Category: Personal

The Power of Documenting Your Experiences

On By Alice StrathernIn Inspiration, Miscellany, Personal

This illustration caught my eye while browsing Instagram.

It reminded me of a place I visit frequently in my mind when I need to think. When I was younger, I tried to draw it many times. As an adult, I stopped and didn’t attempt to do it again. However, Iulia Bochis’ illustration made me remember it.

I was so intrigued and impressed with her work that I visited her website. I found out that her art journey began as she was travelling in Asia. She kept a journal to document her inner experiences, and later on, she started sharing her work on Instagram.

It made me think of the importance of documenting experiences in any form. At first, it’s a personal exercise; for your eyes only. Then, one day, you decide to take some parts of it (or maybe all of it) and share it with the world. Without realizing it, you’re touching someone else’s life because it connected with them.

So next time you feel you’re called to share a thought, a photograph, a journal entry, a drawing, a painting, a playlist, a collage…think that it will reach the right people.

Genuine work finds a genuine place. This is the power of documenting experiences.

Things that made my year – 2022 edition

On By Alice StrathernIn Miscellany, Personal

We’re getting closer and closer to the end of 2022. Where did the time go? Funny how time flies when you’re having fun.

Here’s a list of things that made my year:

  1. Celebrating my son’s first birthday.
  2. Having my mom around for two months and celebrating my son’s birthday with her.
  3. Publishing my debut novella Kaleidoscope Eyes.
  4. This interview about my novella.
  5. Realizing that, as independent author, learning takes place every day, and it’s scary and fun at the same time.
  6. That it’s important to focus on the step in front of me, not the entire staircase.
  7. Learning about Amazon Ads for authors.
  8. Writing #LetrasDesnudas.
  9. Joining Té de Querer for some great writing workshops and making new friends.
  10. Publishing three articles on Excélsior (Mexican newspaper, all available in Spanish): Carta para la niña que se convertirá en mujer, Promesas de hoy para un mañana seguro, and Urge modelo de salud con perspectiva de género.
  11. Discovering the Curious Fox podcast.
  12. Rediscovering The Chase Jarvis Live Show.
  13. A great podcast in Spanish, Hablemos Escritoras.
  14. Joining Good Reads as an author.
  15. Learning that Depeche Mode is releasing an album next year.
  16. Finding joy in writing my newsletter.
  17. Listening to some great artists: Neo Soul, Toni Braxton, Sade, Tom Jobim, The Human League, Spice Girls, and Alicia Keys.
  18. Castella tarts.
  19. Tuna and salmon poke bowls.
  20. Janet Jackson’s album “Control”.
  21. Learning the meaning of surrender.
  22. Tara Brach’s talks and meditations.
  23. Waiting Game by Junior Boys.
  24. Toda Tercafeira by Soul Quality Quartet.
  25. Deciding that my new NFL team is the Seattle Seahawks.

 

Grateful for all the lessons learned. Grateful for the wonderful people who walked with me every step of the way. Grateful for all discoveries. Looking forward to 2023!

Lecciones en El Principito #AlgoPersonal

On By Alicia StrathernIn En Español, Miscellany, Personal

Finalizó el club de lectura y yo encontré nuevas lecciones en El Principito.

A mis 34 años de edad, he descubierto un tema que antes había pasado desapercibido: la autenticidad.

Cuando El Principito llega al planeta Tierra, se encuentra un jardín lleno de rosas que se parecían a la suya y se decepciona, ya que pensó que la que tenía era única en el mundo. Sin embargo, en el diálogo con el zorro, aprende el concepto “domesticar” y cambia su perspectiva cuando le pone un ejemplo muy claro.

Me permito copiar un pequeño fragmento.

Tú no eres para mí mas que un chiquillo parecido a cien mil chiquillos y no te necesito. Y tú tampoco me necesitas. Yo no soy para ti más que uno más entre cien mil zorros. Ahora bien, si tú me domesticaras, nos necesitaríamos el uno al otro. Tú serías para mí el único en el mundo, como yo lo sería para ti.

Crear lazos es parte de la experiencia humana. Todos los creamos con nuestra familia, con personas que alguna vez eran desconocidas pero que luego se convirtieron en amigos entrañables. También los creamos con quienes elegimos como compañeros de vida.

En un mundo de millones de habitantes, con tantos siglos y tanto espacio de por medio, llegan personas que dejan huella. Cada una de ellas es única. Las experiencias son irrepetibles y vamos escogiendo con qué nos quedamos.

Por diversas razones, pueden salir de nuestro espacio y puede que ya no volvamos a coincidir. Sin embargo, ese pedacito de tiempo compartido se puede guardar en un lugar especial de la memoria. Queda el sentimiento de haber creado lazos de significado profundo.

