2025, october 12

inside my book tales of a loud humab

a humab is the sort of creature you’d only meet if you accidentally tripped into the gap between a yawn and a sneeze. it’s shaped vaguely like a beanbag that housed a ton of sugar, with stubby arms like folded origami and a mouth that seems to run all the way around its head, like an unzipped jacket.

a loud humab doesn’t just speak—it broadcasts. its voice comes in foghorn-waves, like a brass band warming up in a cave, shaking loose dust from rafters and making teacups quiver in their cupboards. strangely, the humab isn’t aware of how loud it is. to itself, its voice sounds like the faint buzzing of a friendly bumblebee. to everyone else, it’s more like a marching band of friendly bumblebees—through a megaphone.

the humab’s noise isn’t only sound. its words ripple the air into wobbly patterns, so wallpaper peels, puddles ripple, and nearby pigeons lose their train of thought mid-coo. yet people forgive the humab instantly, because its booming laugh feels like standing in front of a bakery oven: overwhelming, yes, but warm and promising some kind of mischief-flavored bread.

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writing prompt for loosening control and refinding flow
2025, october 14

when a project stops feeling fun, when i lose the spark or start overthinking every line, i like to work with permission prompts.

i give myself one specific permission for the day, or for the next two weeks, or whatever time frame feels like it might bring back a sense of creative freedom — the kind that makes me want to sit down and write again.

the permission’s job is to silence the annoying editor in my head — the one who keeps shouting out rules, categories, and expectations.

some permissions that have helped me lately:
• this month i give myself permission for my “novel” to simply be a kid’s diary.
• this week i give myself permission for the novel to consist only of short memory snippets from the protagonist — each chapter just one page, one memory.
• today i give myself permission for the novel to consist only of snapshots from the protagonist’s stream of consciousness — one as she’s waking up, one as she’s falling asleep.

once the permission is declared, i write on that spell and see what unfolds from there.

try it:

writing prompt
what permission would you like to give yourself — or to receive — for your project?
what kind of permission would grant you a freedom that also, somehow, sparks productivity?
once you know it, write entirely within the permission’s world and see what unfolds.

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2025, june 1
essay published

https://nichtnurmuetter.de

ten years ago, when i decided not to have children, i felt like the queen of self-liberation. not because i’d freed myself from the idea of children, but because i thought i’d escaped the collective deadline mindset imposed by what we call the biological clock. only recently did i realize that i had locked myself up in a new prison of time — one that felt just as suffocating as the old one. with the help of my friends, i’m now planning my next breakout.

—

the full essay Gespräche über Zeitlosigkeit, Sprachlosigkeit und vermeintliche Kinderlosigkeit was published (in german) on NICHT NUR MÜTTER WAREN SCHWANGER, a project exploring diverse and underrepresented perspectives on pregnancy, time, and parenthood.

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2024, july 8, berlin

when i was a kid i’d sometimes stub my toe on a threshold and some grown-up would say: ‘you’re tired. time for bed.’ that was the terror of adults—being told what i feel. and even if it was true, even if i really was tired, why did it have to mean bed?

sometimes staying awake, especially when you’re tired, is the most delicious thing.

the other day i asked mama when in her life she felt the greatest freedom. ‘right now,’ she said. i asked why. ‘because i can stay up as long as i want, i can go to bed when i want, and i can get up when i want.’

the freedom of becoming a grown-up is breaking loose from grown-up doctrines.

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2024, july 5, berlin

stepping out of the grindset means spending the whole day polishing something. it’s gently caressing a single monstera leaf with a damp cloth until it gleams. it’s going out to buff a few inches of canal railing, a stranger’s bicycle handle, a found coin, a beer coaster tucked between cobblestones. it’s polishing one’s own fingernail and pressing it against the philtrum to feel its smoothness. by polishing anything that comes your way, you can pause time and stretch out the summer.

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2024, july 2

inside my book mia

when mia feels sorrow, she’s constantly on the lookout for salvation in the most mundane things. she sees it in the dust particles floating around her apartment when the sunlight hits just right. she looks for it in an ikea ad, imagining solace in the sofa on the poster. she finds herself trying to draw comfort from a family of ducklings swimming in the canal, or from a passerby who smiles at them as if she lives a life of steady emotions, unlike mia’s weekly rollercoaster.

today, mia saw a young girl walking along the sidewalk. the girl wore a light pink dress with a leather jacket over it, looking like she had just turned six, having just outgrown her baby chubbiness into a more elongated, school-aged form. her black curls were tied back, and she had this incredibly determined gaze, almost as if she’d been cast for a film poster because of that intense determination in her eyes.

in the girl’s pink dress, mia found a kind of permission to stay soft. the leather jacket and the girl’s resolute expression reminded mia that she can face anything with a determined look. it hit her that she’s allowed to be radically inconsistent—that even if something causes her pain, she doesn’t have to let it go. mia can be inconsistent and still hold her ground with a firm gaze.

