Creative Headspace
Stories about the power of creative connections and how to make room in your mind for things to unfold.
A few months ago, I was in an Airbnb up in Point Reyes, CA with a group of my oldest and dearest friends. We were doing the thing we sometimes do when we are together, which is plan the next thing we will do together. It’s about dreaming, imagining, promising to be there for each other.
We were talking about the Julia Louis-Dreyfus podcast (Wiser), which one car-full of folks had listened to on the 6-hour drive from our hometown. They’d listened to the Julie Andrews episode. I’d just listened to the Bonnie Rait episode and I said something about how badass she is and much I’d love to hear her play someday.
Someone looked online and said she would be playing near us in September. We bought tickets on the spot.
We went to the concert last week. It was spectacular. Raitt is 74 years old and she commands the stage with her storytelling and her gravelly voice and her guitar picking and her presence. She rocks!
The moment that has stuck with me most is when she sat alone on a stool in the spotlight and sang, “I Can’t Make You Love Me” with only piano accompaniment. This is a song Bonnie Rait made famous, one that is included on many “best of” song lists. We all know it and we all knew she was going to sing it. But still, that thing about hearing a pin drop? You really could have.
She sang these lyrics written by Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin:
Turn down the lights
Turn down the bed
Turn down these voices inside my head
Lay down with me
Tell me no lies
Just hold me close, don't patronize
Don't patronize me
The “me” at the end was tiny and quiet, the smallest gesture of a word. It felt like a surprise and a devastation. It was just one word but it perfectly captured the pain of heartbreak.
Where this wandering ends
That “me” moment reminded me how much words matter. Each word matters. Helping people get the right word matters. All the hue and cry about AI taking over the work of writers and book coaches, songwriters and artists? Sure, it’s terrifying. But no computer is ever going to write that “me” — it’s not part of the rhyme scheme, it doesn’t really belong. And no computer is ever going to sing it the way Bonnie Raitt can.
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An Invitation To People Curious About Becoming a Book Coach
We are raising the price on our Author Accelerator’s Book Coach Certification Program in 2025. The increase will be significant, and there will be some structural changes to the way we present the material, as well. We’re moving to a higher-touch format.
If you are considering joining our program and our community, now could be a good time to make the move. The last day to join the current program at the current price is December 10, 2024.
I will be doing a live webinar about book coaching and our certification program on September 25th at 9 am PST/ 12 EST. You can sign up for that event here: SIGN UP TO ATTEND THE WEBINAR. A recording will be sent to everyone who registers — and I will be making a special offer to attendees because sometimes we need an incentive to take big action.
I will also be holding three Open Houses to answer questions. There will not be a formal presentation and there will not be a sales pitch or a special offer or a recording. It will just be me in a zoom room talking about whatever you want to talk about. You’re welcome to join me for these events whether you attend the September 25th webinar or not.
These sessions will be:
October 3, 8 am PST / 12 EST
October 3, 6 pm PST / 9 EST
October 4, 12pm PST / 3 EST
You can sign up for the Open House events here: SAVE YOUR SPOT FOR THE OPEN HOUSE. Please note that if you sign up for both the webinar and the Open House, you’re gonna get a lot of emails from us. There’s no way around that right now. because we have a new email system and we’re still figuring it out. Thanks for your patience!
What a perfect example of a single tiny word used for a huge impact.