SARK

“Inside the book between the lines, was a place to rest and absorb the magic”

“Being tame is what we're taught: ... put the crayons back, stay in line, don't talk too loud, keep your knees together, nice girls don't...As you might know, nice girls DO, and they like to feel wild and alive. Being tame feels safe, being wild, unsafe. Yet safety is an illusion anyway. We are not in control. No matter how dry and tame and nice we live, we will die. And we will suffer along the way. Living wild is its own reward.”

“nobody tells us as little girls that we may fall in love and have moments of hating our beloved, or have ridiculous arguments at 2 AM over something that neither person understands.”

“My godchild Zoe, age 6, suddenly said: "Can you describe what romance is?" I talked about wooing, and yearning, and she sighed and leaned back, "I think that love is my favorite thing in this whole world..." Me too, Zoe, me too.”

“Certainly survival is important - very important - but at some point surviving wasn't enough. I felt ready to complete my surviving journey and start thriving and just living.”

“Remember to delight yourself first, then others can be truly delighted."This was my mantra when I published my first book in 1990, and still holds true. When we focus on the song of our soul and heart, then others will be touched similarly. Sometimes people wonder or worry whether people will like or approve of their creative expression. It's none of your business. It's your business to stay present and focused for the work of your deepest dreams. It might look crooked or strange, or be very odd-but if it delights you, then it is yours, and will find it's way into other hearts.”

“Use lots of exclamation points. They love to be overused.”

“It's like an emotional dance party: Some dances will be your favorites -- others more awkward or difficult to learn. Some will be boring or make you mad. some you will wish you never needed to do again. But AHA! You think. I will dance all the dances I can.”

“I envision a world filled with women traveling alone and meeting each other on the path.”

“Nourish your eye and spirit with inspiring things. They will bloom with your tending.”

“Women need a space to be creative -- creativity thrives in solitude.”

“Use your internal grandmother for guidance and advice.”

“Creativity suffers under great scrutiny from ourselves or others.”

“When we look at clouds we see different shapes. See all the grace you can.”

“A succulent wild woman is one of any age who feels free to fully express herself in every dimension of her life.”

“Marry yourself first -- promise never to leave you!”

“Be an electric eel in a goldfish pond!”

“If she got really quiet and listened, new parts of her wanted to speak.”

“If you let yourself be truly seen, then you can be truly loved.”

“Don't step into lives that aren't yours, make choices that aren't nourishing, or dance stiffly for years with the wrong partner, or parts of yourself.”

“There ARE people who won't customarily eat an entire row of cookies, or hear food calling their name from other rooms, or who don't grind up food in the garbage disposal for fear of eating it, or get it back out of the garbage so they could eat it. Of course, my binge eating was just a cover-up for the larger issue: Trying to fill the emptiness”

“Buy or borrow self-improvement books, but don't read them. Stack them around your bedroom and use them as places to rest bowls of cookies.Watch exercise shows on television, but don't do the exercises. Practice believing that the benefit lies in imagining yourself doing the exercises.Don't power walk. Saunter slowly in the sun, eating chocolate, and carry a blanket so you can take a nap.”