Eeeeeek, I can’t believe April is almost over!

April was a busy, busy month, but I still managed to squeeze in some wonderful books, TV series, movies, and music. Here are my favorites:

 

I Read…

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert! This non-fiction gem is all about living creatively without fear. Doesn’t matter if you want to write or paint, take figure skating lessons, or build model airplanes: Gilbert argues we need to make some time in our lives to do the thing we really enjoy, for no reason other than we truly enjoy doing it. Fear be damned.

One of my favorite quotes from the book:

“Dearest Fear: Creativity and I are about to go on a road trip together. I understand you’ll be joining us, because you always do…But understand this: Creativity and I are the only ones who will be making any decisions along the way…Dude, you are not even allowed to touch the radio.”

Dude…enough said😊

 

I Watched…

Yep, I absolutely binged Bridgerton season 2 on Netflix. How could I not?

Also, Lady Whistledown is my spirit animal.

 

I Listened to…

Gah! I listened to Lorenzo Viotti’s podcast interview for B*Maestro, and it’s everything I never knew I needed.

For those of you who may not know who he is: Viotti is the new chief conductor of the Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra and the Dutch National Opera, and he has singlehandedly brought sexy back to classical music (seriously, check out his Instagram).

In the podcast, Viotti talks about the importance of believing in your dreams, the power of discipline and hard work to achieve whatever you’d like, fighting for your art, finding your own way, and not taking yourself too seriously (spoiler alert: it can be as simple as adding a pair of sneakers to your outfit). Even though Viotti is not necessarily part of the writerly scene, his words are super inspiring for every writer out there!

 

I Played on Repeat…

Joseph Trapanese, the man behind the “The Witcher: Season 2” soundtrack!

I discovered his music while brainstorming my new WIP. I knew I wanted to write a Robin Hood retelling, so I watched the 2018 movie and unexpectedly fell in love with the music. Turns out, Trapanese also wrote the score for the Grishaverse, Tron, and Oblivion! His music is sweeping and epic, with tons of delicious tension and foreboding. Perfect for writing!