Jews believe in two schools of being and doing.

Jewish Life, Creative ProcessJena SchwartzOctober 9, 2019Comment

Returning

Inhale. Exhale. Thought thought thought thought thought. Leaves fluttering. Eyes heavy. Inhale. Exhale. Car warm. Drowsy. Thought thought thought thought. Inhale. Exhale. Temptation to check timer. Inhale. Exhale. And then, finally, the chime. Aaaaaaaah. I did it.

Observations, Jewish LifeJena SchwartzOctober 8, 2019writing, writing practice, walking, sitting, meditation, mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh, anxiety, depression, compassion, Yom Kippur, teshuvag, teshuvahComment

Story Time: Inhabit Your Writing

Jena reads a story by Rabbi Alan Lew, illustrating the value of being present to the path of the creative process, rather than letting questions and outcomes.

Creative Process, CommunityJena SchwartzOctober 3, 2019writing practice, Rabbi Alan Lew, This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared, Wonder, Presence, Mindfulness, Writing Practice, creativityComment

11 things for when you don’t know what to write

We need you over here. There is only one you, and the lifetime of stories you carry in your bones. It doesn’t much matter where you start, only that you do.

Creative ProcessJena SchwartzOctober 1, 2019Writer's block, writing practice, writing exercise, 11s, real life, creativity Comment

"Be the Chicken"

Maybe I'm not so much like the chicken after all. But I do love the simplicity and whimsy of the picture, so perhaps that, at the end of the day, is why I like it and will keep it on the fridge.

Observations, Real LifeJena SchwartzSeptember 23, 2019creativity, Spontaneity, creative process, writing prompt, playfulnessComment

How Many Times?

How many times do you need to hear
that you are enough?

PoetryJena SchwartzSeptember 22, 2019poetry, poet, poems, Jena Schwartz poetry, forgiveness, grace, Contemplative Poetry Comment

Just for Today

PoetryJena SchwartzSeptember 16, 2019running, writing, presence, release, letting go, self-care, poetry, poemComment

Help Always Comes

It's the same mountain, you know. The one and very same mountain you've been scaling your whole life.

Community, Creative Process, ObservationsJena SchwartzSeptember 14, 2019Jewish Mysticism, death, Faith, trust, Keep going Comment

Broken Glass

Like glass, I feel very breakable and very strong these days, a strange, living contradiction, a container of Whitman-esque multitudes.

ObservationsJena SchwartzSeptember 10, 2019freewrite, unedited, writing prompt, writing practice, broken glass, anxiety, broken, whole, healing, wholenessComment

It's Not a Performance

It's like the rabbi reminds the congregation at the start of the Torah service, every time there is a bar or bat mitzvah: We are not here as performer and audience, but as a community.

Real Life, Observations, CommunityJena SchwartzSeptember 9, 2019self-love, friendship, connection, writing practice, being, TrustComment

Playing with Affirmations

As I enter a new season in my life and work, I need more encouragement than ever — and it feels right to be finding new ways of offering that to myself.