Trying to hold onto the paper, but it tears and tears, they fall. Cages lock me in. Every way you look, there's bars. I'm trapped. Foolish to think, I could ever be free. Freedom is an idea, That can't be made real. But we build Build Build. Chip away at the edges, Try to create… Continue reading Crafting your life – Poem
Force It!
Sometimes, sadly, in order to be productive, we have to force it. The best way to ensure something gets done is to give yourself no other choice but to do it. Yes, this can be a little frustrating, but it can really work when you're trying something new or trying to build new habits that… Continue reading Force It!
Life is too damn short
Life is too short to waste time being angry at people you love. Too short to ask "why?" and dwell on the past. Too short to wait for apologies. Too short to blame people (or yourself) for things going wrong. Too short to wait for summer, the weekend, and holidays. Too short to waste time… Continue reading Life is too damn short
Life Lessons from Harry Potter
As a writer: Detail Detail is key. Not George R. R. Martin level of detail, right down to the petal detail on every flower in a meadow, but real detail. Character detail. Room detail. What people are really like and think about and talk about and do. Details matter; it makes the difference between a… Continue reading Life Lessons from Harry Potter
Reasons Why You Don’t Understand Mental Illness
Mental health = the care for and awareness of the mind, mentality, feelings and thoughts that we have Mental illness = a disorder, impairment, dysfunction, or illness of the mind (brain) I was thinking the other day about how it is that some people still can't wrap their heads around mental health and mental illness,… Continue reading Reasons Why You Don’t Understand Mental Illness
What A Panel of Black Authors Meant for Me
On Tuesday this week, I was able to hear authors Tomi Adeyemi (pictured with me above), Yomi Adegoke, and Elizabeth Uviebinene talk at a bookstore. These authors all had one thing in common - they were black, and they were Nigerian. It was a euphoric experience! I'm not the kind of woman (and never was… Continue reading What A Panel of Black Authors Meant for Me
Identity Labels That We Need to Remove
*This is a controversial blog post, I know. I am saying, or at least trying to, that labels can be damaging and that we need to be careful when using them...* Here are the biggest labels that we use on one another to try to categorise and "understand" one another better: White Black Asian Mixed… Continue reading Identity Labels That We Need to Remove
Ways to Meditate (That Aren’t Hard)
Definition of meditation: "focus one's mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation." (or) "think deeply about (something)." The first thing you need to do in order to meditate is to stop thinking of it as boring, hard, or… Continue reading Ways to Meditate (That Aren’t Hard)
Who Are You, Aside From…
Who are you aside from your race? Who are you aside from your nationality? Who are you aside from your sexual orientation? Who are you aside from your job? Who are you aside from your parental or marital status? Who are you aside from your bank account? Because in truth, none of these things give… Continue reading Who Are You, Aside From…
How I Know I was Meant to be a Middle-Grade Author
Hopefully you know by now that I've made the switch from writing YA fantasy to now writing MG fantasy. I've been thinking lately that it's always been obvious that I am better suited to children's fantasy than young adult or teen fantasy, and here's why... I can be poetic and whimsical and silly with my… Continue reading How I Know I was Meant to be a Middle-Grade Author
S. R. Crawford 