All creative work is at bottom a means of self-liberation and a coping mechanism — for the loneliness, the despair, the chaos and contradiction within. It is the best means we have of transmuting that which gnaws at us into something that nourishes, and yet how little of that private ferment is visible in the finished work

Writing is a method of paying attention to the experience of being alive. More than just putting words on the page, it is about engaging with the world in an attuned, open, and curious way. Whether it’s writing essays, painting, dancing, or cooking — it’s all variations of the same act: A way to show your work as you figure out how to be alive.