Moonstruck

Leave a comment

Posted on August 22, 2013

“One grateful thought is a ray of sunshine. A hundred such thoughts paint a sunrise. A thousand will rival the glaring sky at noonday – for gratitude is light against the darkness.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich, author of Eena

The evening of August 20th was a full moon which always means a short night of sleep for me. Every month my circadian rhythm (biological clock) is always thrown off during a full moon from the light streaming in the bedroom window. As I tossed and turned from 2:30am until morning, it gave me plenty of time to reflect on how grateful I was for the kindness of others who helped me celebrate my birthday just hours before.

My We Write Steamboat networking group surprised me, as I walked into the conference room for our monthly meeting. A birthday cake with lit candles and other surprises to help me celebrate were waiting for my arrival. Thank you all, it meant so much!

Guess what else I received for my birthday? My twin sister took time out of her life to go by train from the ‘burbs of Maryland into Washington, D.C. to pick up some book-related things from the Library of Congress gift shop http://www.loc.gov/shop. She sent some book plates, a 2014 calendar, Library of Congress post-it-notes and a magnetic book marker that reads “I Can Not Live Without Books.” Wonderful present, Jan. It was so thoughtful of you, I greatly appreciate it! Don’t I have a nice sister?

Speaking of the Library of Congress, there was a recent article in the Wall Street Journal about the explosion of the audio book publishing industry. Did you see it? Must be it will be necessary for The Library of Congress to expand their catalogs to accommodate for the growth of e-books and audio books. Here is a link to the article. http://on.wsj.com/13DcAKm

Again, thank you to everyone who sent birthday greetings on-line from all over the world, cards and phone calls. Who would have thought when I began this business in 1998 that my list of independent publishing friends and acquaintances would grow exponentially – that’s the progression of an industry. I am feeling over the moon because my life is fulfilling and there is no darkness in my life except in the middle of the night, when the full moon is not bathing me in bright light.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Come back tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling. Where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

Artistic and Technical Minds

2 Comments

Posted on August 20, 2013

Whenever parents with adult children gather, it becomes catch up time. “What is your son or daughter doing these days?” always enters into the conversation. Sometimes this question leaves my husband and me at a loss for words. A pat answer, like “our son is an accountant does not work!” Frequently, we answer “all kinds of things,” because it is the truth and hard to explain it. Only parents with creative adult children seem to understand this.

Our twenty-five year old son is an artist, with technical abilities. These words bring vague connotations because artists have a way of being involved in whatever moves their spirit. Their passions and interests can change frequently, especially if they are multi-media artists.

From now on, perhaps I need to write out on a piece of paper, the link to a website which will clarify his position(s). Here you go, this will explain it. He has his own number.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3786343/ .

It’s very hard to keep track of what our son is doing from day to day, except to say “he is doing a good job of fulfilling his dream and that makes his parents very happy.”

The Artist’s Way for Parents: Raising Creative Children, http://amzn.to/19EfT6U available as an e-book, is a great resource for adults with young children who are showing signs of becoming budding artists. This is a memoir by Julia Cameron.

Today, in this blog about children and the arts, I’d like to share some photographs. Having permission to use these treasured images is a gift to my husband and me. What is contained in the photos makes us very happy. All images are courtesy of Lindele Media http://www.lindelemedia.com/ in New Mexico, and I wish to say “thank you” for letting us use them.

I look forward to Lindele Media’s upcoming movie “The Garden,” set to be released in 2014. There is a trailer to watch on this website. http://bit.ly/UJrK73 and to learn more about the cast and crew, please visit the Internet Movie Database link http://imdb.to/14VZEjZ .

At Work: The Award-Winning Director of “Moses Stuttered” (2012):

Photo courtesy of Lindele Media

Photo Courtesy of Lindele Media

Photo courtesy of Lindele Media

Photo Courtesy of Lindele Media

Photo courtesy of Lindele Media

To Watch Moses Stuttered http://bit.ly/UJrK73

Tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling, our blog will be exploring the creation of each one of us as individuals. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Film Friday: Hector & the Search for Happiness

1 Comment

Posted on August 16, 2013

“Knowing and feeling are two different things, and feeling is what counts.” ~ François Lelord

Hector and the Search for Happiness is a movie that is currently in post production. This film is based on a publication of the same title by Francois Lelord. The book is an international bestseller, with two million copies sold to its credit.

The movie is about a psychiatrist who notices, despite his counseling, his clients are not finding personal fulfillment. He journeys around the world looking for answers to what happiness in life really means. This simplistic tale is told in a humorous and uplifting fashion bringing optimism and insight to the audience.

