PinnedMy Work on MediumAll my stories, neatly packaged & organized — Thanks to Annie Trevaskis for the tutorial on how to do this. Creative Growth Essays I've written on the creative process.allyourcrookedheart.medium.com How to Fill a Sketchbook allyourcrookedheart.medium.com NaNoWriMo Essays Essays I've written on my experience participating in National Novel Writing Month.allyourcrookedheart.medium.com Personal Essays Essays about day to day life and the lessons learned along the way.allyourcrookedheart.medium.com1 min read1 min readMy Work on MediumAll my stories, neatly packaged & organizedThanks to Annie Trevaskis for the tutorial on how to do this.Jess C.Creative GrowthView list14 storiesJess C.How to Fill a SketchbookView list5 storiesJess C.NaNoWriMo EssaysView list9 storiesJess C.Personal EssaysView list3 storiesJess C.Archived Poetry (2010-2018)View list22 storiesJess C.Arts & CraftsView list5 stories----1
Jan 9Member-onlyOutsourcing AccountabilityWhen it takes a whole village to be productive — During the summer of 2014, I found myself unexpectedly (temporarily) unemployed; I work as a paraprofessional and a vocational coach, a job which, despite its more abstract fulfilling aspects, usually financially necessitates I work through the summer. …Writing5 min readWriting5 min read
Jan 6Member-onlyWrite What You Would ReadWhere “Write What You Know” fails — Everything is cyclical. Trends come into favor for a time before fading into obscurity, oblivion, or (for the lucky few), dormancy until that magical time when they are not yet so far removed from our consciousness to be completely forgotten, but far enough removed to be romanticized and gazed at…Writing4 min readWriting4 min read
Jan 2Member-onlyWhen Inspiration FailsInspiration has never been a problem for me. — Inspiration has never been a problem for me. Inspiration isn’t my issue. Inspiration, if you want to get technical, really only pertains to something that sparks the want to do something creative; it is the mental stimulant, what gets your thought process going, what drives your desire to create. Inspiration…Writing5 min readWriting5 min read
Dec 29, 2022Member-onlyTilling SoilA Poem — Poetry1 min readPoetry1 min readPhoto by GreenForce Staffing on UnsplashTilling SoilA Poem----1
Published in How to Fill a Sketchbook·Dec 5, 2022Member-onlyHow to Fill a Sketchbook, Pt. 4: Inspiration from Elsewhere (Pt. 2)Wherein We Turn to Tech (but Not in the Way You Think) — There has been a lot written in recent months on the topic of AI generated artwork, and while this is a topic worthy of discussion and examination, it is also a topic that falls well beyond the scope of my humble “how to fill a sketchbook” niche. So, as the…Drawing5 min readDrawing5 min read
Nov 28, 2022Member-onlyPersistence (and Progress) Pays OffMake Your Attempts Early and Often, and Grow as You Go — I spent the better part of my life absolutely terrified of failure. It’s not a unique fear, I don’t think. I’d say it’s safe to assume that no one really enjoys failure; even if you’re of the mindset that failure is part of growth, it’s not exactly the most fun…Success5 min readSuccess5 min read
Nov 1, 2022Member-onlyWhy I Reject the Curated Aesthetic HomeI am vast; I contain multitudes — My mom has always been fickle when it comes to home decor. Growing up, my dad never had a stake in the way the house looked. He was expected to do his share to keep it clean and organized, obviously, but he never really had any involvement — or, frankly…Home Decor5 min readHome Decor5 min read
Oct 28, 2022Member-onlyRebel With a Cause: How to Participate in NaNoWriMo as a PoetJust because you’re not a novelist doesn’t mean you should miss out on the fun — It’s been a hot minute since I’ve actually written anything during NaNoWriMo. …Na No Wri Mo5 min readNa No Wri Mo5 min read
Oct 26, 2022Member-onlyFather Strummed GuitarA Poetic Fragment — She never learned to play herself. There was a part of her that always yearned To try, to find the song hidden in those strings — There was a part of her that thought, perhaps, If she understood the mechanics the magic would be gone. Her father strummed a steel string and sang her The songs he fell in love to — Her lullabies were “Blackbird” and “Wonderful Tonight;” “Daisy Jane” awoke in her a melancholy That she clung to like a well-loved blanket.Poetry1 min readPoetry1 min read