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2024, june 30, berlin

stepping out of the grindset means finding life in the unfinished. it’s settling into an armchair amidst unpacked boxes and overturned furniture. it’s soaking up a sunbeam like a cat sprawled on this island called an armchair. stepping out means declaring “time for ice cream!” with a sense of ending the workday before it even starts. it’s lying down with a capri-sun in the hammock, ringing in the after-work hours, tasks still half-done.

stepping out is trusting that your own drive will carve its path, and all you need to do is follow, like forrest gump. it’s letting your drive take over, allowing productivity to break through when it wants to.

stepping out feels like seizing a weekend in the middle of the week, sneaking into a dark cinema at ten on a sunny tuesday morning to munch on popcorn. it’s taking a vacation in the middle of work and progress. it’s interruptive pleasure instead of well-achieved leisure. it’s the liveliness of the incomplete.

stepping out means letting your shoulders drop, raising a toast to the present, humming pippi longstocking tunes as the unfinished is allowed to bubble within you.

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2024, june 25, kreuzberg

a snow-white slipper sits on the gravel path, with light and shadows from the summer trees playing on its soft white surface. a rubber dinghy floats in the middle of the canal, anchored to a buoy, with a couple of girls seated inside. they wear sun hats and their feet dangle lazily over the edge. one of them opens a pale red sunshade, its color so faded it seems bleached by many summers. on the kottbusser brücke, amidst a lot of trash, a white butterfly flits back and forth, treating the trash as a legitimate landscape. water reflections flicker on the dark green body of the van loon boat.

a few juvenile swans, not yet fully white, stand on the dry summer grass, grooming themselves, pecking at their feathers. a gray tracksuit hangs on the canal’s fence, fluttering slightly in the wind, looking as if it’s been laid out to dry.

two women in gray robes and black headscarves are hanging out on a picnic rug in the shade, with them a laptop, chocolate müllermilch, and strawberries. one of them holds a strawberry and gestures animatedly, as if discussing something emotionally charged like love or other disasters, occasionally taking a bite of the strawberry.

someone sits by the canal in a dazzlingly silver coat that glitters intensely under the sunlight. as i walk past, the blazing sunlight strikes different parts of the coat at each step, causing it to sparkle in varying directions.

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2024, June 5

hey chatgpt, on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is super complicated and clunky, and 10 is totally smooth, simple, and flowing, where would you rate your own phrasing right now?

when i turn to chatgpt for phrasing suggestions, its standard responses often feel boring and useless. so i’ve started challenging the ai to scale its own text suggestions. it’s interesting to see how engaging in this self-feedback mode shakes things up.

i love to play around with a wide range of different scales, testing various points to see what happens. sometimes, just to see what occurs, i ask for a response at scale point 0 and then contrast it with one at scale point 10. sometimes, i crank it up by requesting a response at scale point 15 on a 0-10 scale.

more examples of scales for experimenting with chatgpt:

• translation scale: from 0, a literal and direct translation, to 10, where it becomes much freer and echoes how a native speaker would naturally express it.

• boldness scale: from 0, very polite and cautious, to 10, rebellious, cheeky, and audacious.

• passivity to activity scale: from 0, completely passive and unengaged, to 10, highly active and proactive.

• calm to explosive scale: from 0, very calm and subdued, to 10, super explosive and on the verge of freaking out.

• conventionality scale: from 0, being highly predictable and conventional, likely to be accepted by a mainstream audience, to 10, being so unique and unconventional that it’s unlikely to be embraced by a mainstream audience. in applying this scale, i ask chatgpt to draw from all previous inputs i’ve given and select those ideas that would be least accepted by the mainstream, pushing the boundaries of conventionality even further.

give it a try and have fun experimenting!