Comentábamos en el club de lectura que El Principito es un libro triste. Me queda como lección corroborar este punto. Es triste despedirse. Es triste dejar ir. Es triste aceptar que las personas son temporales y que su estancia es efímera. No importa cuan fuertes seamos, asimilar todo esto nos deja vulnerables.

No sé por qué no había detectado este tema antes. Me pareció muy claro y estoy agradecida por lo que este libro ha hecho por mí en este momento.

Sin duda, el presente es todo lo que tenemos en nuestras manos. Hay que gozar. Uno también es efímero.

El Principito: Club de Lectura #AlgoPersonal

On By Alicia StrathernIn En Español, Miscellany, Personal

El Principito es uno de los libros más preciados en mi biblioteca personal. Ahora que me acabo de unir a un club de lectura para analizarlo, me emociona la idea de compartir mis interpretaciones y anécdotas.

Hoy quiero compartir una de ellas.

Hace algunos ayeres, mi mamá me llevó a la Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara. Era una época donde esta feria comenzaba a posicionarse como un punto de encuentro importante para acercarse a la lectura.

Yo estaba muy jovencita y no tenía ni idea de qué quería leer o qué podría interesarme. Nos acercamos a un estante y me compró El Principito. Hasta este día, conservo esa copia y es una de mis más grandes joyas.

Me dijo que este libro me iba a gustar mucho y no se equivocó.

Pese a que no había estado en contacto con muchos libros en aquel entonces, supe que El Principito era especial. Las emociones que transmitía eran únicas. Me parece que esa sería la primera vez que las palabras y las ilustraciones me formaron un nudo en la garganta sin entender del todo por qué.

Ahora que me incorporé al club de lectura, veo que remueve muchas cosas en mí que ni sabía que llevaba dentro. Así de poderosa es la literatura.

Anoche empecé a releerlo después de varios años de no haberlo abierto. Tuve uno de los sueños más tranquilos que he tenido en meses. No sé qué signifique eso, pero me gusta el efecto que me está provocando.

Estoy por terminarlo. Una vez que llegue al final, reportaré en este espacio las nuevas lecciones aprendidas. Ese es también el punto: puedes leer el mismo libro una y mil veces y siempre encontrarás detalles diferentes y asombrosos.

The creative process to write books: a series of changes

On By Alice StrathernIn Mindset, Personal, Writing

As I published Kaleidoscope Eyes, I’ve been thinking about the creative process to write books.

There’s all kinds of strange highs and strange lows. On the most challenging days, blocks fill you up with negativity: “Is this good enough?” “Is anybody going to be interested in this?” “Why would someone want to read an unknown author?”

While writing my novella, I went through stages where I thought my work had no potential. I felt like I wouldn’t be able to finish the job for not having a compelling story. Self-doubt was a huge obstacle.

However, part of the creative process to write books involves finding ways to overcome those blocks and stay tuned to your creative seasons. I’d like to share my experiences here.

Continue reading “The creative process to write books: a series of changes” →

Personal fears: An exercise for self-reflection

On By Alice StrathernIn Miscellany, Personal, Thoughts

I want to write openly about my personal fears. Since fear can be used as a GPS, I think it’d be a good exercise to see where it’s leading me. On the other hand, it’s difficult to be vulnerable in public. It’s a common belief that the more you hide your flaws, the stronger you will look.

It’s time to get rid of that belief and let my authentic self show. I’ll start by naming three of my greatest fears while elaborating a bit on them. I’ll mention where they come from and how I can overcome them.

Let’s see how this goes.

Continue reading “Personal fears: An exercise for self-reflection” →

20 things that made my 2021 interesting

On By Alice StrathernIn Miscellany, Personal

We’re just about to finish 2021, a year full of life-changing events. I’m grateful for all the experiences I had, and all the opportunities that came my way, especially for writing.

New priorities redefine the way I live my days, but there’s always a chance to make room for all the things that matter to me. I’m confident 2022 will teach me how to become better at it.

Here’s the list of 20 things that made my 2021 interesting.

