Monthly Archives: September 2015

On my nightstand.

Here are the books I am enjoying right now:

Wondering Who You Are: A Memoir by Sonya Lea
A beautifully written, mind-blowing kind of love story written by my friend Sonya Lea about the loss of her husband’s memory after a traumatic brain injury. It’s tender and fierce and real and wise.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Illuminating, heart-breaking, beautifully written.

Art Before Breakfast: A Zillion Ways to be More Creative No Matter How Busy You Are by Danny Gregory
Inspiration for my art practice. I love how Danny makes it fun and easy.

Wear Gratitude (Like A Sweater): Art + Words to Inspire by Susa Talan
Gorgeous little gift book full of inspiring quotes and art. My friends are so talented!

The Crossroads of Should and Must by Elle Luna
This one gives you courage for whatever creative leap you are imagining.

Orchard House: How a Neglected Garden Taught One Family to Grow by Tara Austen Weaver
You might know Tara from her great blog, Tea and Cookies. I love how she weaves her personal story with the tangle of the garden and the shared vision she has with her family. Poignant and healing.

Full: How I Learned to Satisfy My Insatiable Hunger and Feed My Soul by Kimber Simpkins
My friend and longtime yoga teacher shares her story about healing her eating disorder through yoga and body love. Going to her classes has helped me be friendlier to my body as well. She is full of wisdom.

Books I am reading next:


Rising Strong: Been so excited to read my friend Brené Brown’s brand new book!


Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
Best title ever. And one of my favorite writers.


Light is the New Black: A Guide to Answering your Souls Callings and Working Your Light by Rebecca Campbell
This is one of those books that Amazon suggested I read and for some reason it lit up as a big yes. It should be arriving today.

For my kids:


Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox by Danielle Daniel
Been loving this book! and choosing which totem animal is ours. Beautifully illustrated.


Hilda and the Midnight Giant by Luke Pearson
I usually don’t love graphic novels but this one really captured me. The illustrations are so magical.

What’s on your nightstand?

 

One day you’re a dog. The next day, you’re in space.

“One day you’re a dog, and the next day you’re in space. Can you even imagine?”

This is what my friend Peter said to me more than 20 years ago. He was referring to a movie that I can’t recall the name of right now, but in it they refer to a dog that was sent into space.

We marveled at the thought. “It’s not like you could have told the dog ahead of time or prepared it for orbit. It happened just like that- boom! One day you’re a dog. the next day, you’re in space.” Peter shook his head.

That’s sort of how it happened for me – crossing the threshold. It came out in a blurt during a therapy session. “I can’t do this anymore. I’m not staying in a miserable marriage for the rest of my life.”

Everyone’s eyes got big. And when I say everyone, I mean my husbands’ and the therapist.

“I don’t even think I can do it for one more second.” I added.

Orbit.

A lot happened after that. There was a lot of yelling in the months to follow. There were a lot of tears. I slept at friends’ houses. It was scary and terrible.

One day you’re a dog. The next day you’re in space.

I didn’t plan for it to happen that day, nor did I know how clear I was until the words fell out of my mouth.

My friend Nate had asked me earlier that day, “If you were a natural disaster, which one would you be?” I scrunched up my face, perplexed. “I’d be a forest fire,” he declared.

I thought for a moment. “I think I’d be a lightning storm.  A bolt of electricity. Sudden. Precise. Not too much damage.”

It’s a year later now and we are still living together, just starting the mediation process. There has been a lot of healing.

But what I really want to tell you is this: Sometimes life changes like that – one day you’re a dog, the next day you’re in space.

No one prepared you for it.
No one warned you or reassured you.
They don’t even speak dog.

And yet, there you are just the same.

 

Make a list of things that make you happy.

I posted this graphic on my Facebook page and was excited to see how many people shared it. So I decided to actually make my lists + invite you to do the same!

Let’s do this.

What do you notice?
What little adjustments can you make?
How can you honor the things that matter to you most? how can you sprinkle in more things that bring you joy?

My joy list + musings on how the lists compare

 

 

What the heck is E-course Bootcamp anyway?

What the heck is E-course Bootcamp anyway? from andrea scher on Vimeo.

Wanted to share a bit about E-course Bootcamp with you in this quick + dirty little video!

Class begins September 14th!

Enter the code EARLY100 to get $100 off.

When you can’t blog for a really, really long time.

What do you do when you can’t blog for a really long time? Or as my kids would say, “A hecka long time.” It hasn’t been writer’s block exactly, but something that I’m sure writers go through – especially ones that write about their lives. What do you write about when everything feels so private? When it’s not all your story to tell? How do you navigate the waters of truth when your truth is just one of many?

And so I’ve been quiet.

And if you’ve been in courses with me, you’ve gotten windows into my process over the last couple of years. For those of you who have stuck around, thank you!

What I really want to say is this: I’ve been feeling disconnected. From my voice. From the way I make my little ripple in the pond. From my community here.

And everything feels a little off kilter as a result. When we’re not connected to our purpose, it all just feels like going through the motions.

That’s it today folks. It’s not much but I’m hoping to break the silent streak. I felt better when I’m sharing and when I’m connecting with you. Thank you for being here!