Tennessee Williams and New Orleans Literary Festival (TWFest24)

I turn 50 years old at the end of this month. There was a time that I never thought I'd make it to 50 - either because of my own reckless lifestyle or my serious bouts of depression and anxiety. But here I am, ready to tackle the next 50 years ;)

To celebrate, my husband asked me what I wanted to do. And since he knows me so well, he asked me where I wanted to go. After a short time as foster parents, we didn't have the luxury of just picking up and getting away whenever we wanted. We were due for a getaway.

I did some research and wanted to incorporate writing into it, too. I have gotten back into my writing, journaling, and now with the memoir coming out this December - just back into the writing world in general. After having read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, I have always wanted to go to New Orleans. They have an annual Tennessee Williams festival that happens around my birthday so it was decided - we are going to a literary festival in New Orleans!

(this is an older image, but I loved the colors and wanted to use it!)

I honestly don't know much about Tennessee Williams, other than a street car named Desire.  Honestly, it's going to be quite a treat because they have not only writer's craft sessions, but also writing marathons!

A writing marathon is when "writers venture out in small groups to eat, drink, and write their way across the city, stopping to share their writing before moving to their next adventure." I can't wait to journal and experience everything that New Orleans has to offer. It seems like it's vibrant and full of witchy wonderfulness that I can't wait to experience! 

Mark, my husband, is okay with the walking with me - but he said he's not going to write. Journaling isn't necessarily his thing. haha. 

Anyway, we signed up for everything from the walking tours to the literary discussion "Legends of burlesque" and then of course the music and the eating, too!

I occasionally still battle with those feelings of self-doubt, but I'm here and ready to tackle the next part of my life and this week - New Orleans!

I'll report back, but until then have you ever been to New Orleans? What was it like?

Until next time,

h

AI inspiration for my visual content?

Early on in the process my publisher told me that social media is basically a must if anyone is to know anything about the book and what it's about. It sort of gets the word out that, "hey, there's a cool book coming your way and follow me for more info!"

I knew this going in. I also knew that having visual elements would help to make the message come across better than just written words. So I downloaded Canva and I set to work to create some content that was visually appealing. 

Now, I do have Photoshop and the Adobe suite that I purchase for my photography work, but I find that Canva is easy to use and I only have to use the free version so far. But it has a LOT of capabilities if you decide to go with the paid version.

One of the things I was missing were photos of things that related to my book. Like pole activities, poverty, strict religion - those things are sort of hard to put into images. Especially images I don't have. So I decided to try out Adobe Firefly and see what their visual AI could do for me.

Let me just say - we are a long way from them taking over the world. lol.

The first thing that Firefly asks is for you to put in some key words. So I put in "image using elements of pole dancing" And this is what came out of it - kind of terrifying? What's with the fuzzy toothbrush on the pole? 

Anytime I added the word "stripper" or "sex industry" or "exotic dancer" it came up with an error code. Those are "forbidden" words in some online spaces. (I have already been through a few iterations of having my account shut down using the word stripper, exotic dancer, etc. But that's a whole other conversation)

So I decided to change it up and added the word "religion" to the request. Apparently, flowing curtains and lakesides are more religious.

I thought what would it do if I entered in the word "poverty" - which was a huge contributor and driver in my book. This is the result of that. Not quite what I envisioned for my own personal story.  

The next step was to add an image of my own. Apparently AI works better if you have an input to provide some direction. So I took one of my own pole dance images and gave it some inspiration. I also added the word "wild parties" to stay away from pole dance studios and more toward strip clubs. 

Here's the result of that:

We are getting closer! Adding the word "religion" now. But how is she holding herself up there? 

And then this was just for fun. Nice heels and what happened to his leg? lmao!

Anyway, that's my experience trying to find some images to use for my social media. I did end up finding one that worked and it's now the cover for my personal FB page. 

While I would never use AI to write a book, I have no problem testing its limits and seeing what it can do for me for social media, marketing, etc. I had fun with it and thought I would share the results here.

Have you ventured into the world of AI? What have you considered when using it? Some folks are afraid of world domination and takeover - what are your thoughts?

Anyway, until next time,

H

Workout routine is just that...a routine.

My love/hate journey with weight loss/fitness/health and well-being has been going on for years. I have a tendency to gain a lot of weight, decide I'm not happy with the weight and the toll it's having on my health, lose the weight, and then somehow end up back to square one.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who goes through this see-saw method of health routine and maintenance (or lack thereof). I saw a meme that said nothing tastes as good as skinny feels and I bet they have never sat down at a Los Tres and got stuffed on the chips/queso/salsa combo they bring out at the start of the meal. 

All that being said, I'm on the health upswing again and I've lost 25 pounds since last summer. It's thru a combination of exercise, watching what I eat, and how often I eat. I will tell you that I DO feel better when I weigh less - and that's not an indication everyone should lose weight. For me, it's obvious that I have less joint pain and better mobility if I keep moving.

I did not accomplish this alone. I use a variety of apps and videos to help me along the way. Will I have to use/subscribe to them forever? I don't think so. I hope not. But for now, it's helping me to be accountable and set new goals and routines.

I've been meal prepping using the app listed here in one of my previous blog posts. Plan to Eat has been so helpful for me to make sure I know what I'm going to eat during the week - breakfast, lunch and dinner. (*Full transparency: If you use the link in my previous blog post, I will receive credit for it)

If I don't plan ahead that's when I run into issues with eating whatever I can, whenever I can.

For exercise, I  walk every day (aim for 10,000 steps) and no I don't make it to 10k every day. It's especially difficult in the winter. But I try. I bought an under the desk treadmill on TikTok so I can walk while I'm working from home and I try to take walks on my breaks even if it's cold outside. 

I also do weight lifting. I don't lift heavy, but I definitely lift enough to feel it. I do that two or three days a week and I am on of those people who wakes up at 5 am to get it done and over with. It's the only way that works for me. I used to do Beachbody, but I decided there were enough free programs out there online. I use Caroline Girvan, Juice and Toya, and Fit by Mik. I find that these are just enough for me to handle timewise and ability-wise. I rotate between them so I don't get bored. 

I use My Fitness Pal - and I pay for the subscription. It just makes it easier for me to log my food and actually see what I'm eating. It makes me think about whether or not I have enough calories left over for the day to have those extra snacks or a candy bar. Let's be honest, the only way for me to lose weight is to be in a calorie deficit. There's no other way for me. 

Bottomline, I think routine is a key for me. It helps me stay sane and keeps me on track. Will I ever fall off the wagon again and go rogue with the McDonald's French Fries and chicken McNuggets? Who knows. I'm not going to judge myself either way. It's a journey. But the older I get I'm realizing it is harder on my body in every way when I don't prioritize my health. 

What do you do to maintain your health? Are there any routines that help you? 

Talk soon,

H

Disclaimer: Check with your doctor before beginning any exercise/fitness/wellness program.