Seize the Moment with Action

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 “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” ~ Napoleon Hill

It came to me on Sunday morning, like an apparition. There I stood at the shoreline, next to the edge of the rip-rap, on a remote island on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay trying to decide whether or not the wind was going to stop me from taking a bike ride.  “Perhaps,” I thought, “a walk would be easier than trying to pedal against what feels like gale force winds.”

Suddenly, out of nowhere something ghost-like swept by me, swirling and twirling overhead in the breeze. “I’m going to run after that,” I thought, “so it doesn’t litter the island.” I took off running in pursuit of what looked like trash.

Each time it dipped, I nearly caught the waste, then the wind picked it up and blew it in another direction. Tired from chasing, I had almost given up hope of ever catching the trash. I was being teased and taunted because the wind kept shifting, blowing the plastic even further from my reach. “I’ll never catch it if I give up now.” Just as I finished my thought, the wind shifted yet again and blew the garbage right over my head, within reach.  I grabbed it!

Reaching-for-the-starsYou’ll never guess what it was. A balloon, shaped like a star! It had obviously traveled far, it had little helium left in it, and the gold mylar had taken a beating. It was less than shiny and new. Nevertheless, the shape was still in tact. I ran to show my mother what I had caught. We had a discussion about where the balloon could have possibly come from. “Who knows,” my mother said, as she looked out over the vast sea of water on the Chesapeake, “the balloon could have blown in from anywhere.”

We discussed the weather, and despite the stormy skies,  I decided to try biking. “It will be a good break from my  walking routine,” I said to my mother. I took off pedaling. Once I rounded a corner down the road, it was smooth-sailing. The wind was not even a factor. I’m glad I didn’t let the wind become an obstacle, it was a perfect morning for biking.

During my five mile bike ride, I pondered.”How many times are we stopped from doing something because of barriers. Sometimes we place them in our own mind. Is it not true we almost always find in our actions, fulfillment?”

Just a few independent words, thoughts and views for you this morning.Return tomorrow to www.allthingsfulfilling.com. This blog is brought to you by  www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company specializing in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers.

Honoring Nature and Roots in Photography

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Good art is art that allows you to enter it from a variety of angles and to emerge with a variety of views. ~ Mary Schmich

dorchester center for the arts_3 The exhibit, Creatures in Motion, is like looking out at the world through the eyes of a true nature lover. The photography of Linda Roy Walls is featured at the DorchesterCenter for the Arts during the month of June 2013. Images of living things (bovine, beast and avian) in their natural environment, is  the focus of the exhibit.

It is evident by the images Walls captures, the artist believes in “living in the moment.”  Scenes of  her environment, wildlife, and all other things that catches her eye, through the lens of the camera,  provides an even more extensive photographic collection on her website.

Walls has honored what is important to her in her life through the three photo books she has published. One book, “Ode to Ed” is dedicated to her father, a war veteran, who succumbed to leukemia due to Agent Orange poisoning after three tours of duty in Vietnam. Her other photo books “Riding Waves and Herding Cats” and “The Content Canines” call attention to more of what she has found fulfilling in living on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Her travels to Ireland will be the focus of an upcoming publication.

Linda Roy Walls is also a writer for the column “Ponderings” in the Dorchester Banner and a contributing writer for other regional newspapers and magazines. Ever the artist, she is also involved in a portrait study of humble Eastern shore waterman and other locals who add flavor to the region in which her roots have been planted.

IMAG0645Stop by the DorchesterCenter for the Arts to see the photography of Linda Roy Walls, it is a limited but delightful sampling of her photographs. To see more of her images,  read her artist bio and to learn more about her art, photography and writing, please visit her website http://www.lindaroywalls.com/.

We look forward to sharing more independent thoughts, words and views with you tomorrow on www.AllThingsFulfilling.com. This blog brought to you by www.cornerstonefulfillmentservice.com. A company specializing in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers.

Energy of Artists and Athletes

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Paint interacts with humans, with the canvas, with the walls around the paint.~Brenda Johima

Words like perseverance, determination, action and commitment tell the story of the art that Kirk Nowlin creates. The traits depicted in the bold images are many of the same qualities that both an artist and athlete must have to reach success.

Kirk Nowlin1jpgThis month, at the DorchesterCenter for the Arts in Cambridge, Maryland, the work of artist Kirk Nowlin is featured. He works in a multitude of mediums, but his intense use of color and sports related subjects prevail throughout his work. His large scale paintings bring an appropriate energy to the athletes he portrays on canvas. Serena Williams, Lance Armstrong, Darryl Green and Michael Jordan are just a few of the sports figures  Kirk Nowlin has featured in his work.

NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, CEO Tom Giannopolis (CEO of an international IT company) are among his collectors who appreciate the qualities of talent, triumph and character that are shown in the strokes of the artist’s creations.

