Free Verse — You are a pillar standing tall, as you have always been. Eroded but never fallen, you watch the rest of the world and witness downfall after downfall, and you quake but never crumble — instead, you are fortified by the words that save you, by the songs that move you, by the very art that preserves everything it is about…

A collection of lines that have shaped me — Christina Rossetti has been a significant influence on my poetry. The lyrical and somber way she describes universal themes reminds me of why I fell in love with poetry in the first place, even when I was too young to understand the gravity and depth of her emotional expressions. I…

For the dreamer, the poet, and the individualist — John Denver is my number one favorite artist of all time. Although his hit songs such as “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Rocky Mountain High,” and “Annie’s Song” are memorable, well-written, and deserving of praise, he has many more underrated songs that most people do not know about, especially the…

Steal my questionnaire — I bet you’ve been putting off your novel for years. It’s nothing to be ashamed of — so have I. Although I’ve gone through the process of completing a novel once, the way I’ve done it before will not work for me right now. First of all, I was in…

Free Verse — A dream circles like a hawk in the sky, while leaves fall on the surface of still waters left untouched by the pace of the wind — and the mountains see themselves as they are, but could there be more they haven’t seen? What ancient memories lie beneath the surface? The kinds…

The creative values that have kept me going when it seems like I’m “going nowhere” — Every digital creator needs pillars of creativity. You need them because the journey is so full of rejection. Unrealized hopes dashed to pieces. Creative droughts influenced by everything around you that drains you. The persistent feelings of doubt whenever you feel like you are falling behind a certain standard that…

The art of defying the wrong scripts that hold you down — How many times have you asked yourself, “I should be further along by now?” Should is a powerful word. It can motivate you to do more. But it can also leave you paralyzed and stuck in place, agitated internally because of the endless list of things you can’t do and…

It’s not lazy or naïve — Mostly everyone says you’re wasting your time if every waking hour isn’t spent doing profitable work. They say that art for art’s sake is a luxury. They say authenticity doesn’t pay as well as fitting in and serving the biggest possible audience. …

Song Title Fiction Challenge: Blue Öyster Cult (A Science Fantasy Story) — As a veteran of the Psychic Wars and a survivor of all three, Brad ended up as a death row inmate. Sentenced to death without being given the chance to prove that he was innocent. …