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2024, june 5

i return to you what you’ve knowingly or unknowingly passed on to me and what is not mine to carry.

i learned this phrase during my coaching training, and it often works wonders for my friends, my coachees, and myself. you can think of it when you feel you’ve picked up something from someone else that doesn‘t belong to you — maybe it’s misplaced anger, an unfair judgment, or someone else’s projections. sometimes, these things might not even stem directly from another person, but from a societal system. i love this phrase because it’s non-blaming and liberating.

exercise: internal visualization

1. find a quiet space where you can sit comfortably without interruptions. close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to center yourself.

2. visualize the person or system to whom you want to return something.

3. imagine holding what has been passed onto you as a tangible object, like a ball or a bundle. see yourself holding it in your hands.

4. mentally return this ‘object’ to the person or system. as you do this, you can say:

   “i return to you what you’ve passed on to me — knowingly or unknowingly — and what is not mine to carry.“

5. optionally add a thank-you: if you feel a special connection or gratitude, you can add

   “thank you for all the good that has come from you to me.”

6. release the visualization and open your eyes when you feel ready.

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2024, june 5

in movies and tv shows, we often see this moment when a smart dream girl comes into a guy’s life, and he’s completely baffled by it. usually, he’ll say something like: “this is the first time i’m dating a smart girl, i’m not used to this!”

let me rant about three things here: first, i find the idea of guys having a preference for dumb girls to be ridiculous. second, it’s outrageous to assume you can find stupid girls everywhere, as if they’re readily available. third, it’s offensive to dismiss low intelligence, as if a kind-hearted person with less brains isn’t incredibly valuable. of course, in the movies, stupidity usually implies being mean, too. but it’s absurd to equate stupidity with being mean and, above all, with availability.

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2024, may 26

when i’m facing a busy work marathon, i start my day with an intention-setting walk. during this walk, i ask myself a series of questions to help ease the pressure and make my day lighter while still making progress on what’s important.

i usually do this intention-setting via voice messaging with my best friend. but of course, there are many ways to do it: by journaling, talking to a colleague, talking to chatgpt, or simply doing it in your head.

questions for intention-setting

• what motto or mantra can guide me today?

  this could be something like:

  — ‘i’m done when it’s good enough’ (not perfect)

  — ‘focus on one step at a time’ (rather than the whole mountain to climb)

  — ‘any doubts are staying outside today, and i can check in with them tomorrow morning’

• what’s one thing that will help me stay focused today?

  this could be something like:

  — check my phone only in the breaks

• what’s one thing that can make my work more enjoyable and effortless today?

  this could be something like:

  — work in bed, snuggled up in a blanket

  — for the mini-essay, write down just your main thought (rather than ten thoughts)

• what can i declutter from my day today?

  this could be something like:

  — no need to squeeze in the gym today. put the gym on my not-to-do list.

  — the dishes can wait today. put the dishes on my not-to-do list.

• what permission do i want to give myself today to make the day even easier?

  this could be something like:

  — order food instead of cooking

  — allow myself to be hurting and complaining (rather than trying to be delighted only because i chose this work and it’s my passion)

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2024, may 26

when brainstorming, writing, and editing texts with chatgpt, i often find its standard responses clichéd, generic, and annoying. so i switched to giving chatgpt personas, like a kafkaesque beetle, to get more refreshing responses. turns out, it works a million times better than yelling at chatgpt to stop being such a cliché machine. these persona switches have been a huge game changer in my creative work with chatgpt.

it does take some experimentation, though. not every persona will give satisfying responses right away. it’s worth playing around with different personas, intensifying their edginess or craziness, or tweaking them to suit your needs. the key is to keep experimenting and being playful to see what new insights emerge.

examples of persona prompts:

• pumuckl:

(for those not familiar, pumuckl is a mischievous, invisible goblin from a german children’s book, known for his playful and chaotic nature.)

hey, chatgpt, imagine you’re pumuckl. i’m sending you several pages from my morning diary, and i want you to use your pumuckl mind to extract the most intriguing and surprising details, descriptions, and unconventional images. focus on those elements that break expectations and would never appear in a mainstream magazine. list these out so we can shape them into a new text. remember, you are pumuckl.

• subversive feminist new york times editor from the future

hey, chatgpt, imagine you’re a radical, subversive, feminist new york times editor living in the 2070s, looking back at the 2020s. you are intrigued by the zeitgeist of the 2020s and the unique quirks of different people’s lives. i’ll share a period from my recent life that i’d like to turn into essayistic, autobiographical chapters. let’s brainstorm how we could structure these into chapters, and i’d love your ideas on chapter titles and key themes. also, let me know which aspects intrigue you the most.

