A living hall of story and craft
He said it with the offhand confidence of someone who has never had to ask permission to take up space. “You’re where you belong — making my coffee.” The sentence slid across the counter like a coin: tossed without thought, bright enough to catch the light, already sticky with fingerprints. I smiled. I handed over the cup. … Read more
There’s a different kind of silence on the internet now. Not peace — vacancy. You can feel it in the empty timelines, the vanished conversations, the shop links that used to hum with life but now lead nowhere. It’s not just quiet; it’s abandonment. It’s the hollow ache of realizing that everyone you once built … Read more
At some point, every independent artist realizes that “freedom” on the internet comes with a checkout button.You start with one subscription, then another, and before you know it, you’re paying monthly rent to five different platforms just to exist. That was the day I stopped leasing my livelihood. Not because I hate technology — but … Read more
Every artist eventually hits the point where creativity meets regulation.Mine came when I learned that shipping a single feather across the border could, technically, turn me into an accidental wildlife trafficker. That’s when I realized: some things are better staying close to home — not out of restriction, but out of respect. 🌲What I Make … Read more
There’s something quietly humiliating about how often small creators have to prove they’re real. You build a site, you show your work, you put your name on it — and still, you’re expected to justify your existence every time a platform changes the rules. The internet tells you to be authentic, but authenticity doesn’t seem … Read more
The universe, I’ve come to believe, is not a single room with a locked door but a house still being built—its foundations laid in matter, its upper stories rising through light. What we call creation is not finished; it is ongoing architecture, widening in both stone and spirit. I write this as someone who has … Read more
There’s never really a “good time” for a trade war. But if you happen to run a one-person creative business that relies on cross-border shipping between Canada and the U.S., there’s definitely a bad one — and this was it. When new tariffs dropped, it didn’t just mean price hikes or political noise. It meant … Read more
How social-media manifesting gutted a mystic’s gospel of creative communion. The Age of Algorithmic Faith Open any social platform and you’ll find a liturgy of abundance. Glittering affirmations promise five-figure miracles in ten days; influencers speak in the soft tones of preachers, their sermons delivered to ring-light congregations. The algorithm rewards devotion. Every scroll is … Read more
Somewhere along the way, “independent artist” stopped meaning free.Now it often means burned out, underpaid, over-algorithmed, and expected to stay grateful for the scraps. We’ve been told that “community” will save us — as long as we perform enough, post enough, and smile enough. That success is a popularity contest, and silence is a flaw. … Read more
Every independent creator eventually hits the same uncomfortable wall: you run the numbers, set a price that actually covers your time, your materials, and your sanity—and then immediately feel guilty about it. Because we’ve all absorbed the same cultural poison: the idea that art should be cheap, that passion is its own payment, and that … Read more