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The biggest news

May 14, 2013 by cassie 41 Comments

Guys. I want to be honest with you about something. There’s a pretty major thing I’ve been wanting to share for quite some time that I’ve had to keep quiet for a number of reasons. There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding this big change. I had to be sure it was the real deal, but it’s made for months of agony. (Keeping secrets is hard, as it turns out.)

You see, I’ve been thinking a lot about the direction in which I want to take not just this blog, but my life. And the direction I’ve decided on? West. As in westward. As in California, motherfuckers.

I’m not going on vacation, friends. Simply put, John and I are paring down our belongings, mapping out our cross-country route, and moving to Los Angeles. In precisely two months.

Sounds dreamy, right? Yeah, it’s still pretty surreal to me. But there’s more.

Aside from the year-round balmy temperatures and Pacific Ocean sunsets, there’s another source of motivation for this journey. Not only will I be moving in with my boyfriend of four years (and driving 2,600 miles to do so), but I’ll also begin a graduate program in journalism at the University of Southern California.

And here I am. Freaking out in the best possible way.

Do I sound calm? It’s because it’s still only just now hitting me. Researching and applying to graduate programs, waiting for their responses, and scouring Craigslist apartment listings have all consumed my energy and brain space for months. But telling you guys, here, today (oh, and also my employers)? THAT’S what makes it feel real. And I am so. damn. excited. You guys—I’m MOVING to CALIFORNIA!!! (See?! Totally not calm!)

So that’s my news! It’s big. I’m elated. The next few months (plus, of course, the two years it takes to complete the journalism program) will be some of the toughest, scariest, and most exciting months of my life. And I cannot wait to share them with you. I’ll be busy as hell. But at least I’ll never have a shortage of blogging material. (As I like to remind myself: Live a life worth blogging about!)

So I hope you’re along for the ride. Because Witty Title Here is going west.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: California dreaming, Cassie and John move to L.A., cross-country road trip, Witty Title Here goes West

Interweb Finds: A painted desert, the truth about mental illness & more

May 12, 2013 by cassie 10 Comments

Momma & me the summer before I went to college

Oh man. I felt like I let out the deepest sigh (what? Did you think I was going to say fart?) going into this weekend, and I really had the chance to enjoy it. I helped John work on his next album cover design, met a friend downtown for her birthday, and spent some time drafting a post for a major announcement on Tuesday. That’s right, guys—I’ve hinted a few times at a secret to be revealed, and I’m just about ready to tell you what I’ve been scheming. And let me tell you, this is big. That is, in fact, what she said. So keep your eyes peeled.

But first, your regularly scheduled Interweb Finds post and a shout-out to the mommas of the world, particularly mine. I’ll be taking my deserving mom out to lunch today and then sending her off to a surprise location for some me-time. Or her-time, as it were.

Now for this week’s links!

A gorgeous essay on bipolar disorder and how it’s treated in society (via Lauren). This made me cry.

For a lighter take on mental illness, Allie of the popular blog, Hyperbole and a Half, is back with a brilliant post on her experience with depression (which is funny in a way only she can make it).

UM. Take me here: Salvation Mountain is a magical painted place in the middle of the Southern Californian desert. It’s so insane it’s almost like a mirage.

Girly moment. I found this tote via Jess Lively and am hoping someone will buy it for me, thanks. (The expense is justified—these bags are made by Ugandan women to help pay for their education.)

This article says Millennials are screwed. What?! No, but it’s a good thing. Here’s what the dismal economy has taught us about happiness.

So cool. A photographer took portraits of these four sisters every year for 36 years.

Lastly, Happy Mother’s Day! Author Anne Lamott’s essay on why she hates Mother’s Day. (It’s sweeter than it sounds, I swear.)

That’s all for this week. If you’re lucky enough to have a mom, go tell her you love her. If you don’t, go tell any mom you know that she’s awesome. See you all here on Tuesday for the big surprise! NO BUT REALLY. IT’S KIND OF A BIG DEAL.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: bipolar disorder, depression, Hyperbole and a Half, Interweb Finds, mental illness, NY Times, Salon, Salvation Mountain

The “Lucky” Ones – An interview with Inspired Taste food bloggers Adam & Joanne

May 9, 2013 by cassie 8 Comments

When a friend from work suggested these next interviewees, I immediately went to their site and spent the next twenty minutes drooling. Adam and Joanne Gallagher are the creators of Inspired Taste, a popular food and recipe blog, and they’re here to share the details about their success.

