Everyone is familiar with Vincent van Gogh. Not only his great paintings like Starry Night, but also the mythos of the man. We’ve all heard about him cutting his ear off in a manic passion or that he never sold any of his art while he was alive. And yes,…
Category: Creativity
Review – Novelist as a Vocation
Yes, I’m reviewing another book by Haruki Murakami. This time it’s one of his non-fiction books, Novelist as a Vocation. It’s no secret I’m a fan of his fiction, but this is the first of his non-fiction books I’ve taken the time to read. I picked up this copy from StrandBook.com,…
Is Artificial Intelligence Killing Creativity?
I have mixed feelings about artificial intelligence (AI). On one hand, it’s the cutting edge of technology, computers that can think, reason, and make decisions. There are amazing implications for how that can help to advance healthcare, science, and technology. But on the other hand, I’m concerned about the implications…
Fear Mongering and Art
I tend to shy away from politically-themed content. However, there’s a growing trend here in the U.S. where book banning and censorship of artistic self-expression is becoming the norm. Every day I read about another book title or another author’s works being pulled from library shelves. And it’s not just…
Sharing my Visual Art
Despite being a writer and a (questionable) painter, I’ve never been much for self-promotion. I’m an introvert at heart and singing my own praises is awkward and uncomfortable. However, I’ve been encouraged to begin showing off some of my visual art projects here on my website. Which, I suppose, is…
A Little Abstract Expressionism
I’m enjoying my experiments with acrylic paints. While I still write every day – journaling, blog posts, and fiction – I have found painting to be a relaxing way to express myself. My current routine is to lay the canvas out on the table and look at it for a…
Review – First Person Peculiar
Not only do I enjoy writing short stories, but I love to read them. To me, reading a good collection of short stories is like opening a treasure chest filled with gems. One of my most recent reads, First Person Peculiar by Mike Resnick, is one of those rare chests…
The Second Draft [Writing]
A couple of years ago, I wrote the first draft of a novel. Not my first attempt at a full-length story, but it was one I felt had the most promise. It took me nearly six months to complete the first draft. There were many bursts of writing, followed by…
Review – Babel-17
Samuel R. Delany is one of the great modern science fiction writers. Oddly enough, he’s another of the greats that I hadn’t read. I’m not sure why. I’ve heard (and read) good things about his stories. He’s one of the many writers I always plan to get to at some…
Cultural Appropriation in Fiction [Writing]
Obviously, cultural appropriation is a touchy subject and I can understand why. There are good arguments as to why it’s inappropriate in certain instances, but alternatively, there are also times when it’s taken too far. In the world of social media, the loudest voices aren’t always on the right side…