The Little Book of Mindfulness

I was asked to review this book for 'Single Step' - a quarterly magazine out out by Depression Alliance. I've gotten involved with them through work as they've recently launched a support forum call Friends in Need. It's a great community and I'm really enjoying being involved in it.

And now, the review! 

I first began to practice mindfulness in 2008 as a way to help me recover from a complete mental breakdown. I was diagnosed with panic disorder and depression at the age of seventeen and at the age of twenty-three the fact that I had no real coping mechanisms or positive mental health practices caught up with me. 

I began seeing a psychologist who specialised in anxiety disorders and used cognitive behaviour therapy as one of her methods of treatment. She recognised very quickly that I was more than willing to work with my thoughts to find a solution to my excessive neuroses and on one of our very first sessions she talked me through the mindful eating of a raisin. 

Her approach was brilliant as it demonstrated to me the capacity I have for mindfulness and that everyone has an experience of it. Lately mindfulness seems to be ‘trending’ and it’s very easy to get caught up in it on a superficial level without an intrinsic understanding of what it involves. 

The Little Book of Mindfulness is like the Coles notes of everything I have learned in the last six years. I can emphatically say it not only presents mindfulness in an accessible way, but it can act as a refresher or tool for long-time practitioners. 

Sampling tidbits from a multitude of teachers with both psychological and spiritual backgrounds, this offers a well rounded view of the practice and how we can go about making it a conscious part of day to day life.

Revised!

I've made the few revisions necessary to the proof of my book. I have to say I am absolutely glowing with joy. I keep taking the proof out and just looking at it, flipping the pages, feeling it solidly in my hand. It's like holding a wish - only it's not a wish. It's real.

Now when people ask me 'What do you do?" and I tell them I'm a Creative Specialist I can say,
"Well, I do graphic design, painting, sculpture, a bit of animation and I'm a published author."

*glee*

That sounds amazing. 

I'm a published author. 

I've always been a writer. But now I'm an author. 

As soon as the next proof arrives, and as long as I'm totally happy with the result, you can hold your very own copy of 'Wise at Any Age', Kaitlyn S. C. Hatch's first published book. Details coming sooner than you think.

Illustrious Illustration!

I've been really focused on 'Wise at Any Age' lately. Mostly because I solved a design problem I was having regarding the layout. Now that that's all taken care of I'm moving through chapter by chapter, sorting things out rapidly and getting it closer and closer to being ready for publication.

Most recently I finished a bunch more illustrations for it. Because this is a handbook for cultivating wisdom I want it to appeal to all sorts of learning styles. As a visual person I appreciate how well an image can communicate an idea or concept. As a designer it's fun to play with words and images to get something across effectively and aesthetically.

One of the chapters of 'Wise at Any Age' looks at universal wisdom - wisdom based on a deep knowledge of what really is. While there are thousands of examples of wonderful teachers who have embraced and taught with universal wisdom, I selected just a few to illustrate the point:

'Be the change you want to see in the world'
- Gandhi

'Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all'
- Helen Keller

'Know the rules well so you can break them effectively'
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama

'Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies'
- Nelson Mandela

Wise At Any Age - An Update

I know I've gone a bit quiet about my book.

I set myself the goal of having it published by the end of March. At the time I had months laid ahead of me and even with the chaos of the Christmas holidays I felt my plan was solid enough that it would definitely be ready by the 31st at the very latest.

You may ask why I decided to take on this incredibly huge task of writing, illustrating, laying out and printing a book myself. You may wonder what possessed me to set a deadline for something I'd never done before and then publicise it right away. You may even question my reasoning for choosing to create and market a book on my own.

Let me tell you a few things about me:

1. I learn by doing. I figured this out at a pretty early age. If you let me touch something, play with it, get my hands dirty, try and fail and try again until I succeed - it will stick.

If you show me something and make me take notes on it I will end up with a bunch of paper with dreadful writing on it and absolutely no retention of what I was 'taught'.

So I decided I wanted to learn how to design a book. It's a useful skill to have, especially when you're a writer with five unpublished manuscripts. May as well learn how to do it myself.

