you.  

I’m the girl who always planned, who often succeeded, and the one probably least likely to deviate from said path.  Yet here I am.  At time it feels awfully self-indulgent, yet at other times it feels like a no-excuses necessity worth fighting every day for.

It kind of feels like dancing without music, literally marching to the beat of your own drum.

All of this leads me to wonder: if we’re dancing without an audible soundtrack, at what point do we rock on, and at what point do we realize that we look ridiculous?  Does it matter if no one else hears the music, as long as you’re enjoying the dance?

(Image source: Pinterest)

< I learned to ask myself this daily when traveling, and it helped me be okay to ask it at home. >

The road to freelancing hasn’t been smooth, as anyone will tell you.  How does one even start freelance writing?  I admit that it took years of working in a job I dreaded daily and making sacrifices to create a safety net to be able to take a chance on myself.  I think, however, just as a small part of me knew that my personal life would never be the same after traveling, some part of me knew that perhaps a less traditional path was what I needed to walk (or, fly!) on.

I applied for “real” jobs here and there, and I’ve been disappointed  — but I refused to apply for a job I wouldn’t be ecstatic to accept, just as I won’t continue to date someone I’m not dying to see again (read this for a wake-up call on that…)  It’s scary, having no one to answer to but yourself.  Self-employment —  being in the business of “you” — is a daily adventure in itself.

For me, it’s worth it.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of freelancing is built into the word itself — being free. What really is freedom?  I don’t think of myself as a person who fears commitment — if anything it’s the opposite: I throw myself wholeheartedly into anything I pursue.  I’m all in.  To me, having freedom, at least at this point, is choosing for life to be a blank canvas.  I decide what goes on it, what doesn’t, and I choose the colors that suit me.

If your life was a blank canvas, what would you paint?

Realizing that what was once a tiny flicker of a flame is now a legitimately burning (albeit small) fire — that I write for a living, that I get to write about what I love, and that I love what I do…

It seems almost accidental that I’ve arrived here.

Yet this…this is what I’ve learned:

It’s anything but accidental when it’s something you’ve always dreamed of.

For what it’s worth, some helpful words I’ve gathered that I offer now to you:

• The greater the risk, often the greater the reward.
• The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the amount of uncertainty you’re able to deal with.
• Almond macadamia lattes on a foggy day in San Francisco are a gift from God.
• When at a loss for words or ideas — get out of your desk chair (and maybe your pajamas) and go engage with the world around you.
• Learn to go with the flow of life — and refuse to settle as you do.

“Trust that when the answer is no, there is a better yes waiting for you down the road.”

And finally….

“Trust the timing of your life.”

P.S. Did I mention that I’m a professional writer? Hire me?

Freelancing is just one path on the road to balancing life and travel.  Is it something you desire?

The post My Path to Freelancing – Was it Accidental? appeared first on Part-Time Traveler.