How Becoming a Better Editor Made Me a Better Writer
Since the 2020 pandemic, my primary focus in my life was to make the best of my writing archives. As of September 2022, however, my focus has shifted slightly: make my writing archives better. This is, in fact, a very straightforward process. Find the posts that used to get love and improve them, then find […]
Before You Become a Great Writer, You Must Write Badly
When I was growing up in the nineties, grunge was king, the internet made a noise like a dying robot when it connected, and people weren’t afraid to tell you the hard, sometimes brutal truth. I miss that brutal honesty the most. Back then, getting to the top of your class involved being really bad […]
Mistaking Round Numbers for Milestones
Perhaps I have always been a bit too obsessed with round numbers, those symmetrical, whole figures that seem to promise completion, contentment, and ever-elusive satisfaction. I know I’m far from alone in being struck by this notion. In the online world, round numbers are extremely sought after, especially when they count followers, subscribers, or page […]
Why Failure Is Inevitable When You Let Your Guard Down
“Failure runs parallel to letting your guard down.” – Eric Longenhagen & Kiley McDaniel, Future Value No matter how hard you try to prevent it, failure will happen in your life. It’s an unavoidable part of being human, especially when you have your guard down. Sometimes you think it’s safe to relax and let your […]
Butterflies and Rainbows
Life isn’t always butterflies and rainbows. For us mere mortals, life is often like trudging through a murky swamp. If there is an occasional butterfly flitting by, it’s only to remind us that not everything is pure misery. In our darkest moments, when we seek guidance from peers and loved ones, we’re insisted to do […]
How Revision Reveals the Artist Within
“The first draft reveals the art; revision reveals the artist.” — Michael Lee You know that saying, “the devil is in the details?” With writing, the devil and I have become good pals. There was a time when I felt like a failed writer, adrift in a sea of half-formed ideas and clumsy sentences. In […]
True Art Comes Naturally
The elusive and mystifying world of art inspires awe and wonder in many of those who prefer the practical and concrete.However, the world of creative expression is often grossly misunderstood, especially when it comes to the creative process. We’ve all had the experience of staring at a stark white piece of paper or the haunting […]
Imperfection is Beauty, Madness is Genius
There’s something almost poetic about stumbling across a quote that smacks you in the face with its sheer truth. It’s especially true when it’s from a woman whose life was a masterclass in walking the tightrope between brilliance and batshit crazy. Marilyn Monroe once quipped, “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it’s better to […]
Learnings of a Hapless Dreamer
Often I’ve seen myself as a hapless dreamer, stuck in a world full of seeming coincidences. Everyone is whining and wallowing in self-pity, making up all sorts of excuses instead of trying to better themselves. After all, it’s easy to get caught up in the rat race, running from one thing to the next, thinking […]