The Art of Never Finishing
As I sit here this morning, I’m still churning through yet another batch of “back burner” essay projects. I can’t help but marvel at how, after all these years of getting my writing organized, I still have over 400 essays that feel completely unworthy of publishing. It’s not even that I’m overly picky with what […]
Weight of the Words
My life as a writer is inundated constantly by mental snapshots, a slideshow of potential genius that slowly morphs into something like a PowerPoint of existential dread. The words I usually dodge, unfortunately, are the juiciest bits, the recurring nightmares that gnaw at my soul every morning.The echoes of my unfulfilled past life make sure […]
Musings of a Frustrated Creative
I must confess, I’ve made—and broken—the solemn vow to do something creative every day more times than I care to count. “I’ll write a little bit each day,” I say to myself. Yet, like clockwork, after a solid week of productivity, I’ll hit that inevitable wall. It’s not for lack of time, either. Some days, […]
Why We Should Think Beyond Skyscraper Content
Back in the 2010’s, I thought I had cracked the code of content creation. I was on the verge of discovering a magical formula that could make every digital platform I managed hum like a well-tuned engine and purr out endless streams of growth. It’s kind of like those overly optimistic baseball fans – including […]
Dazzled by Star Power
There’s something deeply unsettling about our modern obsession with fame. Apparently, society has collectively decided that the true pinnacle of human achievement is securing those infamous “fifteen minutes of fame.” That’s now the ultimate validation, like a shiny participation trophy for simply existing under the right spotlight. Honestly, it’s almost admirable what people will do […]
Is Something Being Underrated a Good Thing?
I’ve been thinking a lot about the word underrated lately. It’s one of those terms people love to throw around when they’re talking about their favorite obscure band or that indie movie nobody knows about. It’s what hipsters say to basically mean, “I’m special because I like things no one else appreciates.” But what does […]
Writing is a Real Job and an Occupation—Here’s Why
The Age-Old Debate of Writing as a “Real Job” Even now in 2024, I feel like so many folks still see writing as a lovely little hobby where you scribble down your thoughts, sip tea, and wait for inspiration to strike. Meanwhile “real adults” do real jobs like constructing skyscrapers or assembling Chinese-produced IKEA furniture. […]
How Do We Make Our Ideas Become Real to Us?
Here’s a wild thought: most of the things rattling around in our heads aren’t real. By “real,” I mean you can’t physically poke at them. It’s all just synapses firing off inside our skulls, telling us stories about things we think exist.Still, real or imagined, we love to give those intangible ideas a physical form. […]
The Bridges and Barriers of Common Language
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world” – Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations For years, I’ve felt that nearly every single word I utter is but a shadow of the thought I wish to convey. Indeed, human expression is often forcibly funneled into the narrow alleyways of symbols and allegory, what we colloquially […]