Design expert Donald Norman has written that when people are anxious, they tend to narrow their thought processes. Conversely when people are happy, they become more creative and imaginative at solving problems. If this is true, it means that one of the best things a technical writer can do is create beautiful content that moves readers to a happier, more adaptive emotional state. Or so I contend.
Tag: Art
True Solitude Is Not Retreat
With COVID we have more opportunities for solitude than ever before, and artists of all people should be grateful for that. Right? Well ... what if solitude is less about isolation from the world so you can paint or write, and more about a process of "concentrated fascination" that leads to the production of art not only for yourself but for the common good?
Fani’s Vision in ‘A Hidden Life’
What enables you to endure suffering? What gives you the hope to go on? In Fani's case, it is a glimpse of a restored world where everything sad comes untrue.
What Every Writer Wants: Update June 4, 2019
It's quite simple, really: A public pension, encouragement to keep going, and assurance that not all the stories worth telling have been told.
The Case for Less Politics, More Art
Well, whaddya know? Turns out there are advantages to retreating from the frenzy of politics and pursuing beauty as an end in itself.
On Familiars, Fauns, and Tattoos
In the fictional world I've been building for my novel, there are semi-spiritual beings called syven (a Siberian term for "helping spirits" or familiars) that can be bound to a person's tattoo and later summoned in need. Here's how I imagine they look.
Make the Most Beautiful Thing You Can: Update March 25, 2019
"None of us know what will happen. Don't spend time worrying about it. Make the most beautiful thing you can. Try to do that every day. That's it." ~Laurie Anderson
The Prodigal Son: Update March 4, 2019
Lent, Rembrandt, and updates on various writing projects (just submitted another article, yay!). Recommended readings on MLK and celibacy.
Writing Inspiration: Medieval Music and Playlists
In my spare time I write fiction, and I like to listen to medieval and/or fantasy-inspired ambient music while doing so. Here are a few songs and playlists that get me going.
Writing Inspiration: A Castle, a Town, and Two Landscapes
Some paintings that have inspired me over the past few weeks as I scribble away in my spare time.
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