  1. Getting pregnant and giving birth to a baby boy
  2. My mom’s visit for two months
  3. Publishing an article on women’s empowerment in Excelsior, one of the most prestigious newspapers in Mexico. (The article is available in Spanish only).
  4. Collaborating as a blogger in Apocrifa Art Magazine. I wrote about indie authors, creative entrepreneurship and writing life in general. (All articles are in Spanish).
  5. Taking a course on creative writing for the first time in my life. It was wonderful.
  6. This video on the importance of being yourself. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever watched on YouTube.
  7. Reading more in Spanish. This year I read El Amor en los Tiempos del Cólera, Ficciones, Cuentos Naturales, Plagio, La Ciudad Oculta 2, and Mucha Madre.
  8. Discovering the following musicians: Chet Baker Quartet, Debussy, and Vangelis.
  9. This song
  10. Finishing my book!
  11. Dave Gahan’s Imposter album
  12. Depeche Mode’s photo book
  13. A playlist I made to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day
  14. Discovering that I want to explore folklore through dancing. Watching Amalia Hernandez’ ballet was inspiring.
  15. Deciding that, someday, I’d like to become a judge at the Olympic Games
  16. Playing Mario Kart again
  17. Meditation as a more regular practice
  18. Writing about beginnings
  19. Writing more in Spanish
  20. Buying books for my son

Post-pandemic world: readjusting priorities

On By Alice StrathernIn Mindset, Personal

As days go by, and as we feel that it’s a little safer to go outside, the post-pandemic world brings a few questions to mind. What’s really going to change for us? What if we’re more comfortable in my personal space than in a public one? What if some of us don’t want to return to the office and share a desk with others?

New realities require changes, but every person and every company is going to take a different approach. And that’s fine. However, we’re free to choose our own way according to new priorities.

Continue reading “Post-pandemic world: readjusting priorities” →

Writing on paper: an analogue tool that still works

On By Alice StrathernIn Miscellany, Personal

Writing on paper is one of my favourite activities. It allows me to slow down and think better. Seeing my hand in motion as I scribble down is still a fulfilling experience.

I can strike out ideas on the go and stop at any time to find out what comes next. On a digital format, I find this process a bit more intimidating. The text box is blank, and all I can see is the cursor blinking; waiting for you to come up with the perfect words to type. It’s a lot less spontaneous.

It’s almost an obligation to come prepared to work at the computer.

Continue reading “Writing on paper: an analogue tool that still works” →

20 things that made my 2020 interesting

On By Alice StrathernIn Miscellany, PersonalLeave a comment

An unforgettable year is ending. In spite of all the terrible events that took place around the world, I found value in highlighting 20 things that made my 2020 interesting in my personal life.

This exercise gives me a sense of accomplishment, and it’s also a great way to practise self-reflection. From now on, I’ll do it every year to see where my focus has been and celebrate my own efforts.

Here’s the 20 things that made my 2020 interesting:

  1. Reconnecting with myself through therapy. Yes, this was the year I finally realized I needed help to solve issues from the past. The pandemic moved all my emotions and decided to pay attention to what was happening. Fortunately, I’m in a much better place right now.
  2. Knowing that my family has been supporting me throughout this process. I wouldn’t be able to do it without them.
  3. Discovering the orange book on Twitter. This account was quite the discovery in the middle of my personal crisis. Whenever I read this person’s tweets, I always get new ideas and feelings about life. It’s simply that powerful.
  4. The 99u conference. This year, it adapted a digital format and anyone in the world could access it for free. In spite of the circumstances, it was wonderful to gain knowledge in every conference and meet the brilliant speakers who make things happen. My two main takeaways were: an hour of your time can make a difference to nurture your creative self, and noticing the world around you can fortify your creativity.
  5. Writing my first book! I’m taking the self-publishing route and, if everything goes well, I’ll publish it next year. Whoa.
  6. Speaking of self-publishing, my personal journey is allowing me to learn other aspects of writing. The editing process is crucial, and it’s important to invest in it and learn what kind of editing you need.
  7. Rediscovering bossanova music. Every difficult moment got better as soon as I listened to happier and more energetic tunes, such as Magalenha by Segio Mendes.
  8. Music always makes a difference under any circumstance. Here’s a more specific list of songs that defined the sound of 2020 for me.
  9. With strange highs and strange lows, these things helped me find light in times of darkness.
  10. Learning about compound knowledge. It’s a mindset worth adopting, and something tells me it’ll define how 2021 will unfold for me.
  11. Watching Sailor Moon with the same enthusiasm as my six-year-old self.
  12. Joining Tim’s listening party on Twitter when A Certain Ratio was featured. I missed the one with Friendly Fires, though.
  13. Speaking of Friendly Fires, “Sleeptalking” is one of their most perfect songs.
  14. In terms of music albums released in 2020, Petals for Armor by Hayley Williams and Freeze/Melt by Cut Copy were outstanding.
  15. Getting to know María Félix through her movies.
  16. Blogging in Spanish again.
  17. Paying off student loans.
  18. Deciding to diversify my personal library. From now on, I’m reading genres I had not read before. Here’s a list of books I’m hoping to get next year.
  19. Getting Live Spirits by Depeche Mode delivered to my home after waiting for it for six months.
  20. Being able to create my e-newsletter.