If there’s anyone you’d want to invite you over for dinner, it’d be Adam and Joanne Gallagher. Chances are, the couple would start the evening off with some spicy maple bacon wrapped shrimp as an appetizer, serve up some lemon chicken with fresh chickpea salad and focaccia bread on the side, then finish up the meal with panna cotta in blueberry sauce for dessert. After a few cocktails, they’d even send you home with all their recipes. Sharing their culinary secrets is kind of their thing.

As the chefs, photographers, and writers behind the food and recipe site Inspired Taste, these high school sweethearts share a dream job and are “lucky” enough to be able to do it full-time. (We all know “lucky” is code for “they bust their butts.”) Hours of prepping, trial and error, and of course taste testing go into each and every new recipe Adam and Joanne concoct, and Inspired Taste has their personal stamp all over it. What started as a hobby became so much more for this ambitious couple, and they’re only just getting started.

Welcome, Adam and Joanne!

You guys are high school sweethearts, which is utterly romantic. How did your shared love for the culinary arts grow and evolve together?

Oddly enough, we only started to get to know each other two weeks before our high school graduation. From there, we didn’t really connect over cooking until the last few years of college. We both had apartments with kitchens so we began cooking together. Since we both enjoyed it so much, it evolved from there.

What did you each do for work before going full-time with Inspired Taste? Did your work lack in creative fulfillment?

Ready? We worked at the same engineering firm! Joanne’s parents owned a small business and we both worked full-time spending our days working on proposals and contracts. While the engineers were super creative, our particular jobs were not. That’s why the moment we came home we got to cooking—both nights and weekends.

When and how did the realization sink in that you could take your blog full-time? What did that feel like?

Our blog grew slowly and our road to making enough money to cover our lifestyle was, at times, painfully slow. Now, though, we often wake up in the morning and feel the need to pinch each other—it’s kind of still sinking in.

What were your family and friends’ reactions when you explained to them your plans of becoming professional bloggers? Did you have a lot of support?

Everyone has been really supportive, even when they don’t exactly understand what it is we do on a daily basis (not that we blame them). I’m not even sure we can explain it that well.

Do you ever feel pressure to maintain and build upon your success? How do you keep it in perspective?

Sure, but our blog has a built in reminder—comments from our readers. Our blog is all about food and cooking so when we get a comment telling us how well a recipe worked out for them and their family/friends it feels good. Like most people, we feel pressure all the time, but the comments keep us grounded.

Do you ever worry about running out of inspiration for new recipes or content?

Not at all—inspiration really is everywhere. Sometimes it takes a little longer, but we always get there in the end. If we’re feeling down, we pick ourselves up and either go somewhere like the beach or a park. Or, we’ll try tackling a crazy recipe—something like sourdough bread, homemade pasta or croissants. All just for fun.

Describe the joy that cooking (and writing about cooking) brings you.

Food makes us smile—fresh produce in the grocery store or markets, garlic hitting hot oil or tomato sauce simmering away on the stove. It hits all the senses, and since we both love it so much it gives us things to chat about and connect over. Plus, we get to eat it.

What are some of your favorite books (or cookbooks)?

Tough question—we’ve got so many! We absolutely love anything from Alice Waters, Julia Child and of course fellow food bloggers—so many have transformed their passion into amazing cookbooks.

Some professional bloggers let their work consume their lives. How much time do you spend cooking, writing, editing, promoting, cleaning, etc.? Does it become tedious? How do you avoid burnout?

We try to keep some balance, but sometimes work takes over. We cook all the time, but try our best to keep things like writing, editing, responding to comments and promoting to the day and not evenings. As far as cleaning—we hate it, but probably spend as much time doing that as cooking. It’s worth it, though.

Yes, sometimes it is a little tedious, but the pros outweigh the cons.

Are there plans or dreams of Inspired Taste taking on forms in other mediums like, say, a book?

Sure—lots of them, but for now, we’re happy growing what we have. We love what we’re doing today.

What sacrifices have you made to make your dreams a reality and sustain them?

Lifestyle. Just like many small business owners, we have found that we need to give up a few things to keep the business growing. For example, we absolutely love to travel, but have held back a lot since working full time. We hope in the future we’ll be able to travel more. It’s worth the wait, though. We are completely in love with what we do on a daily basis.

