There’s a special kind of dread that comes with finishing a second or third draft. Every rewrite sits in front of you looking like a finished piece. And, to some extent, it is: it’s as finished as you, alone, can make it. Months spent in the belly of the beast have eroded your ability to…
There’s a big rivalry in the tea world. It’s on par with the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers; the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin; Goku and Vegeta. While the tea community prides itself on its “chill” status, the mere mention of the rivalry can send even the most zen tea connoisseur into…
Writing is, and always has been, entwined with visual arts. Art shown in galleries and museums display artist statements to give the piece context. Illustrations and photos dot their way through books or are displayed boldly on the cover. The two share a vocabulary- one written, one visual- that can be used to explore new…
Morality is the backbone of many popular stories. Heroes are Good, Villains are Bad. The former embodies current societal values and ideas, while the latter represents less acceptable, or extreme value systems. Tests of moral strength are given to the Heroes to ensure their inherent Goodness before they defeat the Villains and triumph. Everyone throws…
Artists of all stripes have a difficult time describing where their motivation to create comes from. Some chalk it up to inspiration (a famously fickle mistress); others, to hard work and rigid schedules. I’m of the personal opinion that the creative drive is in all of us and it just takes some learning and routine…
Do you have a favorite apple? Personally, I’m a Honeycrisp gal. Golden Delicious and Granny Smith are pretty good too, but, beyond that, I’m ambivalent (unless it’s Red Delicious. Those things can go straight to hell). That said, my experience is limited- there are so many different apples grown across the globe. I’m sure there’s…
The adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” is rarely followed. I mean, let’s be real- when you scroll through Libby or Kindle, do you pick an unknown book solely because of its blurb? I know I don’t. Covers that catch my eye get a longer look and more grace if it ends up…
“I would not have you descend into your own dream. I would have you be a conscious citizen of this terrible and beautiful world.” - Ta-Nehisi Coates There are books that change the way you read. Jane Eyre opened me up to Victorian-era classics. All Creatures Great and Small and The Tipping Point broke me…
Every art piece starts with an idea. There’s usually a gathering of materials, some excited muttering, and a vague plan for execution formed. Then the artist will sit down in front of their blank canvas, fingers buzzing with potential, maybe even inspiration. Getting started on something new is the most fun a creative can have.…
Tea’s journey from budding leaf to the sachet in your cup is a long, deceptively simple one. Every tea is made from one plant, the Camellia sinensis, and thousands of tiny decisions affect the type, quality, tastes, and blends. This ends up giving us hundreds of different kinds of tea. So what are these decisions?…
Tea Reads 