My January Inspirations

January you did it. You actually found ways to inspire me!

I don’t know about you, but winter is traditionally a tough time of the year for me. I much prefer the fresh optimism of spring and the warm, vibrant colors of summer and fall. While winter offers it’s own kind of majesty, I often have to dig deep this time of year to find creative inspiration. 

Fortunately, it seems the frozen tundra was willing to yield to the light tapping of my shovel and burst forth with all kinds of good stuff. Here’s what got me inspired this month!  

Amanda Gorman

At just 22 years old, Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history. Her poem “The Hill We Climb” gave me goosebumps when I first heard her deliver it during the presidential inauguration. Since then, I’ve read and re-read it several times. If you missed it, take a listen. 

It’s always exciting to witness a creative prodigy in our midst. The words Gorman weaves manage to carry a pulse—a heartbeat—that sings to the soul and radiates light. I can’t wait to see what’s next for this talented, hard-working young woman.

Creatives like Gorman who make the world a more hopeful, colorful space, inspire me to keep working and writing and reaching for that next best word.

The Well Life Kitchen Series

Miriam Kaseff, an integrative nutrition coach and breast cancer survivor based here in Kansas City. facilitated the week-long, all-virtual Well Life Kitchen series. She inspired me to dig into my kitchen and… Clean. It Up.

Interestingly, by doing this one small action, I feel more equipped to reimagine a healthier lifestyle.

Miriam’s gentle approach to healthy living was exactly the kind of soft kick in the butt I needed to escape the post-holiday junk food and meal planning rut I’ve been stuck in.

Miriam has this special gift for lovingly guiding people (in this case, our small group) toward dietary choices that better serve each of us individually by offering suggestions and sharing research without demanding, insisting or cajoling us to give up anything we weren’t ready to give up.  (If you’re like me and have a tendency to rebel against and resist the deprivation demigods and the authoritarian personality types in this world, you’ll understand why this approach works well for me!)

Check out Miriam’s website if you want to learn more about her programs and her approach. If you sign up for her newsletter, you’ll be able to stay up to speed on when she will be offering the Kitchen series again, which as you can tell, I highly recommend.

She Persists Book Club

I started the “She Persists Book Club” last summer on Facebook as a way to tap a community of readers who love female-centric historical fiction as much as I do.

She Persists is a book club for readers passionate about women-centric historical fiction, transformative storytelling & powerful female voices.

This is not a judgment on male authors—not at all. I have lots of favorite male authors. It’s just I wanted to create a space focused on the work of a diverse group of female authors, both new and seasoned.

And, I adore the energy in this group!! These ladies seriously inspire me.

We go at a our own pace and have read the following titles so far:

Conjure Women by Afia Atakora

The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia (see my interview with Sofia here.)

The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott

Starting tomorrow, we will discuss The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd. Have you read this beautifully written novel? It’s the story of Ana, who Kidd imagines as the wife of Jesus.

Next up, we’ll be reading and discussing The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain

If you’re searching for an inspiring group of empowering women and have a love for literature, please join us!

Central Exchange

I’m involved in several local community groups and the one that has most inspired me this month is Central Exchange (CX), a leading women’s business group in Kansas City. Last year, as the pandemic squeezed the life out of in-person gatherings, I was impressed with how CX transitioned into Zoom to host our meetings, programs and small mastermind circles.

As a solopreneur, I’m incredibly grateful that I found a circle of business leaders who I get to exchange ideas with, learn from and who support one another. Many of the women involved are not only masterminds at their businesses, they’ve also become good friends and colleagues—and fun to hang out with, even on Zoom!

If you’re in need of some community support and want to look into CX, now is the perfect time. Their monthly fees are only $40 a month, which is a steal for the wealth of programming, small circles of engagement and diverse community you get in return. INSPIRING!

Who or what inspired you in January?