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“Is my Vocabulary Good?” Is a Pointless Question

July 4, 2022

Writing

book, creativity, fiction, literature, writing

OK, I’m being harsh – and imprecise. Wondering whether your vocabulary is good is a valid concern (at least for beginner or intermediate authors). The “pointless” part of the title is there to offer a quick response: Whether your vocabulary is good or not is not as crucial as you might think.

If you remember my post about writing vivid descriptions, when I was a young and stupid author I thought I needed to write whole pages describing a wall; or a table; or a cup of coffee.

What I didn’t mention in that post – though it’s perhaps implied – is that having a vocabulary that is good plays an integral part in such… strategies.

Whether that’s important or not is something we’ll explore in this post.

vocabulary good
Whether your vocabulary is good or not can affect whether you can offer a three-page description of the sea. The point is, why should you?
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The True Nature of Art

June 27, 2022

Experiencing

art, artist, creativity, experience, imagination, society

Some months ago, I went to Helsinki, the capital of Finland. The purpose of the trip was to visit as many museums and art exhibitions as I could fit in the span of six hours – I managed to visit a couple of museums, four exhibitions, and the Helsinki Observatory. It was great fun, but I wouldn’t bother writing about it if it weren’t for one serendipitous realization, one related to the true nature of art, that can be summed up this way:

  • Art hides in the most unexpected places.
  • You need to be able to see art.

All this might sound a bit cryptic. Moreover, referring to “the true nature of art” makes me feel uncomfortable – who am I to define something so undefinable? For all purposes, this text is somewhat stream-of-consciousness, drawing on the way I experienced some things. It’s subjective; there’s nothing but subjectivity.

Still, whether you’re a creator of art (a writer, a painter, a musician, or even – why not? – a coder) or “just” a reader/viewer, this might reveal new horizons to the ways you understand the “true” nature of art.

true nature of art
The true nature of art is… Well, I’m not the one to answer. Ironically, if we could even begin to approximate something remotely resembling an answer, we should begin from subjectivity and ambiguity
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How to Be “Good Enough” at Writing

June 20, 2022

Writing

capitalism, degrowth, society, writing

How can we be good enough at writing? Maybe the question puzzles you. “I don’t want to be just ‘good enough’ at writing”, you might say. “I want to to be excellent! The best!”

And yet, have you ever wondered whether there’s a paradox in a situation where the world wants us all to be “the best”?

Inspiration for this post came after I saw a short documentary about Jiro Ono, arguably the world’s best sushi chef. At the age of 85 (at the time of the documentary, some 10 years ago), he was still working long hours at his diminutive restaurant. In the documentary, we see him and his son, together with some apprentices, working hard to prepare the day’s sushi.

But there are dark clouds under this facade of perfection, that most people fail to notice. Yet, if you’re wondering whether you shouldn’t be just “good enough” at writing because you want to be excellent, such details are worth paying attention, as we’ll see in this post.

good enough writing
Here’s a photo from my 2017 trip to Greece. If being excellent (at anything) involves missing out on experiencing life, I don’t want it. I much rather just be “good enough” – at writing and anything
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