A curious writer struggles to make sense of the modern world.
Before Thanksgiving, my family made an outing to Hope Park in Austin. It's the kind of thing that's difficult to describe; you have to see it in person to get the full effect. Basically, an empty lot was appropriated by the city and made into a graffiti park, where (it seems) there are no rules... Continue Reading →
Stories teach us what it means to be human. A good story should inform you, in at least some little way, why you're here. That’s what we’re all looking for—we just want to understand the litany of questions that inevitably come to any self-aware being: Who am I? Why am I here? What am I... Continue Reading →
It was back in early March (2014) when YouTuber Stampylongnose posted a video on his channel about a singing contest he was putting on. He was asking viewers for a four minute song about his lovely world in the video game Minecraft; the deadline was May 1st. My daughter–Piper–and I watched the video the day... Continue Reading →
When you create you make something that was not there before. In other words, you make something from nothing. As I’ve written before, this takes a great amount of energy. Think of your creative energy as a fire within you. The problem most creatives face is: How do you stoke that fire, keep it burning... Continue Reading →
It happened today. The thing we've all been trying to avoid; the pain that we don't dare speak of. But sometimes fate rides on the wind, and it doesn't matter how fast you run. Then it happens—that awful moment when you realize you can't get away, that the fires of perdition will burn and you... Continue Reading →
Throughout time, mankind has tried to rationalize the true source of inspiration. Though some artists attribute their oeuvre to their own hard work and diligence, there are still many who say it came from a source outside of themselves. This outer creative influence can take many forms: The Muse: This always makes me think of... Continue Reading →
This week we had the Grammy awards, which allowed the music world to recognize their own in spectacular and splendid fashion. In the blogging world—from time to time—we have our own ways of recognizing those that stand out. And wouldn't cha know, Kalley over at Blogging While Nursing has given Five Things at Once the... Continue Reading →
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