The benefits of reflection are sometimes overlooked. In overlooking these benefits, opinion of self-reflection can lean into mockery of it. I have relearned how to ignore most of this mockery and I journal anyway; the benefits outweigh disdain, and in more recent years, I’ve found a bridge to journalling: voice memos. Those who have used old-school dictation devices might roll their eyes in unison at my newcomer status to such a helpful tool. I think the reason I use voice memos as often as I do now is so I can clarify my process: I can more easily outline what
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It strikes me that some of what is radicalism is actually a counter to initial radical reform. It’s reoccurring as conservatives fear how liberal the world is becoming. People seem to fear chaos because chaos strips control. Liberalism seems to be equated with chaos. So is art. Art is self expression. Liberalism offers freedom to express. People are favouring labels outside of traditionally available boxes. Some refuse to be labelled at all. Social media gives most of us a platform to express ourselves. What goes ‘viral’ provides an interesting insight into exposure and what is currently prevailing, whether as a
Or… Things I’ve Learned the Hard Way These are affirmations toward authenticity. I don’t know if there is an arrival point, only that I’m making progress, and I’m truer to myself. The struggle to stay true to myself is ongoing. Maybe there are those of us who find this easy; for those who don’t, maybe there’s something here that will resonate. 1. My standards are as valid as those of others. 2. Feeling the intensity of chronic pain in its entirety; associating even the smallest of individually positive moments of life with something safe that allows a
Far smarter people than I have probably explored this topic far more eloquently and in broader ways than I ever could, so I shouldn’t really belabour myself with the task of defending creativity, and yet, I’ll say this: creativity shouldn’t be squashed for the sake of sanity because it lends itself to sanity. Fear might deter some. That fear has deterred people in my life, and those people went on to deter me from being creative. Fear says creativity encourages madness. Fear says creativity causes chaos, disrupts structure. I think creativity gives chaos form. Creativity examines chaos, gives it
There is a difference between the roles we are pushed into performing versus the roles we willingly step into. Capacity increases when there is autonomy. Choice. Boundaries. Respect. Responsibility. Awareness of these things across all dynamics (not just those which serve a self-centric purpose or a point to be made for deflection’s sake) allows for a sense of purpose unhindered by external influence, but that’s in an ideal world. In the current state and situation, I am influenced by false perceptions, distraught and often despondent and yet I persist, driving forward with the knowledge of
The internet has created a space where we can be ourselves and yet I’m overwhelmed by how many of us don’t yet seem able to do this. There are so many of us whose posts seem to question (sometimes sub-contextually) whether we have the right to exist. So many of us want permission and advice but in choosing an online space to gain it instead of giving ourselves permission, it throws open the gates for those who want to tear down authenticity and who want to mislabel vulnerability and honesty as weakness. I’m mostly grateful that the algorithm sends me
I began using ChatGPT about two weeks ago. One of my first questions for AI was about AI. I have mostly favoured directness and I wanted to see for myself how transparent the technology actually is… that said, it’s not like I have very much basis for comparison or reference. After my initial query, along the lines of ‘tell me more about AI’, it enquired about my stance. I’ll include images at the bottom of this post for transparency, but here’s my take on AI: Thoughts on AI I accept that it is in motion. I have fears about
An essay on perception, pressure, and personality Updated March 2026 “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” Anaïs Nin Part I ‘It’s like I don’t even know you,’ someone said. ‘You’re behaving like someone else,’ said someone else. These are also things I’ve said. It’s odd how, over time, it seemed like something threatening to become a universal truth: that we should remain unchanged, and change poses trouble. It conflicted with my held beliefs. What I’ve found to be truer is that it’s only one small facet within a spectrum
In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine. Maya Angelou I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul. Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets Soul meets soul on lovers’ lips. Percy Bysshe Shelley, Prometheus Unbound If all else perished and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger. Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights No
Despite the warning not to ‘judge a book by its cover’, I’d bet we’ve all been guilty of it more than a few times. A cover is a window of sorts into the book. It’s a test as to whether or not the book is worth our precious bookworm hours. Having passed that test though, there’s another favourite way to measure a potential new book: the opening lines. You know you’ve discovered a gem of a book when you open it and find yourself hooked in a single sentence. You want to continue reading. Immediately… but… mostly, it joins the