Hi, I’m Rebecca. I write books and I write here at This Joyful Mess to inspire everyone to find JOY in the everyday messes of life. Here you’ll find inspiration, educational resources, and so much more. Please explore and connect—I’d love to hear from you!
When You're Past-Due ... For an Authorly FAQ
An ever-growing collection of interviews. Going forward all will be linked here for your (and my) convenience! Because I’m not much better at keeping track of links than anyone else. This list could easily serve as an FAQ, with some questions appearing in interviews more or less frequently than others. I hope you’ll enjoy pursuing the links and sharing broadly and widely with all your wonderful people!
How Jonathan Merritt Ruined (and Saved) my Blogging Life
For just under an hour I sat in the Calvin College Seminary chapel, captivated by quite possibly the most interesting (and energetic) person ever to be in Calvin College’s Seminary chapel. I took more notes at that session than all the others I attended combined. Good blog headlines? Blogging and social media? Blog-killing mistakes? I scribbled it all down. Like…
Guess Who Won a Sustainable Arts Foundation Promise Award?
That would be ME! Wow, I’m still in shock. Or still delirious from this flu Kilian was kind enough to share with me.
Picture it, I’m out of bed finally, after my third three-hour-long nap of the day. Sitting in a purple club chair while Penny steps onto her potty and Leaps off. “Look at me, Mama! Mama watch!” Kilian is hanging out with me. In fact, this shot was taken moments before...
Now is the time to Make Circles with Mints
I did it. I typed those two most-loved words: The End. Yet how have I felt these past few days? (Aside from the delirious exhaustion of Christmas with five children!)
Happy? Relieved?
Try...
The Seriousness of Poetry
Setting: A poetry workshop at Calvin College's Festival of Faith and Writing. Fourteen attendees and one facilitator sit in plastic chairs arranged into a lopsided circle.
Attendees have just finished their first writing exercise.
Facilitator: We've all had sixty seconds. Shall we read what we've created? Let's hear three or so, then pause to consider what stands out most ...