Thriving Mindfully as the Real You!
This month, I am launching a client profile series that gives me an opportunity to discuss the work my clients and I are doing together.
Today, I am met with Yael Flusberg, the founder of Y’s Elements and a yoga therapist, energy worker, coach, and writer. We discussed her WordPress site design that I helped her set up a few years ago. Click on the link to learn what happened: http://anandaleeke.tumblr.com/post/120211816063/ananda-leeke-media-client-appreciation-today-i.
Happy #InternetGeek Tuesday!
WRITE is #InternetGeekat50 Lesson 5. During the WordPress Press Publish Conference in Portland two weeks ago, I participated in a “Blog to Book” panel discussion with Automattic conference organizer Andrea Middleton and my fellow authors and bloggers Cecilia Gunther, Christine Lee, Jerry Mahoney, and Mary Laura Philpott. After the discussion, I had several conversations with people about how I used blogging to write and publish my books “Love’s Troubadours” (novel), “That Which Awakens Me” (creative memoir), and “Digital Sisterhood” (technology memoir).
Here are 8 tips I shared during my post panel conversations to inspire bloggers to WRITE their blogs with the intention of creating content for books they plan to publish.
1) Write your blog posts freely and fully with your authentic voice and passion.
2) Write your blog posts without censure.
3) Create or use a daily (Creative Every Day) or monthly challenge (Art Every Day Month and National Novel Writing in November and National Poetry Month in April) to establish a regular blogging practice and generate content you for your book. I used National Poetry Month in 2008 and 2009 to prepare content for my creative memoir. Currently, I am using National Poetry Month to prepare content for my e-book series.
4) Launch a blogging series to create content for your books. I’m currently writing a blogging series about being 50. I plan to use the content for my e-book series.
5) If you have been blogging for 5 or 10 years, select your favorite blog posts during the time period and prepare and publish an anniversary blog book or e-book.
6) Make a podcast series featuring your thoughts for book content. Select key points or the core messages from the podcast series and include them as your book content.
7) Record video blogs, pick out the most relevant points, and prepare content for the book.
8) For Flickr, Instagram, and Pinterest Users: Use your photos on these social media channels for inspiration to write a short update that can be used later as book content.
Photo Credit: Marcia Johnston
Happy National Poetry Month!
While I was at the WordPress Press Publish Conference in Portland, Oregon, I had a great conversation about writing poetry with the “Naughty Poetess,” author of the Naughty Poetess blog. I shared how much I missed writing poetry. On the flight home to DC on Sunday morning, I decided to participate in the April Poem-A-Day Challenge. I participated in 2008 and 2009. Both experiences helped me blog and publish my second book, That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetical Memoir of Self-Discovery.
This year, I have chosen Fierce Living at 50 as my theme for the April Poem-A-Day Challenge. I will be using some of my poems in my new e-book series and artwork that will be available on my Etsy shop this summer, Here is the first poem, “Unmasked.”
Unmasked
Buried wounds began to rise to the surface.
I tried to run and hide, but there was no safe haven.
So I stood in the tsunami of my pain.
My legs tired.
I sat still and allowed it all to come undone.
45
46
47
48
49
Five years of looking inside, looking outside, looking above, and looking below.
Peeling back the layers of my mask … the person who I thought I was and making peace with who I have become.
Arriving at 50 unmasked with acceptance, compassion, forgiveness and love…knowing and giving thanks that the journey continues.
Copyright 2015 by Madelyn C. Leeke. All rights reserved.
Happy #DigitalSisterhood Wednesday Digital Sisters!
CONNECTION is #DigitalSisterhoodat50 Lesson 4. Last weekend, I experienced an abundance of soulful #DigitalSisterhood connections during the WordPress Press Publish Conference in Portland, Oregon. On my flight to Portland, I sat next to author and blogger Mary Laura Philpott. We had no idea we were headed to the same conference until we landed and started chatting about why we were in Portland. And within seconds, I felt that special #DigitalSisterhood connection.
We both walked to baggage claim to meet Kathryn Presner, a WordPress developer, and to grab a cab to the hotel. Kathryn is a hugger, conversationalist, and has a groovy sense of humor. Our cab ride to the hotel cemented our #DigitalSisterhood bond.
A few hours later, I met Jen Mylo and Andrea Middleton, the phenomenal Press Publish organizers at the speakers meeting. My #DigitalSisterhood bond with Jen and Andrea was formed virtually during our first Google Hangout in February. Our face-to-face meeting was filled with an abundance of #DigitalSisterhood love. Both ladies are super kind, generous, nurturing, and organized. They really should run the world!
During the speakers meeting, I met authors and bloggers Cecilia Gunther and Christine Lee. They are powerhouses in their own right with lots of witty humor and conversation. My #DigitalSisterhood bond emerged after several conversations during the conference.
