With apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning, I asked myself, what do I want from my newly acquired art form? It's the essential coaching question: what do you really want? But, like the infamous shoemaker, I rarely ask it of myself. Do I want to turn this growing...
There's a Jewish folk tale that's worth a read these days. The basic premise is that a man, unhappy at home with his wife, goes to his rabbi for advice. He's told by that wise man to bring his cow, goat and chickens inside their house to live with them. Of course,...
I moved into my daughter's apartment while they're staying in New England and my kitchen is under construction. She texted me her internet info, but I had to call her when I couldn't locate her network, feeling like a dinosaur in the process. When I sent her the...
Since learning my new craft - wool appliqué aka penny rugs - my creative output has been voluminous. I've been sewing, designing, and posting multiple blog entries. Everything was blossoming, even in the midst of the pandemic. I'd found a source of joy and energy,...
I'm almost finished reading Alan Zweibel's entertaining, honest and revealing memoir Laugh Lines: My Life Helping Funny People Be Funnier*. I love to laugh out loud, especially when engrossed in a book, and he accomplished that for this reader. From his days before...
One of my secret weapons in my ongoing sanity, survival, and success--particularly these last four months-- has been the connection with an action partner (aka - goal buddy). I've had many over the years, each one fulfilling a critical need during our time...
During a recent Transformative Coaching Circle I led, Natalie Hoerner briefed the group on her mission to spread the word about gratitude. Her daily practice of appreciativeness has been so life-altering, her goal is to make this habit universal. She came up with...
As I'm stitching circles onto my recently commissioned art piece, my mind goes off in myriad directions, mostly unpleasant. I begin second-guessing each color decision I've made. Is the arrangement of light and dark attractive? Does the orange make it pop or create...
Several friends have written to me, mostly in alarm, that a new book is about to be released with a title dangerously close to my memoir's. If you don't know what I'm talking about, lucky you! In this post I will not name the other book, nor its...
I received a generous birthday gift card from my brother and sister-in-law to Michaels, the craft store. They're now open again, so I took a field trip this afternoon to explore and shop. I wanted to stock up on threads, beads, baubles (sequins, buttons, etc.) and...
The most important role I can play in life these days is listener and learner. I've downloaded lists of publications, podcasts, videos and Facebook live talks relating to Black Lives Matter to help me become a better ally. I'm fortunate to have time between clients...
Have you ever hired a professional organizer? I started working with specialists in this new-ish industry over 20 years ago and found it life-altering. These women--there are some male organizers, but I've worked only with women to date--have a way of knowing how...
Lynn Shelton, Marc Maron's late girlfriend, was a beloved film director. Members of her cinematic community paid tribute to her recent death with an hour-plus long video. Watching it was a bittersweet experience since we no longer have her creative energy producing...
First the exciting news! I've just added "Artist" to my website: janepollak.com/artist. Please check it out and let me know what you think. Your comments are invaluable. I created a powerpoint doc as a first pass (I shared it last week) and offered the assignment...
My Visions Group is expecting to see an Artist page mock-up for my website next Wednesday. They're expecting it because I committed to designing one as a goal for our meeting that morning. Right now my site gives information on me as a Coach, Speaker and Author....
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