The stellar cast, including Christopher Plummer (of Sound of Music fame), will add to the attraction of this film. It has been said the film combines the charm of The Little Prince along with the fundamental principles of the Alchemist. Sounds like a winner to me, I loved both of those publications.

If you to wish read the book, order it now! Click here for info & ordering of Hector & the Search for Happiness http://amzn.to/15G7Fm9

Please return on Monday to All Things Fulfilling, the space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Clearing the Way

2 Comments

Posted on August 15, 2013

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” ~ Pablo Picasso

Are you person who has always had an artistic calling, yet you have never pursued your passion in earnest? You are not alone. There are many people, for various reasons, who have had to travel down other career paths feeling they have not fulfilled their God-given talents.

The book Unlocking the Heart of the Artist: Practical Guide to Fulfilling Your Creative Call as an Artist in the Kingdom speaks to this issue for the new generation of people who seek personal fulfillment as a priority in their lives. He invites others to live fully, doing what makes them happy, and to become “unstuck” by expressing themselves creatively.

The author, Matt Tommey, is a successful basket maker and art consultant from Asheville, North Carolina. His sensible messages to other artists, through his publications, helps clear the way of self-doubt by providing hope and insight to individuals who wish to thrive and become fulltime artists. His book Crafting your Brand: Simple Strategies for Cultivating a Successful Creative Career, is also a good resource for anyone who wants to pursue their calling.

A well-rounded artist, Matt Tommey, makes a living in a combination of ways, also offering workshops on the craft of basketry. To learn more about his workshops, how to order these publications and to see his website, http://bit.ly/1bpQhI9 .

Do return tomorrow for Film Friday, we will be featuring a film that is soon to be released that plays well into our recent topics of writing on All Things Fulfilling. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Meeting Needs, Circuitously

2 Comments

Posted on August 1, 2013

“I’m conscious of a series of circles working its way through my life.” ~ Ben Okri

Image above: Artist Nathalie Parenteau

There has been a certain synchronicity lately on All Things Fulfilling around the theme of building things – building stone walls and memorials, building a beautiful home and family, building business through our passions, building meaningful relationships between people and community.

If you read yesterday’s blog called “Riding the Circuit,” there was a bit of self-deprecating humor over searching for answers to what the term “circuit rider” means. Here is a continuation of my story.

As a first time visitor, I opened the red doors to the tiny UnitedMethodistChurch on TaylorsIsland with quiet trepidation, and with much curiosity about what this “circuit rider” my mother spoke of might look like. I imagined someone in the pews would be wearing a cowboy hat, since that is what I had grown accustomed to seeing on Sunday mornings as I entered the UMC in Steamboat, Colorado. From my relatively new Western point of reference, in my mind a circuit rider is a cowboy who rides the rodeo circuit.

In I entered. I sat in a pew behind a small group of people who turned, smiled warmly and said “Good morning, welcome!”

“No cowboy hats in this crowd, East coast dress code” I thought. I sat quietly and reverently listening to small town conversation around me. Finally, someone remarked that “the Reverend must be running late.”

“No big deal,” I thought. I was used to people running late, in places where people recreate (in vacation places like shore towns and ski resorts) people have more laid back attitudes, and seem to run on their own time clocks.

Finally, in the Reverend walked. What I came to find out after the powerful, inspirational sermon he delivered was that the “Rev ” is the “circuit rider” my mother talked about. He goes around fulfilling the spiritual needs of people at four services, at four different churches on Sunday mornings. That’s why he is called a circuit rider! To read more about this preacher’s life, please visit this article. http://delmarvane.ws/1bqWxTq. This minister has been serving people for almost sixty-six years helping to build one-on-one relationships between people and God, in different communities.

Tomorrow, a shorter blog. I promise! This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Sharing Our Content

Leave a comment

Posted on July 19, 2013

If you would not be forgotten …either write things worth reading or do things worth the writing.” Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790)

There is interesting reading material on the world-wide-web these days. Besides the arrival of electronic publications (e-books) there are lots of folks around the globe with creative ideas who like to share them – in the form of a blog (web log). Blogs allow us the opportunity to zero-in and read news we are really interested in, free of charge.

How do you find blogs on the internet? Use your favorite search engine to discover articles about your topic of interest. For instance, say you are interested in what is going on in the art world. Search for art blogs.

If you are interested in all things musical, popular blogs about music industry trends are listed. Read and enjoy! It’s as easy as that.

