• Passion and Creativity

    I’ve always had a burning passion to create things. From my early childhood stacking blocks into structures, constructing with Duplos and later Legos both guided and freestyle, I’ve always appreciated the act of building. I’d even create fake laptop computers on construction paper by drawing a screen on one half and drawing a custom keyboard…

  • Every Day is Noteworthy

    It’s easy to assume that few days of our lives are noteworthy. Many days simply meld together in our minds without hesitation, and rarely do we regret when they’re over. Yet, I’ve learned that it’s helpful to give special attention to every day and find something in it, no matter how small, to find noteworthy.…

  • 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…

  • The Mindless Things

    Too many nights, I find myself wide awake. Most of them are spent mindlessly mulling over pursuits that, on the surface, are the intellectual equivalent of scrolling through memes that fail to amuse me. Somewhere in the back of my mind, there’s a small, tired voice gently reminding me that maybe this isn’t the best…

  • Weight of the Words

    Recently, I abandoned the pipe dream of writing a book for commercial success. Now I focus on creating worthwhile content, commercial viability be damned. My fascination with many subjects but long-term attraction to few makes me a generalist in a world obsessed with specialization. My writing life is inundated constantly by mental snapshots, slowly morphing…

  • Not All Qualifications Are Created Equal

    When we think of qualifications, we should not think of pieces of paper. It’s not that these certificates, Diplomas, awards, and whatnot are bad. They are affirmations that represent the completion of particular tasks or goals. They are useful symbols but in my experience they can be greatly overrated. Like with anything else, not every…

  • Creativity, Genius, and the Nature of Understanding

    I’ve been labeled a “genius” by various well-meaning folks over the years. Some of them even dared to slap on the more flattering “creative genius” tag. I suppose I should be flattered, but honestly, I’ve always found it a bit bewildering. Maybe it’s my tragic flaw, but I just don’t see it. Sure, I’ve got…

  • What Makes a Master Photographer?

    As a master photographer, Emily Slatin has a wide-ranging array of both color and black & white photography since 1998 on her personal website, RescueGirl557. She’s an expert at both film photography and digital photography, the latter which she currently takes with her two Leica digital cameras.   Recently, I spoke to Emily about her passion…

  • The Poetic Nonfiction and Photography of One Emily Slatin

    This was the first sponsored post that Emily ever paid me for, and therefore I must preserve it in spirit in these pages. Back as I was wont to do every day in 2020, I ran one of my typical morning threads on Twitter. Typically, they were of the #writerslift variety. My hope with these…

  • How Winnie the Pooh Surpassed Star Wars as the 3rd Highest Grossing Media Franchise

    In a plot twist more unexpected than Jar Jar Binks’ continued existence, Winnie the Pooh has quietly slathered honey all over the ambitions of the Star Wars franchise, emerging as the third highest-grossing media empire. Yes, you heard it right. That honey-obsessed bear, who can barely put on a pair of pants, has outperformed lightsaber-wielding…