2. Deadlines help me commit. I set a deadline and stick to it. Even if it's just my own personal deadline and even if I could change it and nothing terrible would happen, I have this mental switch that gets flicked when I set a deadline. I will work my butt off to get something completed. It helps me organise my time and ensures I accomplish something.

An illustration for Wise At Any Age

3. Waiting for life to happen is a great way to waste your life. Time keeps on ticking along whether you're using it wisely or not. I once spent two years not using my time very wisely at all. I neglected my creative needs and ignored my desire to travel. I became stagnant and it turned me into a miserable person that not many people enjoyed being around. In fact, I didn't even enjoy my own company, which is never good.

I'm now in the business of making things happen. I'm sending off manuscripts to agents and I'm still editing my work and jotting down ideas for new novels to write as they come to me. But nothing is stopping me from getting a book published on my own and given that I already do all my own marketing for my design work, I might as well do my own marketing for my book.

So that's why I took on this incredible task and I promise, I am still working to my end of March deadline. However, I also want to make sure that the book is the best it possibly can be when I make it available to the world. This is where another thing comes in handy:

4. Let it go. 

I'm not always good at letting things go. My stubbornness is what gets things done or defines my character as reliable and steadfast. But then again, being stubborn can mean being a bit unreasonable. I might not have my book ready by my March 31st deadline. I appreciate that and I can live with it.

Illustration for Chapter 2: 'Curiosity'

It's more important that 'Wise At Any Age' is the best it can be when I make it available. I want the illustrations to be right, the content to really matter and the value of it to be unquestionable. It's not something that I've just slapped together. It's been three years in the making just to get it written. A few weeks or even months longer to get the layout right - well, that's okay. Because when it is ready it will be a Great Book and one which you will be proud to have on your shelf.

400th Blog Entry!!!

When people ask me “what do you do?” I get overwhelmed as I find it difficult to offer them an answer that is brief but also explains the breadth of my professional activity. Lately this has become a greater challenge as I’ve been working on my life coaching, still doing all my creative tasks and working part-time at a charity. 

To resolve this I sat down and really thought about how I want to answer that question, regardless of what I’m spending my time on or where my primary source of income is coming from. The only job title which I’ve ever truly loved and embraced is Creative Specialist. 

I specialise in being creative. I sculpt, write, paint, animate, design, and draw. I am happiest when I am making something for someone and happiest when I have a creative project to get properly stuck into. 

For the last few weeks I’ve been stuck into writing and illustrating a book. It is the first non-fiction book I’ve completed and it’s on the subject of wisdom. Wisdom is not directly related to how long a person has lived but what they have learned from the many experiences they’ve had. This is a handbook for cultivating wisdom, regardless of your age, and it’s going to be published in March, 2013. 

I’m not entirely sure on the exact date just yet, but for my 400th blog entry I wanted to announce something really exciting! There’s not specific reason for me to get excited about my 400th blog entry. It’s just a nice looking number, really, and as I’ve missed any anniversaries, it seemed like a good time to celebrate this blog and show my appreciation to all of you who read it. 

In celebration of 400 entries and the release of my book in March, I am going to be holding a draw. You are invited to sign up to my brand new Faunawolf Creations E-Newsletter, which will arrive in your inbox once a month and no more, I promise. Everyone who signs up between now and February 2013 will be entered into a draw to win a signed copy of ‘Wise At Any Age’ when it is released in March. 

I’m also holding a ReTweeting contest for those of you who regularly read my blog via twitter. Everyone who ReTweets this entry will be entered into a draw to win a signed limited edition print of one of my Tarot Card paintings. 

And if that wasn’t enough, to include those of you who support me through my Facebook Page, everyone who ‘shares’ the link to this entry will be entered into a draw to win an original Fanawolf Creations dragon. 

So, quite a few fabulous opportunities and all to say thank you for reading, commenting and sharing. This blog is a big part of my life and I really appreciate the support I get from all of my followers, fans and friends. I just wanted to thank you for it and whilst it would be brilliant to offer a prize to everyone, logistically it’s just not practical. Of course, there’s nothing to stop you from entering all three draws! 

And here's to the next 400 entries! *raises glass in a toast*