• kafkaesque beetle

hey, chatgpt, imagine you’re a kafkaesque beetle. i’m going to share some events from the life of my main character in my novel. describe these events from your perspective as a kafkaesque beetle.

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2024, may 25

when my writing feels kind of lame, i like to turn to scaling prompts to crank it up. i‘d ask myself: what do i want my text to be instead of lame? sometimes i need it to be more cinematic, other times edgier, braver or even more vulnerable. somehow moving up the scale step by step sparks a lot more ideas than simply aiming to make my text more cinematic.

🍭 extra tip: ask chat gpt to make your text climb up the scale and see what happens ;)

cinematic boost

brainstorm | 7 min

• picture a scale from 0 to 10, where 10 is ultra-cinematic and 0 isn‘t at all. how would your text change if it moved up the scale? for example, if your text feels like it‘s at a 2, what elements do you see when you picture it moving to a 3? then a 4? jot down any ideas that come to mind. brainstorm on paper by writing in a stream of consciousness kind of way: „if i picture moving my text up to a 3 on the cinematic scale, the first thing that comes to mind is…“

re-write | 12 min

• now re-write your piece of writing, one paragraph, one chapter or one scene, implementing ideas from your brainstorming tapas just now.

edgy elevation

brainstorm | 7 min

• picture a scale from 0 to 10, where 10 is the peak of edginess. for example, if your text feels like it's at a 2, envision what elements appear as it moves to a 3, then a 4, and so on. jot down the ideas and elements that emerge at each step. brainstorm on paper by writing in a stream of consciousness kind of way: „if i picture moving my text up to a 3 on the edgy scale, the first thing that comes to mind is…“

re-write | 12 min

• re-write your text, integrating the edgy details you've brainstormed. allow your piece to gradually adopt these traits, enhancing its narrative bite by bite.

surreal shift

brainstorm | 7 min

• imagine a surrealism scale from 0 to 10, where 10 is super surreal. for example, if your text currently reads like a 3, what surreal aspects begin to surface as it moves to a 4? continue imagining up to a 10, noting any surreal transformations. brainstorm on paper by writing in a stream of consciousness kind of way: „if i picture moving my text up to a 4 on the surreal scale, the first thing that comes to mind is…“

re-write | 12 min

• apply the surreal elements you’ve brainstormed to enhance the dreamlike or bizarre atmosphere of your text. let each adjustment build the intensity of the surreal quality.

cliché breaker

brainstorm | 7 min

• consider a scale where 10 represents a text that masterfully breaks clichés. for example, starting at 5, what does breaking a cliché look like at 6, then 7? record the changes that help dismantle the clichés at each point. brainstorm on paper by writing in a stream of consciousness kind of way: „if i picture moving my text up to a 6 on the cliché-breaking scale, the first thing that comes to mind is…“

re-write | 12 min

• incorporate the cliché-breaking elements into your text, allowing each step to effectively shatter the expected norms.

delicious descriptors

brainstorm | 7 min

• set a scale from 0 to 10, where 10 is rich in delicious descriptors. for example, if your text tastes like a 3, what richer descriptions would add flavor to bring it to a 4? consider sensory details that intensify as you escalate. brainstorm on paper by writing in a stream of consciousness kind of way: „if i picture moving my text up to a 4 on the scale of deliciousness, the first thing that comes to mind is…“

re-write | 12 min

• sprinkle your text with the delicious descriptors you've gathered, seasoning it to taste more vivid and engaging.

define it yourself

define it yourself | 3 min

• what do you want your text to embody more? flowy, street credible, surprising, simple, or minimalistic? you define it.

brainstorm | 7 min

• now, envision your chosen attribute on a scale of 0 to 10. starting from where your text currently is, such as a 5, imagine moving it to a 6, then 7. what new characteristics emerge? keep imagining and jotting down transformations until you reach a 10. brainstorm on paper by writing in a stream of consciousness kind of way: „if i picture moving my text up to a 6 on the scale, the first thing that comes to mind is…“

re-write | 12 min

• revise your text, applying the dynamic qualities you've imagined, allowing it to fully embrace the attribute you've chosen.