The exhibit of the artist, Kirk Nowlin, who was trained at the MarylandInstituteCollege, will run until Saturday, June 29th at the Dorchester Center for the Arts in Cambridge, Maryland. Stop by the 321 High Street location and be inspired by the energy of motion that Kirk Nowlin shares through his art.

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Do return again tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling. We will be highlighting the work of an artist who captures creatures in motion through her photography. This artist has published numerousbooks with her images. This blog brought to you by http://www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Cambridge, MD: Creating an Art Community

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 “Whenever we witness art in a building, we are award of an energy contained in it.” ~Arthur Erickson

Checking out the local art scene is something I find interesting to do when I am traveling. Last Friday, I stopped into the Dorchester Center for the Arts in Cambridge, Maryland.

Since my last visit about ten years ago, The Dorchester Center for the Arts http://bit.ly/12APkwy has relocated. Its art programs are growing, and they are fulfilling their mission of “creating community through the Arts.”  After a successful one million dollar capital campaign, the art center moved into a large old furniture store space, and they are renovating it, phase by phase, to accommodate for their plans for the future. Fully committed to providing a “vibrant performing and visual arts center,” the historic building is large enough to house a gift shop, exhibit space, several classrooms and administrative offices and more. There are plans to fill the substantial space on the second and third floors with a 250 person capacity reception area and 400 seat performance hall. The entire structure is dedicated to the arts in this town of 12,000 people.

The day I first stopped in, there was a knitting class and drawing class in progress. Each year visitors of all ages attend gallery shows, classes, workshops and special events at the DorchesterCenter for the Arts.  The staff member who greeted me and took me on a tour could not have been more hospitable.

Here are some pictures from my visit. Please return tomorrow so I can share with you information about this month’ s two featured artists  and their work.IMAG0647

Best of the Eastern Shore, Art Programs

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Drawing Class with Model in progress

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Gift shop with paintings, jewelry, pottery, prints, all kinds of artistic creations

including  books of regional interest  by local authors

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Below: My favorite thing in the gift shop – artistic pins by As Time Goes By. Baubles, creatively styled incorporating time and puzzles.

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Please return tomorrow to www.AllThingsFulfilling.com to learn something about the artists that were featured this month by the Dorchester Center for the Arts. This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected<a target=”_blank” href=”http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=sue%20batton%20leonard&linkCode=ur2&rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3Asue%20batton%20leonard&sprefix=sue%20batt%2Cstripbooks%2C305&tag=allthinfulf-20&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&linkId=7UVM27KUVJZ3M67Z”>Click for info on the memoir</a><img src=”https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=allthinfulf-20&l=ur2&o=1&#8243; width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ alt=”” style=”border:none !important; margin:0px !important;” />  and www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company specializing in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers.

Top Indie Films of Summer 2013

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Indie Wire has released its latest list of top money making independent films so far this summer. Keep your eye on http://www.indiewire.com because the list will periodically be updated.

The top five “indie” films this summer are as follows, along with name of the film production companies and their gross earnings as of June 5, 2013.

1. Mud (Roadside Attractions) – $16,849,451
2. The Iceman (Millennium) – $1,716,661
3. Frances Ha (IFC Films) – $1,556,325
4. Stories We Tell (Roadside Attractions) – $900,464
5. Kon-Tiki (The Weinstein Company) – $897,137

stories we tellMy top pick on this list is Stories We Tell. It was an Oscar nominated film and won awards at Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Venice Film Festival and Sundance. To read more about it, follow this link http://www.storieswetellmovie.com/story.html.

To read the full list of top grossing independent films, and a summary of each production, please visit www.indiewire.com.

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

Honoring Those Behind the Scenes

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successThe other day I posted several blogs about the 2013 EVVY book awards from the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. Service providers are also recognized for their outstanding work on the night of the award presentations They are the individuals and companies  who work behind the scenes to help independent publishers create and sell quality publications for the marketplace.

Today, I would like to acknowledge the  freelance professionals who provide services to the independent publishing industry, such as printing companies, editors, cover designers, layout designers, e-book formatters and designers, marketing , copyright experts and more. Here is a helpful link  for finding assistance with your publishing projects  for the future. http://bit.ly/ZOsPCr .

If you are an author in any state or region looking to hire high quality freelance professionals to help you with your publishing project, a great place to start is to contact a regional or statewide trade association for independent publishers. They may be able to steer you in the right direction by locating companies who support authors in all parts of the publishing process.

When you are in the planning stage of publishing a book, decide what part of the process you can handle yourself and what parts would be best left to the professionals. It will make for a smoother process and a quality end result.

Book Marketing Savvy

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“….from the reading of ‘good books’ there comes a richness of life that can be obtained in no other way.” ~ Gordon B Hinckley

On Tuesday I joined a book club of women from Dorchester County Maryland for lunch. It was the second time I have been among the group, and talk naturally flowed to who is reading what, favorite authors, book lists and other common subjects among book lovers.