After the speakers meeting, I had a chance to finally thank Michelle Langston, a WordPress developer who helped me redesign my web site, in person. Our #DigitalSisterhood bond formed while we worked on the web site in March. Meeting her, participating and learning about new WordPress themes in her session, receiving her technical support in the Happiness Lab, and hanging out with her during the speaker dinner and trip to Powell’s bookstore was a blessing!
Throughout the conference, I met, chatted with, and formed #DigitalSisterhood bonds with Kronda Adair of Karvel Digital, author/blogger Kelly Bejelly, writer Jeanne Faulkner, doula/blogger Kendra Atkins-Boyce, Norma the “Naughty Poetess,” and so many more amazing women.
On Saturday evening, my #DigitalSisterhood connections expanded tremendously when I met and hung out with blogger Ariel Meadow Stallings and WordPress team members Marjorie Asturias, Josepha Hayden, Anne McCarthy, Grace Park, and Grace Jiyoung at the Press Publish dinner and visit to Powell’s bookstore. I left Portland with a new tribe of Digital Sisters.
Did you attend Press Publish?
Who did you form #DigitalSisterhood connections wth?
Photo Credit: Mary Laura Philpott
Happy #InternetGeek Tuesday!
#InternetGeekat50 Lesson 4 is B.L.O.G. Last weekend, I attended the WordPress Press Publish Portland Conference. I shared my B.L.O.G. mantra and how I began blogging for personal reasons and evolved into a social media leader for the White House during my “Blogging for Obama” session. Here’s what B.L.O.G. stands for:
B – Be yourself in your blogging process
L – Love the stories you tell on your blog.
O – Open yourself to new ideas and opportunities.
G – Give back.
I have included a more detailed description that I used in my session presentation below.
B – Be yourself in your blogging process. Give yourself space to manage the fluctuation of your energy, focus, and passion with digital wellness. I define digital wellness as a gift you give yourself to help manage your time online with mindful self-care practices. Mindful self-care practices encourage you to slow down, become aware of how you spend your time online, and identify and take small steps towards having a healthier digital life. Examples include breathing exercises, journaling, massage, meditation, physical movement (walking, running, yoga, and aerobic classes), rest (naps and a good night’s sleep), setting time boundaries, and using time management tools (HootSuite, TweetDeck, and an editorial calendar) to schedule your blog and social media posts (excerpt from my book Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online.
My blogging helped me connect with a diverse group of bloggers and social media influencers who discussed topics relevant to my novel and its characters. It also created an audience for my book before it was published. When my book was published, I started telling stories about my writing journey, the lessons I learned during the publishing process, background information about the novel’s characters, book readings, and radio and television interviews. These efforts led me to share stories about my life as an artist and yoga teacher. I ended up creating two different blogs and blog space on numerous online communities and social networking sites. That’s when trouble began. Blogger burnout. In 2008, I was overwhelmed by my self-made digital footprint. Following the advice of my life coach, I took a leave of absence from my blog. Stepping away from the blogging process helped me recharge. I also realized that I was in control of how much I blogged and it was okay to take breaks. So when blogger burnout happened again in 2011, I didn’t hesitate in taking a break. That same year, I decided to institute a monthly unplugging practice that turned into the Digital Sisterhood Unplugged Weekend.
L – Love the stories you are telling on your blog. Tap into what you are most passionate about. I tapped into my passion for yoga, creativity, and being an Internet geek as a guide in what I share on my blog. I also maintain three other blogs that reflect my passion for women in social media (Digital Sisterhood Network), digital citizenship, and my DC life and love for all things POTUS, FLOTUS, and the White House. I don’t maintain a regular editorial calendar for these blogs. I post when I feel called to or have a project I am working on that calls for blogging.
TRANSFORMATIVE is the best word to describe my Press Publish experience. I invite you to read my #Storify blogs which feature social media highlights including tweets and photos that I hope will give you an idea as to why the conference was so transformative for me.
Click here to learn more about Press Publish and the upcoming April 18th conference in Phoenix, Arizona. REGISTER NOW so you can have a TRANSFORMATIVE experience too.
TRANSFORMATIVE is the best word to describe my adventures at the WordPress Press Publish Conference held on March 27 and 28, 2015, in Portland, Oregon. It was so transformative I have decided to blog about it this week (Monday-Friday). So get ready for Press Publish highlights on #YogaMonday, #Internet Geek Tuesday, #DigitalSisterhood Wednesday, #CreativityThursday, and #FierceLiving Friday.
Until then, I invite you to check out my #PressPublish Storify blogs.
