Do It Afraid

January 5th, 2025

An image of an Appalachian sunrise, its warm hues illuminating the misty mountain landscape. Just as the sunrise marks the start of a new day, this image symbolizes the dawn of a new creative journey with this blog

Why am I starting this blog? Because I’ve been thinking about it for years. Because I’m afraid. Because I’m eager. Because I’m an open book. This mix of excitement and fear has been building inside me for so long that I can’t ignore it anymore. So here I am, doing it anyway—doing it afraid.

There’s a piece of advice I once heard: Don’t be the one to tell yourself no. That thought has stuck with me. Fear often silences us before we even begin, but I’m choosing to push past it. With this first post, I want to share why I’m starting this blog and what I hope it will become.

Why This Blog?

For years, I’ve wanted a space to share my thoughts, but fear has always held me back. I’m afraid of judgment and criticism, especially from those closest to me. I’m afraid of oversharing, of being too vulnerable. And, perhaps most of all, I’m afraid that no one will care about what I have to say. But despite these fears, the idea of creating this blog has remained with me. So, I’m choosing to do it afraid because I believe it will be valuable—to me and, hopefully, to others.

Sharing my thoughts in writing has always been deeply rewarding. In the past, I’ve written personal essays and shared them with a few trusted friends. The process of reflecting, writing, and sharing gave me clarity and connection. This blog is an attempt to expand that practice—to create a space where I can explore ideas, engage with others, and archive my reflections in an accessible way. It’s a place where I hope thoughtful discourse can thrive.

What to Expect

This blog, Reflections and Ramblings, will grow and evolve over time, but here’s the current plan:

• General Reflections (Saturdays): A collection of essays in which I reflect on a variety of topics.

• Curiosity Hour (Fridays): A space to explore topics that fascinate me but that I haven’t formally studied—like clouds or Buddhism, for example.

• Media Mondays: Shorter posts featuring media I’ve enjoyed recently, such as articles, books, podcasts, or music. I’ll include a brief synopsis, my thoughts, perhaps an interesting quote, and details on where you can find the piece if you’d like to experience it yourself.

Living an examined life is incredibly important to me. I love asking questions and exploring the intricacies of life. The yin-yang symbol holds great meaning for me because it embodies the interplay of opposites and the beauty of complexity. I hope this blog will reflect that spirit—not as a monologue but as an open dialogue. So, please, share your thoughts in the comments and reach out to me through email or DM.

Join Me

For now, I plan to post on Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays, though my schedule may shift as I find my rhythm. If you’re interested in following along, please subscribe to my email list to get notifications about new publications. You can also follow me on Instagram for updates and bonus content (click over to the Contact page for that information).

What’s Next?

In upcoming posts, I will share writing about a variety of topics, including prose, the mechanisms of change, goalless practice, clouds, religion, Alaska, squirrels, and school lunches. Thank you for reading my first post! I’m excited to grow this project and grateful you are here.