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2024, may 18

i recently attended a global conference for solution-focused practitioners, and it was mind-blowing and spectacular. one of the many things i loved about the conference was how much people engaged in positive gossip about their colleagues, mentors, and others. i realized this had three effects on me: first, i got to learn fascinating things about others. second, it strengthened my trust in this community, knowing that people speak appreciatively behind each other's backs. and third, it inspired me to notice qualities in others that i might otherwise take for granted.

positive gossip can be a powerful tool to nurture a culture of kindness, appreciation, and curiosity. you can do it as a proper team exercise, but also just casually get in the habit of it in your daily work or personal life. by asking these questions to others or even just to yourself, you can shift your focus to the things you appreciate in others, enhancing relationships and community spirit.

questions to inspire positive gossip

1. what do you appreciate about \[person's name]?

2. what is something you admire about \[person's name] that they might not know?

3. share a moment when \[person's name] made a positive difference in your life or work.

4. what unique perspective, talent, or vibe does \[person's name] bring to the team or to your friendship?

5. what is one thing you appreciate about \[person's name]'s approach to challenges?

6. how does \[person's name] contribute to a pleasant atmosphere in the workplace or social gatherings?

7. what is a small act of kindness that \[person's name] has done for you or others?

8. in what ways does \[person's name] show dedication and commitment to their work or to your relationship?

9. what is something \[person's name] does that often goes unnoticed but would be sorely missed if it weren't done?

team exercise: positive gossip triads

1. divide the group into triads (groups of three).

2. two people talk pleasantly about the third person, sharing things they appreciate or find impressive.

3. they take turns speaking, responding with "yes, and…" to add more appreciative comments.

4. the person being discussed listens quietly.

5. rotate roles so each person gets a turn to be the focus of pleasant gossip.

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2024, may 18, cammeraygal

i'm confused. i keep hearing the suggestion to simply let go of shame. to drop the shame when performing, promoting, or sharing emotional turmoil. this advice comes from people who usually advocate for embracing all feelings. so why are they against shame in particular? they probably mean well, suggesting you shouldn't let shame hold you back from showing up where it matters to you. and i agree, it would be nice to simply switch the shame off, but sometimes the shame keeps firing up no matter what. instead of trying to eliminate it, i find it easier to say yes to the bothness of it: i let the shame do its thing while i’m showing myself. in german: ich zeige mich und schäme mich dabei.

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2024, may 18

last week, i worked worked worked towards a deadline which kind of messed up my back. so i’d switch to my dance ‘n write ‘n roll the dice method where i’d write for 5 minutes, dance for 5 minutes, go back to writing, and so on.

first, i’d list all the aspects of the chapter i wanted to write, breaking them down into as many small subsections as possible. then, i’d use an online dice roller to randomly select which subsection to work on. i’d set a timer for 5 minutes and jot down a few sentences about the chosen subsection. next, i’d take a 5-minute break to move my body—dancing, exercising, stretching.

this approach not only helped me cure my back pain but also removed decision paralysis by letting the dice decide where to start. it keeps my writing in small, snackable chunks—my writing tapas. plus, it often gets me farther than trying to write for a continuous hour. moving in between writing chunks clears my mind, keeps me warm, and helps me refocus with a fresh perspective.

steps:

1. list your subsections:

   write down all the aspects or sections you need to cover in your writing. break them down into as many small, manageable chunks as possible.

2. number your subsections:

   number each subsection.

3. roll the dice:

   use a dice roller to select which subsection to work on. if you don't have physical dice, use an online dice roller that matches the number of subsections you have.

4. write for 5 minutes:

   set a timer and write three sentences about the chosen subsection.

5. move your body for 5 minutes:

   take a five-minute break to move your body. dance, exercise, stretch—anything that gets you moving and clears your mind.

6. repeat:

   repeat this process, alternating between writing and moving, until you’ve covered all your subsections.

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2024, may 9

creative writing for mental health

almost every night just before sleeping, i write down a few good moments and visual snapshots of the day in my bedtime diary. this practice helps me take something pleasant into my sleep and gives me something joyful to think about when i wake up. i developed this routine when i was struggling emotionally and i desperately needed something to shift my mind at night (for the night is dark and full of terrors). over time, i've noticed that not only does this practice nourish my mental health, but it also enriches my creative writing. many of the snippets i create at bedtime find their way into my other texts. though it is very important for me not to aim for producing valuable snippets of writing because that shifts away from the original purpose: to capture and create a pleasant good night feeling.

prompt 1: good moments of the day

• write down 1-4 moments that were good (enough) today.