Wondering who is doing what in the film industry? There is bound to be interesting content on these sites from top influencers in the cinema world.

Join in with all the other subscribers who find All Things Fulfilling interesting for various different reasons. Along with articles about personal fulfillment, helpful information is available about an industry that is making news daily – independent publishing of books, films and music.

Interested? See the fourth box, E-Mail Subscription, on the right hand side of this page. Click on Sign Me Up!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company that specializes in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers

Good Foundations of Health Literacy

Leave a comment

Posted on July 16, 2013

It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. ~ Frederick Douglass

Encouraging young students to learn more about healthy food choices is important to the Arthur W Perdue Foundation. A forty-thousand dollar grant towards health literacy has been awarded to the AtlanticGeneralHospital in Worcester County, Maryland. The AGH is creating after school programs to educate children about making better choices in their lives. http://bit.ly/18LrPSQ.

AGH will partner with the HerschelSHorowitzCenter for Health Literacy http://www.healthliteracy.umd.edu/ at the University of Maryland College Park to draft a set of health literacy standards for the K-8 public school curriculum. Health literacy is a relatively new term, and it is being integrated into core curriculum in schools in many states, such as Colorado.

Eat, Play, Learn Books, LLC of Steamboat Springs, Colorado http://eatplaylearnbooks.wordpress.com/ is pioneering the way in publishing e-books which incorporates the use of videos of “kids activities that use food as a learning tool.” Great resources for parents and educators.

Kudos to the Perdue Foundation and to Eat, Play, Learn Books, LLC for their commitment to educating children about the cornerstones of good health and the long term benefits of eating right!

Return tomorrow to www.AllThingsFulfilling, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

New Approaches to Marketing

Leave a comment

Posted on July 11, 2013

Ok…so, I know what you are thinking “The year is more than half-way over. You had made a pact with yourself that 2013 will be the year that your independent business will make some transitions in the way things are being done especially, when it comes to marketing and promotion. But you are not sure where to start.”

Business marketing has indeed changed. Print ads are risky – it is too hard to hit your target market. Mass mailing campaigns are expensive, postage is outrageous and print publications are disappearing. With the cost of gasoline, and heavy traffic, cold calling is no longer economical and meeting people the old fashioned way, has nearly gone by the wayside, too. The traditional sales mindset approach has been replaced with social media communications.

There is no reason for a business to be invisible in this digital age of communication. Sometimes all it takes is basic education to gain an understanding of how to use today’s marketing tools effectively. As Sir Francis Bacon once said, “Knowledge is power.” There is no need to remain in a state of confusion, action always brings a sense of fulfillment.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A Company Specializing in e-Commerce and e-Marketing for Independent Publishers. Do return tomorrow for more independent thoughts, words and views from All Things Fulfilling.

Two Rules for On-Line Selling

1 Comment

Posted on July 10, 2013

“The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.” ~ Anthony Robbins

Let’s face it, many authors love the creative process and would rather write than self-promote. From consulting with independent publishing clients, I’ve concluded that the #l reason independent publishers do not succeed is lack of consistent marketing efforts – it takes real commitment.

Rule #1: If you are selling your book over the internet, you must be marketing over the internet consistently.
Rule #2: A strong web presence is necessary so your product is visible to potential buyers.

There are writers and there are marketers, and not everyone is both. Be honest with yourself. Determine if you capable of both. If you are not sure, that’s where a company that specializes in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers comes in handy. They can educate you about what it really takes to successfully promote and market your book over the internet and whether your technology skills are up to it.

Remember, writing a book, or producing music or film, is just the beginning of the independent publishing business. Marketing strategy is as equally important to becoming a successful publisher of media content.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Bringing Fulfillment to Life

Leave a comment

Posted on July 9, 2013

“The greatest discoveries have come from people who have looked at a standard situation and seen it differently.” ~ Ira Erwin

What does fulfillment mean to you? Which medium of art do you like to explore the most to find a satisfying experience? Do you like discovering the works of new musicians, a debut author or watching a new film release?

People who love books, LOVE books! Some individuals can not get enough music in their lives, and for others – there is nothing more personally fulfilling than watching an inspiring film, whether it is on the big silver screen or not.

What is your choice of entertainment? Take our quick survey, and we will let you know the result at a later date.

Take time this summer to explore whatever it is that floats your boat in your life!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company specializing in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers.

All Things Fulfilling

Writing Focused on Fine Art & The Humanities

Category Archives: e-book publishing