"When the people tentatively come out of their cages, when the artists have been released from the stone, as people sit at the Soul Food banquet table and bask in the warmth of Soul Food's sun I know I have been a successful human being." – Heather Blakey

;-)

8 Wonderful Things Blogging Can Do Posted Jan-27-2007
From Heather Blakey's Zen and the Art of Team Blogging
If you're one of those people who know what a blog is, but don't participate in blogging or have one of your own because you don't see the value in having one, perhaps this will influence you otherwise — or at the very least — open your eyes to the benefits of the online blogging tool.

Last year I had the privilege of receiving a wonderful piece on team blogging from Soul Food Cafe's teacher, Heather Blakey, and her team of community bloggers who continue to be intensely occupied and engaged using the blogging medium for meaningful expressions of art, writing, and creativity.

The piece is titled "Zen and the Art of Team Blogging" and is a breathing testimony of the transforming powers online writing communities afford to participants. Noteworthy in this piece, especially for non-bloggers and educators, is the highlighted box further down in the article under the title "Blogging taught us that:". Item #8 resonates most with me:

8. Alternatively, they can set up a blog as a kind of dream book and find some time each day to dream and muse.

Want to know what the other seven are? Go find out. •

Alluvial Mining Posted Feb-23-2005
How to Dig Deep for Creative Gold.
One of the recent creativity-inducing features unveiled on Soul Food Cafe was the opening of the Alluvial Mines. Much like the United States in the 1800s, Australia experienced its own version of an exciting Gold Rush.

Reverse Osmosis Posted Feb-03-2005
Before agreeing to Heather's interview with me, I made her promise to allow me to interview her back. All of this agreed discussion finally came to fruition today when I received her answers to my probing questions in my inbox. You didn't think I traveled all the way to Australia for them, did you?

Heather Blakey Made Me Famous Posted Jan-29-2005
Okay, she didn't exactly make me famous, but she sure makes me feel like a star.

Heather Blakey is the mastermind behind the Soul Food Cafe (www.dailywriting.net), a Web site devoted to creativity, self-exploration, and writing for well being. "Make writing a daily practice" is Soul Food's motto, (the name which incidentally came right out of the Blues Brothers movie).