Thanks so much, guys! I cannot wait to try out some of your recipes. Have questions or comments for Adam and Joanne? Leave them in the comments!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Adam and Joanne Gallagher, food, Inspired Taste blog, The "Lucky" Ones

A celebrity and a confidence check

May 6, 2013 by cassie 11 Comments

Wise words from What Not to Wear TV show co-host, Oh No She Didn’t author, and women’s fashion designer Clinton Kelly on the difference between a shirt and the fancier term “blouse.” Which, as Clinton points out, is not an old-fashioned or stuffy word. It just means boobs are an integral part of the design. As God intended.

I had the chance to hear Clinton speak first-hand at a fashion event at Macy’s over the weekend, which featured a small runway and a packed house. The models ranged in age and size, and Clinton offered his style commentary as they strutted. Only having seen What Not to Wear a handful of times, I wasn’t totally sure what to expect. I’d been asked to attend and blog about the event, and I worried about the possibility of not enjoying myself. If I didn’t, how could I possibly write about it favorably? “I WON’T COMPROMISE MY CONTENT,” I shrieked internally. Luckily, my fears were unwarranted. Turns out Clinton Kelly is a class act, and he had the crowd (including myself) cracking up the whole time. For some reason, I just love when a funny gay man talks about boobs. I mean that in the most respectable way possible.

The most valuable takeaway of the experience for me was Clinton’s closing comments during the Q&A session. As one would expect, the issue of a lack of confidence in women came up. He pointed out the stark contrast between the way women and men talk about their bodies (which is to say, in general, men hardly do, and certainly not as critically as women tend to). He reminded the audience of just how constructed the images we see in the media really are. Even he has been affected by Photoshopped images of himself reminding us that he is not, in fact, 29. Despite “faux”-tographic evidence suggesting otherwise.

As a young girl of about 10 or so looked on from the front row, Clinton also reminded the mostly female audience to check ourselves and the way we talk about bodies around young, impressionable girls. What woman hasn’t been affected by something stupid or inconsiderate someone else said – either about our bodies, someone else’s body, or their own? We carry those comments around for years until or unless we can let them go and love ourselves. Clinton had something to say about those people, too:

“You have to forgive people for being stupid because you just can’t argue with stupid people. They’re too stupid to know how stupid they are.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere provided me with compensation for attending the Macy’s Clinton Kelly event. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Clinton Kelly, Macy's, What Not to Wear

Marching band music

May 3, 2013 by cassie 7 Comments

I’ve been looking forward to my next guest post for awhile, because this talented writer holds a special place in my heart. Though it took lots of reminding (i.e. nagging), I’m psyched to finally share my boyfriend John’s work with you. I typically refrain from getting mushy here on the blog, but I must say - I like him a lot. Read on and you’ll see why.

Laughter is the flipside of crying – neither being genuine emotions but rather reactions we hurl against experiences we don’t understand. So keeping it close to the vest may be some evolutionary strategy worth considering. If you’ve ever thought you were going to laugh but cried instead, or laughed at the wrong time, like say, at a funeral, then you know what I’m talking about. It’s not supposed to be funny, but then, it is.

Down here on my level, I’m still laughing and crying at just about everything life has to offer. Because life is absurd. Because change and loss are absurd, and some moments have the potential to crack us up. I’ve come to expect such moments in the fall. Autumn has always ushered in the big changes.

Two Octobers ago, on Cassie’s birthday, we attended a festival on Baltimore’s waterfront. While the Ravens played football on a large outdoor projection screen, we made our way from stand to stand with tiny thimble-sized plastic mugs, sampling local brews and enjoying the unseasonably mild weather. The wind was brisk that day, and the sun cut a low angle over the water. The air felt good and crisp.

I missed the first couple of phone calls telling me that my father had had a heart attack. The drive to the hospital was a blur. Later, as he underwent preparation for surgery, I stood outside the emergency room’s glass doors and stared up at the tall bricked smokestack that stood next to the parking lot. I was just trying to keep my emotions in check, to keep them from overwhelming rational thought and crippling my ability to deal with this situation reasonably. I focused on that smokestack, and I remember it clearly: the last of the sunlight was sharp against the red bricks, creating long individual shadows for each one. The red of the bricks was striking, and it stood out against the blue sky. I stared at it for what seemed like a very long time and kind of got lost. The wind was blowing the yellow leaves across the parking lot, and I realized – fall is here. It was terrible.

