Happy April!

Are we already four months into the year!? Life moves fast. Often too fast. In the rush to keep up, it becomes easy to lose sight of something essential—yourself.

The pause offers a powerful opportunity to realign with who you are and what truly matters. It is not about doing nothing. It is an active space where you check in with your heart:

Are you living in a way that honors your values, your creative vision, and your dreams?

Pauses break momentum long enough for you to correct course if needed. They bring clarity, helping you move forward in a direction that feels right for your soul, not just your schedule.

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”— The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Progress Happens Before It Is Seen

Success is often assumed to mean visible outcomes—a sold script, a wrapped project, a new credit. Though some of the most meaningful shifts happen quietly:

A deeper resolve

Emotional healing

A new creative perspective

These changes are no less powerful than public milestones. Like roots strengthening underground, they prepare you for what is coming next.

Trust that the work you are doing within yourself matters. Growth is happening even when you cannot yet see it.

“Even miracles take a little time.”— Cinderella (1950)

Rest Is a Strategy, Not a Setback

There is a myth that busyness equals worthiness. It does not.

Rest is not a reward you earn after accomplishing enough. It is an essential act of sustaining yourself. It is how you refuel your energy, sharpen your focus, and stay connected to your creativity.

When you allow yourself real rest, you are preparing yourself for what lies ahead. It is how you stay connected to your purpose and how you move forward with clarity and strength.

Let go of the guilt. Let restoration be part of your creative process.

“Sometimes you have to slow down to move fast.”— Chef (2014)

When the Path Is Unclear, Look Within

Uncertainty feels uncomfortable because we crave clarity. A clear plan. A known outcome. Yet in the quiet of not knowing, your deepest wisdom often begins to surface.

Without all the external noise, you are invited inward—to listen to the voice that knows what you need even when the outside world is unclear.

Uncertainty is not emptiness. It is a doorway.

“Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith first. The trust part comes later.”— Man of Steel (2013)

Real Growth Lives Between the Big Moments

Milestones matter—finishing a screenplay, landing a job, winning an award. Though real creative growth lives between the visible achievements:

In how you show up on the hard days

In how you rise after setbacks

In how your voice deepens even when no one else is watching

Growth is already happening. It is not waiting for a public moment.

“Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right use of strength.”— Lincoln (2012)

Personal Reflection

Starting this month, I am adding a new section to help you explore your creative wellbeing more deeply. It combines a visual prompt and a personal reflection, inspired by my book Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct, and Produce the Life You Want. Hope you find these meaningful. They have certainly helped me over the years.

Photo Op:

Capture an image that symbolizes patience or quiet progress—a bud just starting to open, a trail winding beyond view, or the first light of sunrise before the sun crests the horizon.

Action Opportunity:

Once you have taken your photo, spend a few minutes reflecting:

How does this image remind you that not everything beautiful or meaningful happens on demand?

How can you honor your own pace and trust the growth you may not yet see?

Use your photo and reflection as a reminder that creativity, like life, often blooms quietly—and exactly on time.

Wherever you are on your journey—moving quickly, pausing, or simply catching your breath—know that growth is happening. Trust it. Honor it. Keep going. Your next script is already unfolding, even now.

Interested in learning more from Maria? Check out her Stage 32 on-demand webinar- Seven Steps of Mindfulness for Creatives

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