Essays
An Ode to Writing in Three Parts: Seducing the Creative Muse
This week, I was asked to compose an essay detailing some aspect of my writing process. To which, I immediately said, “Forsooth, good fellow, why wouldst I? What have I to offer in this regard?” OK, I didn’t actually say that. I kept the Shakespearean melodrama to myself and said, “I’m not...
Iceland Gave Me Northern Lights and My Own North Star
As a nomad, I’ve explored 6 continents and my favorite country is Iceland, by a mile. I’m also pretty sure that Iceland saved my life. ~~~~~ “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”Martin Buber When I arrived in Reykjavik, I was greeted by a guide, with whom...
Compression Compulsion And The Death Of The Long, Slow Read
Once upon a time, a group of professional and amateur chefs took a stand for ‘slow cooking.’ The slow cooking movement was born of a belief that cooking is an art and a cultural treasure that should be conducted slowly and carefully, in the context of love and community. For its proponents, real...
Ditch the Niche: Turn Down the Pressure to Niche In your Career, Your Writing, and Your Life
When did the world devolve from valuing breadth of knowledge and experience (remember the ‘renaissance man’?) to lauding narrower and narrower specialization in everything we do? In every walk of life – online writing, career trajectories, and even our hobbies – the pressure to niche is palpable....
Weebles Wobble but They Don’t Fall Down: The Key to Resilience
The tagline for my favorite toy – ‘Weebles Wobble but They Don’t Fall Down’ – sums up my fancy psychological model of resilience and mental health. Weebles are shaped like humans but sport rounded bottoms rather than legs. They’re constructed to wobble when buffeted and reliably bounce back. As a...
Weaving Webs & Breaking Chains
I’m in the midst of a weeks-long dance with intruders. On a daily basis, spiders parachute down to my penthouse balcony and weave their intricate webs along the railing. Unwilling to kill them, I greet them every morning, destroy their delicate homes and pray that today will be different – that...