Do you know why January feels like the longest month of the year?
Did you know January is known as the looooongggest month of the year?
Ok arguably, at 31 days, it's actually not longer than December or August, but without all of the holiday hoopla or sunny summer days, it feels long!
And the joyless January feeling actually is so common, that, yesterday, was not only the revered MLK Day, but, to psychologists, it's also known as BLUE Monday.
Between the holiday credit card bill, a lot less sunshine, a fall off of resolutions (hello ice cream!) and all the twinkly lights tucked away ... January can feel longer than any other month.
But I've got the antidote.
It'll calm your mind, invigorate your spirit and help you feel more JOY.
It's part positive psychology pep talk, part creativity, part journal, and it's exactly what mid-winter January blahs call for.
Life Feast Guest Expert Workshop on 1/19/23
3 Tools to Find Your JOY and Thrive in January (and all year long) with Jennifer King Lindley
Sign up => here.
We'll cultivate...
Mandy Seligman teaches on motherhood, photography, positive psychology and finding herself in a full life
Have you ever looked under the "hood" of motherhood and wondered who am I, anymore? I haven't seen "me" in a while, though I think my soul might be buried under a pile of laundry or a science project somewhere.
Parenthood is an interesting paradox, isn't it?
It's beautiful, fulfilling, loving, stressful, exhausting, humorous, frustrating, terrifying and joyful all at the same time ... sometimes all in the same hour!
And, as busy mothers, taking care of our share (and then some), we can lose ourselves along the way.
Remember those invisible mothers from Victorian photos I shared with you two weeks ago? It's an irony both metaphorical and literal.
This week, in The Life Feast, I have an incredible special guest, one I've waited months to share with you who will be talking with us about how she found herself through photography.
Mandy Seligman is a mom of five, a homeschooler, a wife, a grandmother, a sister, a daughter, and she is also she is also a...
Why you need to sum up your summer ...
This summer, our family spent an inordinate amount of time at various doctors’ offices. Since sleepaway camp was canceled, I figured it was a good time to have teeth pulled and sinuses probed (I’m an awful mom, I know).
We went to at least 12 doctor appointments this summer. We had dentist, orthodontist, oral surgeon, pediatrician, allergist and ear nose and throat appointments.
There were shots, scratch tests, blood draws, nose probes, teeth pulled and an amoxicillin allergic reaction. Not exactly a dream summer for two fourteen year olds.
Plus the end of August had us inside a lot due to smoke and haze from forest fires. In addition, I sat through a bunch of zoom meetings trying to figure out whether or not we should do hybrid or online school, stressing about school safety. 
Photo by Catherine Larock
The cherry on top was that just a few days ago, my husband found out that the treatment center where he was clinical director is folding due to the pandemic.
That...
Why You Need Creativity in Your 30's, 40's & 50's (and beyond!)
Of course, with each mortgage payment, work deadline, and pile of school permission slips needing to be signed, we all get a little more dusty. In this workshop I shared why creativity has some great scientific health benefits (benefits as good for you as exercise!), you'll learn a few hacks for being creative on the fly (or in your car) in less than 15 minutes, you'll finally understand why you've ignored your creative tugs and how that affects your wellbeing.
This is the big fat (fun) creative permission slip you've been waiting for. And if you're a creative professional or you haven't created anything since the 3rd grade, you're absolutely in the RIGHT place.
Thanks for watching! If you want that big fat permission slip, you want to infuse your life with curiosity, awe, mindfulness, play and adventure, and you want that photography gateway drug into possibilities in your life, dig...
Want to improve your mood (and your creativity) in a hurry? Look up!
When was the last time you studied the ceiling of an airport?
I took this photo of these red lanterns in the Houston airport at the end of April. We were coming home from Peru and had a 3-hour layover after having already traveled straight for 22 hours. I was exhausted, spent, wired not tired.
There's beauty everywhere. Sometimes we have to look in unexpected places to find it, like the ceiling of the Houston airport. But if you're paying attention, you'll see it and appreciate it.
But most of us are head down in our phones all.the.time. We've forgotten what it's like to notice something other than a text message or a burgeoning inbox.
Where did we all go?
As you're scrolling through your phone right now (hey, I'm probably doing it, too), take a second to turn your gaze upwards. Look at the sky, the ceiling, the person next to you.
Positive psychology has shown that just the mere act of looking up raises our moods.
In a series of experiments...