I feel honored and excited beyond words to be in O Magazine. Oprah has been a hero of mine for a long time. You see, the secret about my book, The Little Spark–30 Ways to Ignite Your Creativity, is that it is way more than a craft book–it is more of a self-discovery book.

As I was creating my book I knew that the only way to truly touch people with my writing was to go beyond the surface and head for the deeper waters underneath creativity–the stuff that really keeps people from their creative dreams and from living their truth and a passionate life. We can all scrapbook family photos. We can all confidently sew an apron. We can likely bake a good pie or even a tart. But to go deeper–to create the life you want and to move through things like fear or doubt requires more than a good recipe or the right sewing equipment. It requires willingness to go into the self and dig around. It means you must remove the sticky layers of yuck and goo that may have unwittingly landed on top of the light in your heart. We all have that yuck–it is rather like soul schmutz. It is the stuff you have accumulated over a lifetime that has dimmed the brightness of the lamp in your heart. This soul schmutz feeds on your lack of time, your busy-ness, your distracted-ness–it thrives in a neglected environment. But as I wrote in The Little Spark, your creativity is like a pilot light. It is always on even if you aren’t using the stove. It may be just a flicker, but with a little effort it can be a glowing bonfire in no time.  That is what my book is about and why I felt it was important to write it. I hope to help you clear the cobwebs and hear the loving voice in your heart and mind.

Oprah made self-discovery and soul-searching an everyday thing for all of us. She opened all the gates. That is why I’m thrilled they noticed my book. I am excited and humbled and grateful that the editors over there found my book and thought it was worth sharing.

As part of Oprah’s feature, “Play to Your Strengths!” all about discovering your unique gifts and making the most of who you are, I shared one of my 30 Sparks from the book–Have a Secret. I offer my thoughts on why it is important to sometimes keep secrets–to hold things sacred and not share everything–so that we remain pregnant with our creation and feel the power and strength that comes from within.

The August issue of O Magazine just hit stands! Check it out on page 109. And if you haven’t picked up a copy of my book yet…maybe now is the time?