All Posts

What if the greatest obstacle to artistic growth isn't lack of talent, but fear disguised as wisdom? Through the metaphor of tracing, this essay explores creativity, authenticity, and the courage required to move beyond imitation and into a life that cannot be traced in advance.

What if the way we relate to our art mirrors the way we relate to love? This deeply personal essay explores attachment styles, grief, intimacy, and the surprising ways creativity teaches us how to stay present through vulnerability, uncertainty, and connection.

I almost walked away convinced humanity was unraveling. But one strange moment at a memorial revealed something unexpected about cynicism, grief, creativity, and the courage to stay open.

Grief does something strange to time. April 12, 2023 time stopped for me. It began like any other night: dinner, homework, and tucking the girls into bed. And then everything that had been ordinary vanished. I found my wife, Nicole, on the bedroom floor. Suddenly there was panic. Crying children. CPR. A phone pressed to my ear. Paramedics moving quickly, with the terrible fervency reserved for moments when time is running out. Desperation. A sheet. Scilence. When Nicole died

Empire fears art because art trains people to see. And seeing is dangerous. It awakens hope, restores memory, and reminds us that another world is possible.

The question isn’t whether art can make you money. It’s whether you can build a life that gives your art room to breathe. Making a living was never just about income, it’s about how you spend your days.

The muse is not summoned by longing. She is seduced by commitment. Begin the work, and she arrives quietly, drawn to the courage of someone who dared to start without her.

Creation is not a straight line from vision to result. It is a dialogue between effort and surrender. We work toward what we imagine, but we discover who we are only when we loosen our grip and allow something unexpected to emerge.

The blank canvas isn’t empty, it’s full. Full of every possible outcome, every unrealized version of you, every risk and promise wrapped into one white surface. Step in and make your mark!