One member of the group mentioned she was headed to Boonsboro, Maryland to the historic Inn that is the subject of Nora Roberts recently published Boonsboro trilogy. Roberts has capitalized on capturing the hearts of her readers not only through her books, but by giving her fans an opportunity to visit and relax in the setting of some of her stories. In my opinion, it is a great example of using creative book marketing savvy and smart business.

boonsboro innObviously her investment in the old stone property, the Boonsboro Inn, on the corner of North  Main Street and Potomac, and in the town, itself, has been made possible by her success as a very prolific writer. She has approximately 200 titles to her credit, and some of her novels have been adapted for film. www.noraroberts.com.

The Boonsboro Inn aims to provide a fulfilling vacation travel experience with a literature experience. The assistant innkeeper, Patti, worked at Turn the Page Bookstore for four years. Obviously a booklover and well-read person, I am sure she is well-versed in providing the guests with plenty of background about the Montgomery brothers, the clan featured in The Next Always (Book 1), The Last Boyfriend (Book 2) and the final book of the trilogy, The Perfect Hope. To read more about the Boonsboro trilogy,Click here..

To learn more about the Boonsboro bed and breakfast experience, the amenities offered and the renovation of the historic property, please visit the website. http://bit.ly/19GwZhM.

According to hospitality surveys, more and more people are looking for unique vacations. If you have had a satisfying vacation in a literature hotel or inn, please share your experience with booklovers and writers who frequent www.allthingsfulfilling.com. Click on comment below and tell us all about it.

Gold Standards in Independent Publishing

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Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution. ~ William A Foster

Award-winning authors with award winning books! Today we continue highlighting authors who took away 2013 EVVY prizes from the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) last month.

Click for info & ordering

Each of the aforementioned authors, as well as those who received second, third and merit awards from CIPA are setting high standards for all independent publishers. The Colorado Independent Publishers Association is working hard to ensure that top quality authors are reaping the rewards. The organization is putting into place high standards for judging criteria for book contests. Thank you, CIPA, for leading the way with your EVVY awards.

To read the full list of the 2013 EVVY award-wining books, please visit http://bit.ly/16BLVPn.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. A company specializing in e-commerce & e-marketing for independent publishers. Please return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

2013 Book Awards – the EVVYs

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“To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act.” ~ Anatole France

evvy-gold-sticker-76134-53479-zoomEvery May the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) presents awards to independent publishers who have submitted their books for judging. I look forward to these annual awards because some of the authors I have had the opportunity to meet through networking.

The awards are given according to genres of literature, and also by technical category. Today, we will feature some of the 2013 EVVY Award-Winning author books and authors. To see the full list of award winners, please visit http://bit.ly/16BLVPn.

Writing and publishing a book is a big task. Kudos goes out to every author who submitted their publication to the contest. Each individual should be proud of having finished the many-step process and find fulfilling feelings, from within, for having accomplished it.

Please return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling. We will feature  more 2013 EVVY award-winning authors and their publications.

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

Designing a Life for Success

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Joy is the umbrella for life’s storms.” ~ Chris Vanderzyden

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to have lunch with author Chris Vanderzyden. We met at the Northshire Bookstore http://www.northshire.com/  in Manchester, Vermont and she arrived every bit the “dynamo” I expected, despite having just returned the night before from Bali and many hours of international travel. She had been at an event with Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul fame. Click for Canfields Publications

Chris is a corporate trainer, motivational speaker and business development leader. After years of working as a CPA and living a stressed-out lifestyle in Los Angeles, she traded in her career for a quieter way of life that has afforded her the ability to design a joyful existence that works for her and her family.

vanderzyden2Her book, A-Z Blueprint for Success: A Strategy of Action Steps to Elevate Your Business and Life was published out of Vanderzyden’s desire to help others create a more fulfilling way of life. She establishes, at the outset, that “having a successful life means something different to everyone.” According to Vanderzyden, a person is prosperous if they have a lifestyle that supports a healthy mind, body and spirit.

In order to achieve this result, defining one’s own core values is essential. The author provides an appendix of words which helps the reader to personally draw up a “custom” blueprint that very specifically identifies what a successful life looks like for them. Vanderzyden points out that action and persistence is necessary to achieve what one desires. Anyone can be successful with commitment to the principles she outlines in her A-Z Blueprint for Success. Click for info & ordering

I’d put Vanderzyden’s publication on a booklist for independent publishers who struggle to find time to complete their publishing projects or for those who need to find steps that will motivate them to consistently and successfully self-market their books. As the author points out, sometimes a better route to success is to hire someone else, for a small amount of money, so that will free up your talent for more productive tasks. She has become an expert on effective time management skills.

To learn more about Chris Vanderzyden’s corporate training programs and about a second publication that “is slotted to become a bestseller,” please visit http://bit.ly/12jZaTh. Click for info & ordering

Tomorrow’s ponderings will be available on www.AllThingsFulfilling.com. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.