In the distance I could hear the music of a marching band on a nearby college campus. They were practicing their drills. My father has always been a trumpet player, and hearing that music reminded me of how when I was younger I had often been able to hear the local high school marching band playing two miles away from our house. My dad had pointed that out to me, and I had been surprised by how far music could travel.

The waiting was very difficult, but finally, before his big moment, I was able to see him again. The doctor came in to explain things. His hands were smooth and shiny like the hands of a much younger man, but they seemed capable, and he seemed confident. Not that we had any choice. My dad’s life was now being placed in these hands. The doctor told my dad that if he had not exercised as often as he had, then the heart attack may have happened in his thirties rather than his sixties. He looked at me when he made this point. I laughed. Then I looked down at the floor and studied the tile.

It’s hard to accept the fact that we can’t necessarily maintain the same lifestyles we grew accustomed to when we were younger. Some of the most challenging moments come when faced with potential change and loss, but also when having to meet the demands of a shifting biology and culture, a continuous unfolding of conflict and resolution on which we have little influence. The result is tension, growth if you’re lucky. A good laugh maybe.

The three stents the doctor placed in my dad’s arteries should last another twenty years, but the act of saying goodbye hasn’t gotten any easier, and I doubt that it ever will. Without change and loss, life would probably be uninteresting. Some people are inclined to look for meaning in these sorts of experiences – as if something should be gained, some significance gleaned, a mystery solved, but I have to embrace the absurd because maybe there’s nothing to learn besides the obvious: life is short.

When you’re truly listening, music can seem to last forever, but really, the sound only goes on for a little while before dissipating in the air, and the band goes marching down the street. Still, I’ve always loved the sound of brass in the distance. I feel drawn to it. I want to find out where that sound is coming from and join the parade. Because life is like a procession of happy-sad drinking songs, and loss is just the price of admission.

John Mancini has published his thoughts on other sites almost as cool as this one but currently spends most of his time putting those thoughts to music. He will release his fourth album of new songs this spring. Follow his music updates on Facebook.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: change, guest post series, john mancini band

Through the Lens: photos from April

April 30, 2013 by cassie 16 Comments

Well, here we are again. As we wrap up April and look forward to May, I can’t help but be just a liiiittle antsy for things yet to come. Live in the moment, I remind myself, and then I laugh and laugh because who am I kidding? That’s hard to do with you’re living the metaphorical equivalent of needing to pee really badly when the next exit isn’t for another ten miles. (I’ll save the explanation on that one for another time.)

I’m going to keep this month’s photo round-up light on the text and heavy on the images, because I apparently did a lot of snapping in April. These first few shots were just a handful of at least a hundred from one afternoon, which consisted of lots of flipping and jumping in the warm afternoon sun. My favorites are the two where it looks like Elsbeth is levitating:

And don’t get me started on these magnolia blossoms. God, the LIGHT. The COLORS. Have I ever mentioned I love warm, spring weather? And pretty things?

I can’t get enough of my animal neighbors. How photogenic are these guys? Mikey (the donkey) is the most social donkey I know on a first-name basis. He also happens to be the only donkey I know on a first-name basis.

John and I headed down to Fells Point for Record Store Day, and the Sound Garden was PACKED. There was a line snaking out the door and down the sidewalk, so we walked around for awhile and came back later.

Baltimore’s rowhomes are the best. I love the gorgeous architecture, ugly formstone, and ubiquitous quirks. This Natty Boh (a Baltimore staple, though it’s not brewed here) can seems almost strategically placed:

And did I mention it also happened to be National Pirate Day? Swear to God I saw Captain Jack Sparrow. This guy had the high-quality clothes, eyeliner, and drunken prance to match Johnny Depp’s. One day, I’ll be inconspicuous enough to take pictures of strangers.

And so—amayzingly (get it?)—concludes another month. I’m looking forward to girly weekends with my sisters and BFF/old college roommate, interviews with awesome people on WTH, major spring cleaning, and telling (good) secrets.

How about you? What do you have going on in May?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Baltimore, Fells Point, photography, photos from April, through the lens

Interweb Finds: An abandoned Paris apartment, finding fulfilling work & more

April 28, 2013 by cassie 14 Comments

How was everyone’s weekend? I spent mine allergic and snotty, but I did enjoy spending time with the little girls I used to nanny, catching up with an old friend at happy hour, and savoring the first barbecue of the year with John (above: drool). I also just got back from a run, which wasn’t as painful as I thought it’d be (though the potato salad I’d just eaten still hadn’t properly been digested… TMI?). Tomorrow’s weather isn’t looking so hot, but the rest of the week should stay consistently in the 60s, which I’m cool with. More spring weather, please!

