This is a craft essay I wrote for The Chattahoochee Review: For me, with writing, I know a story will come. This is a gift my childhood gave me. And it's because I lived close to the truth of things, participating in cycles of hard work and play, growth and incubation, camaraderie and ... Read More about See and Build
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
How many times have you told yourself, "If only I could get rid of all the busy work, I'd do great things?" We've all thought that way! Cal Newport is a Georgetown University computer science professor and author who studies the intersection of technology and society. His Deep Work: Rules for ... Read More about Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
Write Because You Can
We take our ability to do most things for granted. Write because your fingers can move and your brain can think and your heart can sing and you are here and you are free to write. Share this if you’re going to put in at least five minutes today or encourage someone you love to! And if you need ... Read More about Write Because You Can
What Is Home to You?
What’s home to you? This is where I grew up, under the branches of a massive oak tree on Bohicket Creek on Johns Island. Sounds idyllic, but try being thirteen and living out in the boondocks with no friends nearby! I didn’t realize at the time that this isolated setting made my imagination my best ... Read More about What Is Home to You?
Pablo Picasso and the Dust of Daily Life
I kind of like the daily dust, so I'm trying to figure out what Picasso means here. I don't think he's saying reject the ordinary. I think it's more like using the ordinary as a portal to the Really Real. What do you think? When was the last time you had a philosophical discussion? Or taken a ... Read More about Pablo Picasso and the Dust of Daily Life