Amy Fries

Whatever your motivation is for taking photos, it’s worthwhile to have a clear view of what’s working and what’s not. For example, recent studies offer conflicting and sometimes surprising results on how photo taking impacts our memory and quality of experience.

There’s almost too much to do in Costa Rica. Roughly the size of West Virginia, its varied terrain includes rainforests, tropical dry forests and cloud forests; volcanoes, rivers and lakes; and two distinctly different coasts—the Pacific and the Caribbean. Beach lovers to the core, we zeroed in on the beautiful Pacific Coast. But even with this tightened geographic zone, it was hard to narrow down where to stay.

The Power of Daydreaming is a provocative blog about tapping into the "wandering mind" for ideas, energy, and solutions. It examines both the research that highlights the connection between daydreaming and creativity and provides practical advice for making your daydreams work for you in your daily life. The Power of Daydreaming is also about the creative process in general, and how you can learn to nurture, explore, and ultimately develop ideas in ways that open doors in both your life and work.

Managing Editor of ASCO Connection from July 2010 through November 2015 Example issue

Find solutions, new energy, motivation, and the next big idea—all through the creative power of your daydreams. Though many of us have sensed the connection between daydreaming and creativity, recent scientific studies are combining with an abundance of anecdotal evidence to establish that when daydreaming, we are literally in our most creative state of mind, tapping into and connecting the most complex regions of the brain. The beauty of daydreaming is that it’s a process available to every one of us. Yet many of us know relatively little about it. In our production-oriented, to-do-list world, we practically worship the focused, directed mind. We laud the pursuit of the quiet mind after wearing it out with the stress of incessant activity and striving. Yet we disparage our third state of mind, our most creative, imaginative, problem-solving, energizing, and entertaining mental state—the daydreaming mind.

This beach season, you will undoubtedly face a moment when Delaware and Maryland's boardwalks, ice cream stands, novelty stores, amusement centers, miniature links and even the beaches don't do it for you anymore. Even if you're someone who can never get enough extra-cheese Grotto's or high-test Coppertone, you still must face the inevitable rainy day. But relief is near. . . . An example of one of several travel articles for the Washington Post. Also wrote many other lifestyle articles for local Northern Virginia newspapers and national magazine.

An example of one of 50+ health and behavior articles for AchieveSolutions.Net