Now for this week’s link round-up:

In case you didn’t catch my Twitter or Facebook updates about it, I did a podcast with Peter DeWolf for his Petecast blogger series. If you want to listen to us chat about writing, useless talents, and social awkwardness, listen here! Also, my latest Pooping Rainbows post is total stream of consciousness for your mild entertainment.

This is fascinating: A photographer took pictures of thousands of women from different countries and mixed their faces together to come up with one image of each country’s average woman.

Here’s one hell of a time capsule. This Paris apartment was abandoned for 70 years, and there are some pretty spectacular relics that were found inside.

A moving essay by a writer who prevented a man from committing suicide while contemplated his own:

“On the day I convinced Chris not to jump off the bridge, I thought maybe I turned a corner, maybe I could embrace positivity again, maybe I could hear the words I had said to him: ‘I’m sure that no one wants you to die.’”

For your WTF find of the day, couples posed together in compromising positions—and vacuum-wrapped like meat.

As usual, another fascinating read from Brain Pickings on how to find fulfilling work:

“The lack of any clear positive relationship between rising income and rising happiness has become one of the most powerful findings in the modern social sciences. Once our income reaches an amount that covers our basic needs, further increases add little, if anything, to our levels of life satisfaction.”

For every girl or woman who has EVER felt the need to change or play down her best qualities to make other people happy: read this declaration.

And on that excellent note, I’m going to go shove some more tissues up my nose and think about daunting projects like cleaning out my closet (without actually doing them). Happy Sunday!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: abandoned Paris apartment, brain pickings, Interweb Finds, Peter DeWolf podcast, pooping rainbows blog, Salon essay, the average woman, vacuum wrapped couples

7 useful (and not-so-useful) things I’d like to learn

April 25, 2013 by cassie 37 Comments

Here’s a fun game: I’ll list a few things I’ve always wanted to learn how to do, and you do the same in the comments. They can be useless, mundane, or strangely obscure and might range anywhere from this is something I could actually learn starting today to it’s cool in theory, but I probably won’t ever do it.

So here are just a few of mine. I’d love to learn…

How to play the drums. Or piano. Or both. And the mandolin, primarily so I can play along as I belt out the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris”: And I DON’T want the wo-orld to see me /’cause I DON’T think that they’d understaaand /when EVERYTHING’S MADE to be broken /I just waaa-ant you to kno-ow who I am. Oh, 9th grade angst!

Web and graphic design. I say this with hesitation because customizing this layout here was a royal pain in the ass. But the reward (my pretty blog!) felt so so so good that I might just be masochistic enough to keep learning.

How to speak Spanish with some level of coherence. I mean, you’d think after eight years of Spanish classes I’d have some grasp on the language. And yet, it’s all I can do to correctly recall the conjugations for simple present tense verbs. Also, knowing the difference between the words sopa and jabón.

How to hula hoop. Seriously, I can’t hold that shit up for more than five seconds.

How to write using calligraphy. Guys, my handwriting is atrocious. You should see my 5 Year Diary! You may say the art of calligraphy is antiquated, and I would say that you are NO FUN. I’d love to have a signature that actually looks pretty. As opposed to one that looks different every time I sign a credit card slip. (My dad says this is a sign I might be a sociopath? Okay, dad.)

How to develop film. Another dying, outdated art? WRONG. Film photography is still going strong, and I’d love to be able to navigate a dark room and blow up my own photos.

Self-defense. For obvious reasons. My weak punch could use a little work, and literally no one (including babies) would be intimidated by my skinny arms. But we all know a woman’s physical strength is primarily in the legs, and I’d love to learn how to flip a potential attacker on his ass using lower body strength and pure adrenaline. (Kinda like this.) Don’t. Mess. With this.

All right, it’s your turn. What random practical or impractical things have you always wanted to learn? These days, with so many free resources available online, there’s kind of no excuse for not learning stuff you’re interested in. So I’ll be up in my room on YouTube learning the best way to kick a groin if you need me.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: lists, things i want to learn

Be kind and move forward

April 22, 2013 by cassie 12 Comments

This week, be easy on yourself. Chances are, you’re often harder on yourself than you deserve. But last week was difficult enough given all the tragedy, fear, and drama that took place here in the states. We deserve to feel some relief and impart a little kindness not only on friends and strangers, but on ourselves, as well.

