They always come back

Writing is an old passion I allowed to fall by the wayside. I’ve been told I have the gift of the pen, but ignorance led me to believe exercising my talent would be easy. I didn’t know who I was, and thus I didn’t know where I was going until I woke up. The next challenge was figuring out how to write more, and a blog was the most obvious choice. Afterward, there will be a newsletter.

Mastery is not a function of genius or talent. It is a function of time and intense focus applied to a particular field of knowledge.

Seeing the end through the beginning is a talent reserved for masters.

When I Grow Up…

I’ve “known” what I’ve wanted to pursue for my life’s work many times—and many times my pursuits evolved. However, most of my previous pursuits were ego-driven deviations of writing. We live in 2024; authorship is not a contemporary approach to writing. I seek immortality through my life’s work.

Immortality requires ingenuity; dedication is the cost of ingenuity. So if you want to live forever, you need to be dedicated to a subject that touches the world.

There is nothing more honorable than a grateful heart. Honorable careers run in my family, but there is limited creativity in our execution of the virtue. The best way to show appreciation is success.

Lately, I’ve been digging into my memories to understand how I got where I am. I’m not where I expected to be 10 years ago, because I lost my way.

Finding yourself can be scarier than being lost.

Role Modeling

I am confident in my looks, yet I find taking pictures highly uncomfortable. They always feel fake. I never know what to do with my hands— rather, I know what I should do with my hands, but there’s nothing to do with them. The process feels like Narcissus fawning over his reflection. If I am to be captured, I would like to be seen doing what I love.

Pictures aren’t real when they’re staged. They’re reality.

Photography is a difficult profession. As you document the world, the world documents you.

We’re always watching The Watcher.

Fashion is my newest hobby. I was always interested, but when I was young I believed appreciating fashion was feminine, and made me gay. I’m glad I’m more secure within myself to welcome the hobby, because I may have denied myself my life’s calling. I strive for my children to be less fearful.

For fun, I prefer reading physical books and magazines. Chicago winters & freezing fingers evolved my reading practice to include audiobooks & a few educational podcasts. When your eyes read a text, for at least a moment, you’re in the mind of the author. If you wish to be where they are or go where they have, reading is a way to acquire mentors.

How to Read

Cover to cover. I read books for more than the author's narrative between covers. The story of a book begins on the cover and extends to the quotes from other authors. These co-signs are Authorship “retweets.” They place books within a genre’s network of peers. You see who the author reads and holds highly.

The power of biographies is in learning the signs of success. Despite pitfalls, this person found a way to be your favorite XYZ. Books give faith.

The universe’s language is symbolic, and the challenge is recognizing clues and their implications.