I’m Marie Well, as in healthy well. At least, that’s my aim—to get well and make you well. We all have woes, from breakups to cancer to hoarder houses. I’m here to fix those woes—with tips mixed with my own tales.
Why read me? I’ve got a track record of fixin’ stuff. I’ve cured myself of anxiety. For a decade, I had anxiety attacks that struck almost daily. When not stricken, I’d write Voice articles, mostly on how to combat stress.
And then my world changed. One week went by with no attacks. A month. A year. Two years. And counting.
Now, I want to skyrocket our health—and bolster our creativity. After all, nothing soothes better than strokes of paint or tones of music or reps in a gym.
So, let’s get fit, creative, and well with Marie Well.
How does Stephen King do it? Sit and write five-hour marathons? Well, maybe he has funlike you soon will. How? By doing something fun before you write, suggests Helen Sword. Or find fun places to write papers. During undergrad, I had little playtime. My time-off revolved around a two-hour visit with a senior. Id put… Read more »
If you plan to make gym-going a lifestyle, learn the etiquette. First rule for new gym-goers? Don’t chat—especially if you’re female. You want to keep training for as long as possible, right? Then, don’t get duped by Ed the gym playboy. Truly, he doesn’t mean well. I’m in my fifties or sixties, you might think…. Read more »
Do you cringe at the idea of group work? Do you twitch and tingle to Cotton Eyed Joe busting your woofers? Professors dole out budgie-sized bits on how to work in groups. And howl when you flail. A feminist professor called students who declined group work “Princesses.” She despised princessesand hammered their grades. But groups… Read more »
When you turn 80, do you want to snowboardor decay? Almost 80, Papa, armed with wrenches, stomps his way underneath cars. Papa lifts heavy loads and dumbbell weights. Papa’s phone rings off the hook. Papa might outlive me. Around 80, my former landlady crept up stairwells, frail. She avoided winter sidewalks for fear of falling…. Read more »
“All successful academics work hard at the craft of writing,” says stylish writing evangelist, Helen Sword (p. 86). Many find that hard work thrilling (Sword). My thesis barely passed. I wrote longwinded sentences in passive voice. But most students write, well, poorly. Why? Universities rarely teach writing outside of the English department, says Sword…. Read more »
Do you want to reach your peak? Stand crowned on Maslow’s top rung? Well, heed a rule for champs: the self-actualized help others. My boyfriend sways people to make healthy choices. If he meets smokers, he suggests the gym. If he chats with troubled teens, he urges school and sports. If he sees a teary-eyed… Read more »
Did you ever delight at igniting stink bombs? Mixing your chemistry set to get the right stench? Cracking that scent of eggs in Grandmas basement? Well, I have my own special little stink bomb. A prof slipped me a title of a book: Toxic Psychiatrya scientology book. Soon after, I ditched my medicine. For the… Read more »
Could your jokes make you the next Tesla or Edison? Yes, humor awakes creativityeven in the sciences. So, let’s joke around for some quantum leaps: What if you could eat yourself? Gobble your gallbladder and 3D print new growth? No animal would again suffer the butcher. Yet, we’d have no need for pigs, cows, and… Read more »
Will you do it all? I wanted to be the first woman in space. The first girl wrestler in junior high. The first woman to do, well, whatever. But fame comes with problems: egos, drugs, and gone tomorrows. In grade six, I wrote that I aspired to be a roller derby star. My teacher, not… Read more »
Would your heart bleed if Bill Gate’s riches caused him agony? If Hugh Heffner had had just about enough with women? If Jeff Bezos got sick of books? I got it wrong. In my last article, I listed the plusses of poverty. I said a lack of cash shrunk belly fat and upped desire. I… Read more »