em
Bio
I’m a writer, a storyteller, a lunatic. I imagine in a parallel universe I might be a caricaturist or a botanist or somewhere asleep on the moon — but here, I am a writer, turning moments into multiverses and making homes out of them.
Stories (119)
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How to Romanticise Your Life. Top Story - May 2021.
I talked somebody off a ledge last month. He was a stranger, he was struggling, he was calling out for help. Whilst the entire thing took place online — and I don’t know quite how seriously he meant it — I wasn’t taking any chances. It was 1am, I was four seconds away from meeting Robert Pattinson in the dream realm, and then I caught sight of his plea. I knew of him, but I didn’t know him — and I knew I needed to help.
By em5 years ago in Motivation
5 Ways to Do Less, Better
Is it bad that I hadn’t heard of Marcus Aurelius before 2020? I mean, I hadn’t heard of the coronavirus either but look how much that’s taken off. However, in Marcus’ case, this is a trend I am happy to hop on to because boy that bloke was wise.
By em5 years ago in Motivation
23 Ways to be Unproductive — and Why
Productivity has become a religion. There are enough articles online hyping up the powers and perils of productivity to comprise its very own Bible. Followed swiftly by a sequel, several digital platforms with bi-monthly updates and a newsletter. “Be productive” is the new “be kind to thy neighbour” (because there is no greater act of kindness than your neighbour knowing they live next door to one of the top ten app developers). In fact, productivity has been so overtly emphasised that it’s no longer just a concept, nor even a religion. It has become a cult.
By em5 years ago in Motivation
How to Live Before You Die
I saw a post on Tumblr (damn, you know you’re in for a treat now). Actually, a post on Tumblr saw me. Saw right into me, pressed its face up against the finger-smudged glass window straight into my soul and beckoned me over. It was a post that described somebody’s view about their impact on this world:
By em5 years ago in Motivation
I Plan to Make $1000 This Month — By Getting Naked
If this was an episode of Vampire Diaries, I’d recap exactly what happened previously that led me to this point. There’d be a lot of “how to make money writing online” articles referenced. A few brainstorms and a few more breakdowns. A lot of crying involved. And the entire credits would be dedicated only to a Miss Takes (because I made a lot of them).
By em5 years ago in Motivation
What Are “Off Days” and Why Do We Have Them?. Top Story - May 2021.
Off days. Bad days. Poor-performance days. Write-off-days (the extended version). There’s a number of aliases for this little butthole. But regardless of it’s name or what time it shows up at the front door that morning, we’ve all encountered it. We’ve all greeted it, groggily-eyed and miserable, an uninvited visitor who makes himself at home, anyway.
By em5 years ago in Motivation
Are You Stuck in an Existential Waiting Room?
There’s nothing quite like it; a waiting room. It’s a dimension all on it’s own. Pale walls, sterile atmosphere, this subtle yet deafening hum of silence. You can feel people breathe. Printers are beeping. There’s an abacus in one corner. Plastic seating lines the perimeter. Water fountains serve no other purpose than to provide wet stagnation. A receptionist who, by rights, should be relabelled as the Head Waiter, the gatekeeper, she smiles methodically. And then there are the clocks — or are they bombs? — ticking by indefinitely, leading up to this uncertain unknown.
By em5 years ago in Motivation
Why You Should Start Writing Everything Down
Writing is the conversion of energy into mass. It cements the words born from your mind right into the heart of the universe. It ingrains these tiny marks, these little pieces of you, into the fabric of life. It converts the energy of your brain into tangible, cosmic molecules — particles of ink on paper.
By em5 years ago in Motivation
Change is Scary and Easier Than You Think
I snipped my necklace today. I’d bought it in France with my mom, a placeholder necklace to wear whilst swimming in the lake to replace the silver locket I usually wear on (soggy, damp, smelly) dry British land (I like my neck to look pretty in case a hungry Robert Pattinson vampire passes by).
By em5 years ago in Motivation