They feature social media highlights including tweets and photos that I hope will give you an idea as to why Press Publish was so transformative for me.
Did you attend the conference? What were your favorite moments and key takeaways?
Did you watch the conference on livestream? What did you like the most? What did you learn?
Greetings All,
I’m headed to Press Publish, WordPress’ first-ever conference for bloggers at the Embassy Suites in Portland, Oregon. I’ll be speaking at three sessions on Saturday, March 28:
If you are unable to attend the conference, you’ll be able to watch the sessions in the Queen Marie and Fireside rooms via livestream (you’ll be able to see my sessions — just remember the time difference between the East and West Coasts). Click here to sign up for a free livestream ticket.
I have included a summary of my Blogging for Obama session below.
The session will start with a short introduction and a digital wellness exercise. Take a few moments to read my Press Publish Speaker Spotlight bio to learn more about me. The digital wellness exercise will focus on deep breathing. When you breathe intentionally and deeply, you invite yourself into the present moment. The more you breathe intentionally and deeply, the more open you become to PEACE. When you have PEACE, you are free to IMAGINE. Your imagination helps you DREAM. Your dreams help you CREATE and INSPIRE others in your blog and life.
Find a comfortable seated position in your chair. Come to the edge of your chair and place your feet flat on the floor. If you are wearing glasses or shoes, take them off to relax. Create hip width distance in between your legs. Take a deep breath through your nose and exhale it through your mouth. Notice how you feel. Now do it SEVEN more times. As you exhale, release or pause any thoughts or to do lists you carried with you into this moment. To learn more about creating a digital wellness plan, click here for tips.
My Blogging for Obama journey is rooted in my B.L.O.G. mantra.
B – Be yourself in your blogging process. Give yourself space to manage the fluctuation of your energy, focus, and passion with digital wellness. I define digital wellness as a gift you give yourself to help manage your time online with mindful self-care practices. Mindful self-care practices encourage you to slow down, become aware of how you spend your time online, and identify and take small steps towards having a healthier digital life. Examples include breathing exercises, journaling, massage, meditation, physical movement (walking, running, yoga, and aerobic classes), rest (naps and a good night’s sleep), setting time boundaries, and using time management tools (HootSuite, TweetDeck, and an editorial calendar) to schedule your blog and social media posts (excerpt from my book Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online).
My blogging helped me connect with a diverse group of bloggers and social media influencers who discussed topics relevant to my novel and its characters. It also created an audience for my book before it was published. When my book was published, I started telling stories about my writing journey, the lessons I learned during the publishing process, background information about the novel’s characters, book readings, and radio and television interviews. These efforts led me to share stories about my life as an artist and yoga teacher. I ended up creating two different blogs and blog space on numerous online communities and social networking sites. That’s when trouble began. Blogger burnout. In 2008, I was overwhelmed by my self-made digital footprint. Following the advice of my life coach, I took a leave of absence from my blog. Stepping away from the blogging process helped me recharge. I also realized that I was in control of how much I blogged and it was okay to take breaks. So when blogger burnout happened again in 2011, I didn’t hesitate in taking a break. That same year, I decided to institute a monthly unplugging practice that turned into the Digital Sisterhood Unplugged (#DSUnplugged) Weekend.
L – Love the stories you are telling on your blog. Tap into what you are most passionate about. I tapped into my passion for yoga, creativity, and being an Internet geek as a guide in what I share on my blog. I also maintain three other blogs that reflect my passion for women in social media (Digital Sisterhood Network), digital citizenship, and my DC life and love for all things POTUS, FLOTUS, and the White House. I don’t maintain a regular editorial calendar for these blogs. I post when I feel called to or have a project I am working on that calls for blogging. My greatest opportunities have occurred as a result of my passion for President Barack Obama. In 2008, I used my digital presence and yoga teaching skills to support his first Presidential campaign. During President Obama’s second campaign in 2012, my father and I volunteered in the Prince George’s County, Maryland campaign office. We also used our blogs and social media platforms to discuss the Obama campaign. After the election, I searched for ways to increase my support and began applying to participate in the White House Social events. Last year, I was selected by the White House to serve as a social media leader for the State of the Union, French Arrival Ceremony for French President Francois Hollande, and the Tumblr Q&A session on education. The U.S. Department of State invited me to serve in a similar capacity during the International Women of Courage Award Ceremony.Greeting All,
Today begins the countdown for the new and improved AnandaLeeke.com. The web site will make its debut during the WordPress Press Publish Conference session, “A Tale of Two Sites: Case Study” led by my amazing web designer Michelle Langston on March 28 in Portland, Oregon. Check out some of the new photos below that will appear on the web site. Many thanks to my photographer Leigh Mosley for helping me to create my 2015 photos.
Ananda Leeke 