Recent Articles
On blogging
I’ve over- written this ‘I’m back blogging’ piece, which (ironically!) perfectly encapsulates why I’ve decided to resurrect my blogging habit. From 2009-2013, I blogged pretty consistently before taking what I thought would be a short break. That break was a lot longer and a lot more necessary than I realised. Though I’ve been writing and reading consistently (obsessively?), I’ve missed having a regular publishing practice or outlet.
In Praise of Autumn
I always arrive into autumn with a sigh of relief. Temperamentally, it's the season I’m most suited to (introverted, home bodied). It’s the homestretch of the year. I enjoy the ‘fresh start’ feeling of back to school, dressing in cozy layers, having more opportunities to curl up and rest. The air is quicker, cooler. The weather is damper, heavier, crisper.
I’m thankful that
I’m thankful that when I poured milk into my small, square tupperware container filled with flakes of organic oatmeal and a few anaemic currants, I instantly noticed the gelatinous, globbiness of the milk and thought, “hmm, maybe this is gone off”. I’m thankful that I was able to spoon out the gloopy, sour gross bit from one end of the tub and keep the rest intact and that I only spilt some of it on the floor.
Seven stories on infidelity
Infidelity is one of those topics that most people have a STRONG opinion on and a visceral emotional reaction to. Primarily, that reaction is devastation. It is a deep betrayal, a deep rejection, a wound most people fear. Infidelity is also very common. I’ve collected a bunch of stories (+ one film, + one podcast episode) on cheating.
Finding a reading system that works (or, an Instapaper vs Pocket showdown)
A few months ago, I read Diana’s story about how she reads online and captures the bits that interest her. She talked about a “digital commonplace book” which was a term I’d never heard before, but liked. She said that an ability to find and save interesting tidbits on particular topics was important for having complex, nuanced ideas. I thought that sounded super smart.
Enormous eye
In August 2015, eager to shake myself out of a writing slump, I wrote a diary of a random Saturday inspired by the Enormous Eye series
An incomplete list of the best of 2014
It's very hard to collate a ‘best of’ list unless you’ve either (a) been keeping an eye on it all year or (b) have time to go re-consume everything again. I (a) haven’t and (b) don’t so this is an approximation of some of the best things I consumed in 2014, with a bias toward recent things and things that I was reminded on from other people’s ‘best of 2014’ lists.
Currently (Dec 2014)
tap.tap. is this thing on? Forgive the absence. I have been to Amman and back. A city where I saw a refugee camp, a hotel room and very little else. Immense place, still figuring it out. My cultural consumption has been stunted due to extreme experiences of the real life kind, but it’s almost Christmas and I’m looking forward to filling my well full of quality stuff.
Currently (Nov 2014)
I am…I am trying not to say that I am stressed, because I am not. I am ready. But I am nervous. This week, I’m taking a big (& quite last minute) trip with work. It will be challenging, to put it mildly. I’m really trying to zen out a bit today. It’s not easy. This week wasn’t either, but here are some highlights:
The Happiness Industry
Reading Meghan Daum’s fantastic piece in the New York, I was struck by this line: “Clarissa is working through her losses and learning to have a more positive attitude.”
Quick thoughts on entrepreneurship & “self-care”
It’s become fashionable to bemoan the pace of modern life but I don’t think this era of workers are necessarily working harder. I come from farming stock where 7-day work weeks and 16 hour days of demanding physical labour are the norm. I’ve never met a mother who’s (mostly invisible, unpaid) work didn’t make high demands of her. I think that it’s a privilege to be able to work hard at something you believe in, when the vast majority of people on the planet work hard just to survive.
Books I’ve Read - summer 2014
It’s been a summer of amazing books, including some that I read twice. I usen’t to allow myself re-read books, thinking that it was inefficient to re-enjoy something while the ‘to read’ stack grows higher. Thankfully, I’ve gotton over that nonsense and enjoyed a couple of these twice. There’s great comfort in visiting in an author’s world for a second time, everything seems familiar but not quite right. I love it. To the books..
The 5 pieces of advice I always give writers
I love writers. I love their capacity to suspend disbelief and to work in an industry built on such changeable foundations. I love the tension between creativity and commerce. I love that writers can mould their own careers, built around their own interests and ideas. It can be crushingly challenging - endless rejection, snarky comments and the monotony of creation takes it’s toll. It’s also a privilege to do the work, to have people read it and to be working in this golden age for content creators.
What Happens When a Spiritual Leader Runs for Congress
Marianne Williamson, the spiritual guru, is running for congress. On June 3rd, she stands as an independent candidate in the primary election for California’s 33rd district.
The new metrics of success
I’m tired of berating myself for “not being far enough along”.
My morning routine
I love mornings. They’re my favorite time of day. Each night’s sleep serves to ‘press the reset button on life’. I love that. I could pretend that I have a precise routine that I follow every morning. I don’t. My routine is aspirational; I shoot for it, and feel much better when I achieve it. But somedays, I wake up cranky or tired. That’s just life.
34 things to expect when you move to New York
In September 2013, I packed up my life in Ireland and became a walking cliché: the girl who moves to New York to ‘make it’ as a writer.
This is what I found.
Show Your Work
I’m one of those nerdy readers who takes notes as they write. I’ve also been known to take notes in the cinema/while watching TV. I’m one of life’s note-takers.
Austin Kleon’s ‘Show Your Work’ is a short, incisive read encouraging us creators to well, show our work. It’s a potent little book, with great actionable ideas. Here’s a bunch of lessons I learned, as well as some of my own notes.
66 things I’ve done (& wanna do) in New York
This week marks my 6 month anniversary as a New York resident. (what?! Did I really do this?) If you’ve been reading along, you know that it hasn’t been easy. But, it’s never boring and that’s something.
Don’t quit in the middle.
Have you ever looked at your clock at 11am, certain that it must be almost bed time?
That’s been a big feature of my life these past few months.
Moving to NY and building a life here has been flippin’ exhausting! Like “go to bed at 4pm on a Saturday” kind of exhausting. I’ve spend the winter months devouring books and Netflix much more than having the “New York experience”.
