Creativity
Pause Before Publishing
About a decade ago everyone and their mom was obsessed with “vulnerability.” Brene Brown gave her now famous TED talk on the topic and popularized the term, leading people to become devout practitioners of vulnerability. What did that mean? No one knows. But what happened was people started oversharing everything private about themselves on the (…)
Get Back on Stage
One of the reasons I leapt offline and away from the public eye was that I was glitching. My brain had this trapdoor in it that, when opened, would take me out of the present moment and into another place and time. It’s like a rip would happen and I’d find myself in 2022 or (…)
On Waiting for Your Real Life to Start
I made the mistake of telling Margaret about my dating life. Margaret is a professor which is not at all relevant to this story; I just think it’s cool. She has earrings that are anatomically correct seggsual organs disguised as fancy jewelry, and whenever people compliment her she gives them a lecture on anatomy. I (…)
I Accidentally Went Viral on Threads
Soooo, I accidentally went viral on Threads. I wrote, “Can we get a thread on authors who found success after 40?” and it exploded. 110k views. 1.4k likes. 1.1k comments. 65 reposts. The comments section filled with authors in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s sharing success stories, including Kiese Laymon, Amy Dubois Barnett, Shaka (…)
Mail and Poems
There are piles of mail that live on my kitchen counter. It did not used to be like this. It used to be I was organized and uncluttered, but now it seems there are piles everywhere. Piles in the car, piles on the couch, piles on the desk. I don’t know how they arrive; they (…)
Why Doing Creative Work Will Save Your Life
Creativity is not in conflict with what is essential to survive. It is vital to survival. Yes, Kyle, I know it’s not bread. It is soul sustenance. In my life, I’ve watched many people I love commit soul suicide in the name of preservation. I’m not convinced it’s worth it. Suffering is inevitable in life. To suffer gratuitously (…)
Psychological Honesty: The Road To Self-Actualization
“But what do you WANT to write about?” I asked him again. He couldn’t answer. He said he wanted to write a book. But he was lying. Every answer was a well-thought-out formula. An idea that could be. A template. An approach. He was a strong writer in that he was great with words. He (…)
Why Open AI ChatGPT Will Not Ruin Writing, But We Will
This is my least favorite topic at the moment because, well, outrage is profoundly boring to me. But enough people have asked me to comment on ChatGPT so here we are. Am I worried about it. What are my thoughts. What will happen to writing and writers and original thought! I’ll start with the punchline: (…)