The Notebook series brings together snippets from my notebook and from across the internet. Enjoy this collection of thoughts, recommendations, and links. —Matt
Photo: Black Balsam Knob
Writing
Is one of my lifelines.
Opening my journal. Uncapping the pen.
And then pouring it all out, stating it, writing it down, and making it plain.
Writing takes power away from those unstated fears by exposing their flimsiness. Writing gives voice to the grief and heartache, moving them out of the shadows.
In your writing, you defiantly declare what is true. You wrestle. You soar with your dreams. Seed worlds of possibility.
So take up your tools of the craft and:
breathe.
Hidden Treasure
You carry deep longings, creative promises, ancient whispers. You carry greatness.
You want to tap into it all, you want to access it now,
you want to have arrived, to be the fullest you that you will ever be.
But some of that inner gold can only be found on the other side of crucibles,
in the aftermath of fires that will form you.
Through suffering.
So embrace it all: the soaring heights and gold medals and the seasons of desert darkness.
Let it make you who you truly are, let it burn away the falseness and posturing and people-pleasing.
Therefore, gratitude.
New Series from Me: First Draft
For the last 18 months, I’ve been leading a weekly writing community in downtown Rock Hill. It is ongoing, every Tuesday, and we’d love for you to join if you are in the area.
Recently I’ve typed up some of the workshop-penned writings, which were written in ten minute bursts, in a room with others, and am sharing them as part of the creative journey. They truly are first drafts: dashed off in a flurry of inspiration.
Or unspiration, in some cases.
Highly Recommended
My friend launched a Substack this week. Check it out. He’s posting videos of his original songs plus short write ups about the music or other thoughtful topics.
My wife is a skillful writer across multiple genres. Recently she’s been sharing some of her poetry online. Babel is one of my favorite of her recent pieces.
Books:
Unbroken: The Trauma Response is Never Wrong
This is a quick read with valuable insights and practical tips. I’m reading it to understand myself and others better. Worth your time.
I Capture the Castle | Novel
I finished this earlier in the summer after serendipitously stumbling across it while on a getaway with my wife. It was written in the 1940s in the style of journal entries by a brash 17-year-old narrator. Think Pride and Prejudice + The Bell Jar. Fun!
Music: Beechwood 4-5789
Over the last eight months or so, I’ve been on a tour through the delightful pop and rock n’ roll of the 50s and early 60s.
From The Marvelettes, here’s a favorite: