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Confession. This week's Pen & Path post almost didn't happen. Not because I don't have ideas. Quite the opposite. I'm spending two full weeks immersed in writing. First, with three wonderful women at our own little "writer's camp" in Prince Edward Island. Next, I'll head to Maine for the writing retreat I've attended for the past three years. You'd think I'd be filling notebooks by the hour. Instead, somewhere between editing pages, reading drafts, talking about writing from

Capturing the essence of a life story in just six words may seem impossible at first. Yet, this brief form of memoir has gained popularity as a powerful tool for self-reflection and creative expression. The six-word memoir challenges us to distill our experiences, values, and emotions into a concise statement that reveals something meaningful about who we are. This post explores the significance of six-word memoirs, offers practical tips for creating your own, and shares insp

I recently read part of an Atlantic article by Arthur C. Brooks (The Bliss of a Quieter Ego) about our culture of “loud egos.” I couldn’t access the entire article, but I didn’t need to. The opening paragraphs were enough to get me thinking—not just about the world around me, but about myself as a writer. In that article, Brooks stated that researchers found measurable increases in narcissistic traits over recent decades, particularly among younger generations. Apparently, st

Before the world begins asking anything of us, there is a quiet kind of magic. This morning, my dog was still asleep on the bed while I slipped into the hot tub before turning on the jets. I sat in the stillness and listened. As I’ve gotten older, bird sounds have become something entirely different. What I once noticed as chirps here and there, now feels like a symphony. This morning, I could hear turkeys gobbling somewhere in the distance, while three owls called back and f