A few days ago, this photo of Syrians (mostly children) standing in front of a demolished building circulated the Internet. They’re holding a hand-painted sign that reads:

“Boston bombings represent a sorrowful scene of what happens every day in Syria. Do accept our condolences.”

It’s a sobering reminder that there is suffering always – even when we’re not hearing about it. But it is not hopeless out there. We saw the videos of the people rushing toward the explosions last week. We read the stories of heroes like Carlos Arrendondo and countless others who saved lives. The good people are out there.

I debated even bringing up this topic on WTH. Much like when the devastation in Newtown could be felt around the world, I felt like I didn’t need to contribute to the noise about the Boston Marathon bombings. I was processing it. I didn’t ignore it (in fact, I followed the story obsessively), but I simply didn’t discuss it at length in writing. Which is fine. I still don’t feel obligated to do so (even though I’m doing it now).

And while I’m not guilty about continuing to write about everyday kinds of things, it can feel awkward to move past such a shocking event and write as though life simply goes on. But, the thing is, it does. We’ve just had a good dose of perspective of what’s ultimately most important. Alexandra Franzen illustrated that beautifully in this post about how, despite tragedy, your work is not frivolous. So if you find yourself unable to get past some mental block telling you otherwise, remember to be easy on yourself this week. Combat hate by showing love to the people you care about (or with random acts of kindness to strangers), and by giving it to yourself.

So take a nap. Go for a walk. Eat a cupcake (or two). Cuddling with puppies or kitties helps, too. Take even just a few minutes to do something nice for yourself, frivolous as it may seem. You deserve it.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: after tragedy, Boston Marathon bombings, kindness

Taking art to heart: words of wisdom from a rock goddess

April 19, 2013 by cassie 16 Comments

via NPR.org

A few months ago, John and I went to see Patti Smith perform live downtown. I was a new fan having just read her National Book Award winning memoir Just Kids, and John, though not incredibly familiar with her music, was curious about my new girl crush. That night, we both left the venue energized, inspired, and starstruck. That Patti Smith? She is a badass, and one hell of a performer. And if you’ve read her book, you undoubtedly know she is full of wisdom.

So when I saw this video the other day of even more inspiring words from Patti, I took them to heart:

Patti Smith: Advice to the young from Louisiana Channel on Vimeo.

“A writer or any artist can’t expect to be embraced by the people… you just keep doing your work because you have to, because it’s your calling. But it’s beautiful to be embraced… Some people have said to me, well, don’t you think that kind of success spoils one as an artist… and I say, you know, fuck you! One does their work for the people, and the more people you can touch, the more wonderful it is. You don’t do your work and say, “I want only the cool people to read it.’“

And you know? That was really refreshing to hear.

Of course I’m writing primarily for myself—that’s numero uno. Of course not everyone will like it—that’s a given. Of course most people will never even read it. Is this reason enough to quit writing and feign passion for investment banking? Hell fucking no. (No offense to all you investment bankers out there, but I just shivered, and it wasn’t the good kind.)

In fact, rather than serving as cause to give up and wimper in the corner, being a relative unknown is just the opposite: I am liberated by the fact that anyone and no one at all could be reading my work at any given moment. This, for me, is the ultimate freedom.

As a blogger…

I can write a post to make you laugh.

I can write a post to make you cry.

I can write a post that attempts and fails to do either of these things.

I can write a post to make you think. (I can also write a post to make you think, WTF?)

I can write in a boat or with a goat, and the world, overall, would not notice, nor give many shits one way or the other.

But it’s worth it to know that even the tiniest fraction of a percent of the world’s population does. And because writing nothing serves no purpose for personal growth—mine or anyone else’s—I will continue to write. Never in an attempt to alienate anyone. Never in an attempt to please everyone. (Certainly not just the cool people.) If anything, I’ll be writing just to please Patti Smith, who understands that even if the majority of the world is never savvy to your creation, it’s worth every ounce of sweat and worry if it comes from a place of sincerity and touches even just one person. If you’re consistent, persistent, passionate, and genuine, chances are you’ll reach way more than just one person. Which, when you think about it, is incredible.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: advice for young artists, girl crush, Just Kids, Patti Smith, writing