• this can be a moment when

  you felt a connection

  you experienced flow

  you accomplished something

  something made you smile or laugh

  you felt like life is doing you a favor

  you felt relieved

  you felt joy

prompt 2: sensual details of my favourite vibe today

• write down a kind of delicious vibe or mood from today that you‘d like to carry with you into your sleep

• capture the sensory details associated with that mood:

  visual details

  sounds

  scents

  flavours

  tactile feel

  bodily sensations

prompt 3: visual snapshots of the day

• capture 5 visual snapshots of the day. they can be very small, as long as they feel beautiful to you.

  example: ……jacaranda flowers float on puddles, some final leftovers from spring in november. at home, my sunnies cast a coca-cola-colored shadow on the wall, and i let myself fall into bed where dark blue siesta sleep starts creeping into my tired muscles. later, a waiter sets a sizzling plate on our table, and its steam fills the air, blending with the light of red lanterns… (excerpt from my bedtime diary)

prompt 4: first thoughts when waking up

• complete the sentence:

  »tomorrow when i wake up, the first thing i want to think of to buoy my mood:…«

  what else?

  what else?

  what else?

  example: »i want to think of my new running shoes, remember that i cleaned the kitchen, and look forward to the global conference on friday…«

note: it can be pretty mundane. this might be the least poetic prompt — but who knows. a lot of times i only see the poetic aspects in hindsight when i scroll through all my diary entries.

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2024, may 3

self-coaching: my 3 go-to-questions for emotional first-aid

i'm very experienced with tough days. i'm an expert in having emotional rollercoasters, hardcore pms-ing, feeling like my heart was ripped on some barbed wire, thinking that i’m a monster and the world is ending — over the past years i’ve put together an emotional first-aid kit of self-coaching techniques that help me be kind to myself and feel okay-ish enough to get through the day.

question 1: what is the next thing i can do to make my situation even worse

• this question prompts me to identify the usual actions that would make me feel even worse — and then not take them.

• this is a counter-intuitive question and might sound surprising because i’m usually all for solution-focused questions. but somehow, this paradoxical intervention has been extremely helpful for me on tough days.

• it often makes me laugh and reminds me of the choices i can control.

• after identifying potential pitfalls, i choose to do something else instead.

question 2: what would my inner old lady do to comfort me now?

• my inner old lady is a cool subversive korean woman with a rough voice and the looks of hannah arendt. she has a fireplace, a well-equipped house bar, and excels at distinguishing what‘s worth worrying about and what isn‘t.

• i can’t remember deliberately creating my inner old lady; i guess she just emerged when i wondered what kind of comforting words i would need right now and how i imagine the wise person who would say those words to me.

• last time i turned to my inner old lady on a shitty day, she sat me down by her fireplace, handed me a hot chocolate with rum, acknowledged the shittiness of my day and then said, ‘this crap of a day belongs in the flames, not in your album of life.’

• do you have an inner carer? they don‘t necessarily have to be an old lady like mine. the inner carer is a wise and kind figure that validates and comforts you. they can be real-person inspired or completely fictional.

• if you want to imagine one up, you might want to ask yourself:

• what kind words do i need to hear right now?

• how do i imagine the wise person who would say those words to me?

• if you like my fireplace lady though, i‘m sure she will be warm and welcoming to you. she has an open house.

question 3: what are 1-3 things i can be pleased with that i managed to do despite the day‘s challenges?

• this might be as simple as taking out the trash, making the bed, or eating a tangerine.

• they feel like real accomplishments when everything else feels overwhelming.

• acknowledging these little victories anchors me.

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2024, may 2, cammeraygal

reading feels like i'm nibbling on a cloud made of macarons, snacking without ever feeling full, without any snack-sickness, just the gentle pastel turquoise in my mind. my kindle background is pastel turquoise, my eyes settle right into the lines and find their rest. words wash through my mind, softening life, making sorrow poetic. sometimes i don’t even listen to what i’m reading; it's as if just letting words flow through my head unfolds my spirit, opens up my forehead, and i'm pleasantly flushed through. sometimes i taste only the sound of the words without grasping their meaning, sometimes i absorb just the vibe of reading, without noticing the content. i truly feel like each line holds me, as if the lines of words are levels and i can rest on each level. and sometimes a phrase just kicks in, thrilling me with inspiration, awakening every cell in my body, making my fingertips tingle with excitement. then i mark that line and share it with my beautiful minds friends, hardly believing how lucky i am to have found this thought here in my book.

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