Turnkey Phrases
I’m on a never-ending quest for turnkey phrases—magical combinations of words that drive themselves relentlessly towards unique expressions of ideas and memories. Once assembled, they’ll propel themselves forward like an unstoppable freight train, hellbent on smashing writer’s block, becoming my guiding light into the elusive territory of original expression. Every time I think I’ve found […]
The Road Worth Taking
As a child, I often spoke out of turn and perhaps it was only because I had so much to say and a desperate need to be heard. I spent so many years speaking in circles, never able to turn off the roundabout in my mind, wondering which road was worth taking. Eventually I chose […]
Why I Don’t Write Holiday Themed Content
Before you “at” me or cancel me for not basking in the holiday spirit, let me regale you with the reasons I’ve never bothered to write much holiday-themed content. Early on in my weblogging career, I might have penned a Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas-related piece, but only if I was feeling particularly festive or there […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Musings on Aesthetics
Today, we dive headfirst into the alluring, baffling, and often pretentious concept of aesthetics. After all, what could be more exhilarating than meticulously dissecting the very essence of beauty and taste with all the gusto of a sleep-deprived philosopher? Aesthetics are those tiny, nagging details that shape not just our tastes but our very sense […]