Laura Cococcia

At the end of June, I am headed to TED Global in Edinburgh, Scotland, a likely personal highlight for 2012. My involvement with TED, though, began at the local level in New York City. This time last year I was looking forward to attending my third TEDxEast event,...

I have been an ardent reader and devoted lover of historical fiction for decades. And, while many authors can marry the nuances of fact and fiction, few -- in my opinion -- can blend it in a way where the reader wants to be involved from the very beginning.

Sarah...

There aren't many feelings more frustrating than writer's block. What can be more discouraging than feeling like you have absolutely nothing to say? The longer it goes on, the worse it gets. For any kind of writer -- even those writing business e-mails -- writer's block is inevitable.

Next time...

There is no shortage of options for a NYC-weekend excursion to the Long Island shores. What gets tricky is choosing among the countless opportunities. Having spent years vacationing along the New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut beaches, I've certainly had a few memorable stays, but it's easy to fall into a...

Last week, as a part of my recent Pilates training curriculum, I came upon a quote from Joseph Pilates. He said, "We retire too early and we die too young, our prime of life should be in the 70s and old age should not come until we are almost 100."

I confess: I'm a music junkie. From Led Zeppelin to Lady Gaga, I'm simply crave rich rhythm, melody and a good old-fashioned story weaved into the mix.

Just last week, I picked up guitar lessons again. I connected with a new teacher who taught me the chords to Creedence Clearwater...

Thinking of increasing your 'allure and impact'? You might want to consider taking a class in surprisology.

Surprisology is just one of the many courses offered by LifeLabs New York, an educational incubator for ideas and practical impact. I came upon LifeLabs based on a friend's recommendation and...

What do you get when you combine art and imagination and use its power to cultivate community and impact society?

It's a provocative question, no small task and interestingly, has an answer.

A few months ago, I found myself at a dinner celebrating 'connectors' in New York City,...

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Amy Richards and Jennifer Baumgardner, two inspiring feminist activists whose words have changed the world in stunning ways.

Separately their accomplishments are remarkable, and collectively, they've powerfully come together to give women a voice and make social change...

Cat Greenleaf and her Emmy award-winning series, Talk Stoop with Cat Greenleaf, are a part of almost every New York City taxi rider's journey.

Each week on Talk Stoop, Cat conducts interviews with actors, musicians, athletes, politicians and even her own mom on the outside steps of...

That moment -- the one where a person decides to throw caution to the wind and go after their passion -- can be tricky. Particularly when it comes to launching a small business -- knowing it's the right thing to do is one thing, but having a vision and plan...

On May 9, hundreds of inspiring and inspired people will gather in New York City for the next TEDxEast event to "Tinker, Noodle and Obsess." I'm excited to attend, mildly obsessed with the program line-up and looking forward to joining the always enthusiastic crowd of thinkers and doers...

If you're reading this now, you're likely curious about how to go beyond the "ok" in your life. Maybe you're craving a new challenge, wish to be inspired, feel a bit bored or simply want to work toward something remarkable.

That doesn't mean you can't do it within the boundaries...

A year ago, I interviewed Neil Pasricha, author of The Book of Awesome (Amy Einhorn Books). The blog to book was an instant international bestseller and since our chat, Neil has been noted as the "guru of small joys" by the Toronto Star. Wired magazine called it "laugh...

In my relentless pursuit of creative, eclectic places to dine in New York City -- and even better, cool people to dine with -- I serendipitously came upon Worth Kitchen not too long ago. A distinctive cultural concept, Worth Kitchen invites small intimate groups of strangers...

Consider a world in which you have to sneak out of your home to read this blog post. A world where publicly expressing your thoughts -- or privately penning them in your own journal -- could mean risking your life.

Masha Hamilton, founder and creator of the Afghan...

Most of us, whether or not we consciously realize it, create our own personal music album defined by various influences and events. Mine is a recipe that includes recommendations from friends, a few timeless college unforgettables and a personal fantasy to have lived as a hippie in the 1960s and...

"I tell my students to write about a subject that fascinates them." - Kaylie Jones

It is an enormous pleasure to share interviews with authors who have played an inspirational part in my own writing. A distinguished teacher and writer of poetry, novels and screenplays, author Kaylie...