It isn’t about you — One of the first stories I had published was a personal essay, except I didn’t know it was one. I’d never heard the term “personal essay” so I pitched it as my personal story. Which is pretty much what a personal essay is, right? What I didn’t realize is a…

Jonathon Larson’s “Tick Tick Boom” has left me wondering — I assumed the throbbing pain and loud clicking in my shoulder was a simple injury from a fall, but the physio suspects some underlying condition and insists I head straight to the emergency department. First though, I head home. I let my husband know, grab a notebook, reassure the kids…

3 creative side-gigs for you to try too — I’ve been a working writer for over 12 years and the 70/20/10 rule is one I’ve always applied to my time. The 10 part is the most fun. Here’s how it works — I spend the majority of my writing time on work that pays, around 20% on testing out…

Let’s chat — I’ve been in my dream career as a writer for over 15 years. Previously, I was a teacher, with a Bachelor of Education, Post-grad Diploma in Health Science with Distinction, and Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning. I’m currently in my 6th year of tertiary study, finishing off more postgraduate…

Encanto’s song “Surface Pressure” hit me hard this week — It took an Atlantic article, a Twitter thread, and a link to a Disney song to make me realize why I’ve been feeling under a very specific kind of pressure. I’m a first-born daughter. I’ve heard the movie Encanto’s song “Surface Pressure” several times before, but it never resonated with…

Why can’t we socialize sober? — I couldn’t stop drinking. But unlike the dozens of people around me, I was hugging a pineapple juice rather than a glass of wine. “Cider?” my friend asked, offering me a refill on the bar tab. I shook my head. “Another pineapple juice is fine.” …

Even after divorce, I couldn’t give up on love — I leaned against the kitchen bench, typed and then deleted a message into my phone, struggling to find the right wording. Lately, I’d found myself thinking up reasons to get in touch with Ben and now felt as good a time as any. He’d been a friend for a few…

Share with your kids or indulge in them yourself — Every day, my two teenage daughters and I read aloud together. I know that seems a little unusual for teenagers, but we’ve done this since they were babies and it’s always our favourite time of the day. We also recommend books to each other, passing them around and taking turns…

I hope it’s not just scrolling the internet — New technologies always make us re-examine ourselves and our roles. They promise to release us from the boring jobs so we can “do what people do best.” I’ve been hearing that phrase more lately, and it always annoys me a little. Is “do what people do best” just a slice…