Piercing the Mundane to Find the Marvelous
I’m quite fond of this quote from American journalist Bill Moyers: “Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous.” No matter how mundane something may at first appear, creative efforts can find ways to make it not only interesting, but marvelous! How’s this done?Let’s explore how creativity can transform even the most ordinary aspects […]
The Dangers of Over-Optimization
The 2020’s have become the age of over-optimization for everything. While I respect people’s need for maximum efficiency, it’s quite possible to go too far. I’ve seen this be especially true in digital marketing, when people bow to the almighty search engine results to get new leads… only to be entirely unable to handle the […]
The Genius of Emily Dickinson and Her Idiosyncrasies
Emily Dickinson’s poetry is full of hyphens and capitalized words. Are these idiosyncrasies in her poetry a sign of her poetic genius? Emily Dickinson is famous for her idiosyncratic grammar, uncommon uses of punctuation, and seemingly random capitalization of words. Despite using typical poetic devices such as assonance, consonance, and alliteration in her works, her […]
The Life and Times of a Reluctant Prophet
Many of us are raised to believe that prophets are charismatic figures who emerge from the shadows, their voices filled with the promise of deliverance and truth. They’re supposed to be the fearless leaders, the visionaries who guide us toward a brighter future. Yet, here I am, a lonely child turned reluctant oracle, whispering inconvenient […]
Setting the Bar for My Writing
One of my greatest difficulties is setting the bar for expectations in my work much too high. It’s as if unless I produce a masterpiece daily, then I failed not only myself, but everyone who has and ever will read my words. Of course, whenever I try lowering the bar, I find myself producing nothing […]
Are Poems Reflections or Distortions of Life? (Or Are They Both?)
While I’ve written hundreds of poems over the years, I have always found myself rather disconnected from pursuing the art on a regular basis. I’ve long reserved poetry as a means of expressing thoughts, emotions, or ideas. At times, I have some jumbled thoughts that seem to loosely fit together, but wouldn’t be easily put […]
Boundaries of the Mind: Absurdity, Truth, and the Human Experience
The potency of the human mind is unparalleled, yet we resist truths that make us uncomfortable. Indeed, the incredible power of the human mind is often constrained by self-imposed boundaries and societal expectations. We have the capacity for profound creativity, deep understanding, and remarkable innovation. Yet, we frequently shy away from ideas that challenge our […]
Why Niching Down is Wrong
In a world that champions specialization, I dare to hold an unpopular opinion: I don’t like niches. While the value of niche expertise can’t be denied, the societal pressure to conform to a single niche is, in my view, profoundly limiting. We’re constantly told that success comes from being the best at one specific thing. […]
What to Do With These Scattered and Orphaned Thoughts?
I’m quite the optimist when it comes to the potential of ideas. I feel like many of my best ideas haven’t been fully actualized in word form just yet. Within my hyperactive creative mind, unwritten thoughts often meander like untamed rivers, branching off into tributaries, eventually leading to a great ocean of inspiration. Sadly, most […]