+ The Ultimate Guide to Writing Fail-Proof Articles — So you want to be a Brilliant Writer. You’ve come to the right place. I’ve created and curated and collected some incredible resources for aspiring writers like you, including: Articles on Writing, Learning, and other life lessons 2. Detailed notes on top-recommended books, monthly reading lists & annual book summaries…

Tic-Tac-TBR Solitaire Results for November 2022 — Okay, I have no idea what the title of this article is supposed to be. Besides a mashup of this month’s books I read for the TBR game, which include: A true story about underdog rowers, a fictional story about a cyborg tinker girl, an ultimate guide to the science…

& the story of a modern master artist who LITERALLY fished his future out of the trash can — With writing, there’s no point wondering if you’re good enough. The answer is: Probably not. What will you do about it? Storytime: Kevin Murphy wanted to be the highest-paid illustrator in the industry. Then, he met real artists and had a rude awakening — The pros were EONS better than him. …

Who knew ancient farming metaphors applied to creating a resilient modern life? — If something’s survived for thousands of years, there’s probably a good reason for that. Like, for example, this line from an ancient book called Ecclesiastes: “Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this…

Perhaps the book’s greatest mentor was also its biggest villain? — For all the crazy controversies surrounding the HP author there is one thing I’ll say about JK Rowling: She’s rather brilliant at backstory. Or at least, her fans are brilliant at creating intricate backstories and fan theories based on her published novels and articles. Case in point: Recently, I got…

Curated reading recommendations for Brilliant Writers — Given the title of this article, the theme for today’s installment of the 4 Brilliant Books series needs to be sibilantly alliterative: Scylighter Selections for Students of Serious Self-Improvement But all kidding aside, the key to understanding any topic is to grasp the essentials, the fundamentals, the beginning building blocks. …

In honor of Thanksgiving Month, here is my annual list of 20+ things I’m thankful for… Starting art training, and the friendly community of students there A good friend sent me a weighted blanket ❤ Many changes in work, but I survived them, and have the chance to take on…

In which I discuss the dirty tricks played by a jewelry company & the pleasures of mucking about in play-dough — “If all your friends decided to jump off a cliff, like a herd of lemmings, would you?” The obvious answer would be “no.” The next-most obvious answer, as espoused by the interesting thinker Jordan Peterson, would be “of course.” Human beings are VERY social creatures, and we are hardwired to…