I’ve had a rather radical facelift.

Some of you may remember my old look. It was getting a little outdated; you could even say, ancient:

As much as I loved those ‘ancient’ pictures, I knew it was time for a fresh look for my website, so I gave it a ‘facelift’.

The change goes deeper than the pictures on the Home Page, though. Let me explain.

I started my blog and website two years ago, because the writing experts said it was a good way to gain a voice and ‘platform’ from which to be heard. Great idea in theory, but once I had a soap-box to stand on, what did I actually want to say? I scrambled around for some ideas and wrote blogs about issues close to my heart, including some stories that I loved so much, I added a few of them into a book called Encounters.

Yet, at times it felt like my blogs were just flittering away into the Ethernet without even making a ripple. It got me thinking…what is it I really want to say and who is it that I want to say it to? I knew that if I could clarify that, my voice could ring out a little clearer and the ripples would grow a little stronger.

So I dug deep into my heart, and asked myself the question, “If I had a single message to share, what would it be?”

I was a little surprised at what emerged… but I guess I shouldn’t have been. It’s something that I try to live out every day. It is this:

You are a masterpiece. Dare to live and celebrate it!

You (yes you!) are a masterpiece. Mull over that for a moment. Think Mona Lisa and Sistine Chapel. Breathtakingly special—that’s you!

Do you really believe it, though?

Really?

I suspect if we were truly honest, most of us would say no. So much around us breaks us down and steals our individuality, always telling us to look or act a certain way to be acceptable. Well, I wanted to create a space where the opposite would happen. Where you would find inspiration to discover and be yourself. Where you would celebrate, not only your own, but the creativity and individuality of others too.

To start you off on this journey of creative living, I wrote an e-book called “10 Keys to Creative Living”. It’s full of inspirational quotes and thoughts on living a full and creative life, and you can download it for free when you subscribe to my blog. If you are already a subscriber, watch your inbox – I’ll be sending it to you soon.

You are a masterpiece. Start believing it and living it out. And if you know someone young (or young at heart) who needs to hear just how special they are…send them this way!

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Oops, I almost tripped over you!

Are you still hanging around?

Cool! Grab some coffee and I’ll take you for the guided tour. Let me start by introducing myself.

Now that you know I’m not a complete lunatic (you’re right—the words in my head might be a tad strange), let me introduce you to some of my friends. Okay – they ARE made up, but that’s what writers do!

To put your mind at rest, let me take you to a new and exciting part of my website, where you will be introduced to the creativity of REAL people. For instance, this is a poem by my daughter, Ashlyn.

I’d love to hear from you, either in the comments below or via my contact form. Tell me a little about yourself and how you express (or dream of expressing) your creativity. Oh, and let me know what you think of my facelift!