Life
Life, Slightly Out of Order
A quiet check-in during a slightly unsettled stretch
Shannon Hilson
Writer of essays, reflections, and cultural commentary. Exploring creativity, inner life, and what it means to grow wiser on purpose.
Creativity
The Joy of Not Explaining Yourself
What happens when you stop rushing to make your ideas legible
Freelancing
Being Honest Without Making Yourself Unhireable
What freelancers get wrong about authenticity, vulnerability, and public writing
Connection
Some Emails Are Just… There
What to do with messages you never asked for
Internet
On Not Wanting an Audience for Every Thought Anymore
A look back at oversharing as survival and what comes after it
Life
This Is a Low-Volume Holiday Season
What it’s like when December shows up without much fanfare
Artificial Intelligence
If Art Has Rules, They Don’t Work Anymore
A storyteller’s take on intention, AI tools, and the myth of “real” creativity
Books
On Discovering Flannery O’Connor When You’re Finally Old Enough to Appreciate Her
A reflection on timing, obsession, and the fear that there are more good books than years left to read them
Life Lessons
7 Uncomfortable Truths You Only Learn Once You Stop Trying to Be Likable
The backstage pass to adulthood nobody meant to hand you
Work Life Balance
The Day After a Holiday Is Always Strange (And Nobody Talks About It)
A field guide to feeling weird
Life
We Don’t Do the Big Family Thanksgiving Table Thing
And honestly? The holiday’s better for it
Internet
Please Forward All Mail to the Current Version of Me
What your old internet acquaintances can teach you about growth (and selective replying)