I O U

When I was a child, I always remember having a similar kind of nightmare.

12 Powerful Quotes from 'The Art of Asking'

Okay, I really need to tell you about The Art of Asking, because I'm pretty sure it's changed my life forever. 

I picked this up about a year ago after being recommended, and totally adoring, Amanda Palmer's TED Talk of the same name. In 14 minutes, she offered a beautiful and powerfully thought-provoking range of stories, thoughts and ideas of how artists and creators can navigate successfully in the digital age, and I was hooked, buying the book instantly. But only now have I managed to work through my mammoth reading list to get to it, and it feels like absolute serendipity at how well timed it seemed to be. 

In short, this book has blown my mind. 

Why 'Just Be Yourself' is the Worst Advice Ever

Self-discovery is one of the most unique aspects of intelligent life. 

Some dedicate their lives to it, some use it to fuel their art, some have even made a fortune telling their own story of it.

It's always baffled me that we are born with a dedicated thought-organ, able to decipher complex logical, mathematical, and critical issues, yet fundamentally unable to understand itself. That, thinking about your brain is almost a paradox. That, a system designed to home consciousness, knowledge, awareness and intelligence... doesn't know how or why. 

Ten Bloggers Sent to a Desert Island

You know, when I received the email in my inbox, before I even opened it, I actually took a screenshot ready to post some 'relatable lols' about how PR emails always look like they're inviting you somewhere, 'til you open it and it's just some let down infographic or another.

That's why tugging my suitcase across the marble floor of Birmingham International two weeks later felt more than *a little* surreal. I never ever would have dreamt it could actually be real. And for perhaps the millionth time in my life, as I flashed a nervous grin and handed over my passport at the Thomas Cook Airlines check-in desk, I wondered what on earth I was actually doing there, and why in god's name out of every single person on the internet, I'd been chosen.

The Filler Episodes of Life

I cannot tell you the relief I feel to watch this thick layer of frost begin to thaw and trickle over each and every inch of my warming skin. 

I've been in hibernation for months now, numb, subdued, and trying to work out where to go from here when the future is an enigma, the present a frustration, and the only thing that ever seemed to be remarkable, my past. 

How are you ever meant to follow the most incredible thing you've ever done?