The Concept

I had a revelation this New Years' Week: we always reap the fruits of the seeds we sew with our waking hours.  I thought about all of the things I would like to do or to be, and I wondered what had stopped me from achieving those goals.  Why wasn't I more fit?  Why hadn't I spent more time writing stories and songs?  Why hadn't I learned another language?

It was an exception from my own life that helped me connect the dots and understand the rule: Running.

I've always aspired to be a runner.  When I sat down to write my bucket list, running a marathon was the first item I thought to put down.  However, like many people I had a very hard time to maintain a consistent running routine.  As of a year and a half ago I hadn't come any closer to running a marathon than a very occasional 3-mile jog around the neighborhood.  But with the help of my beautiful wife/training partner, I ran my first 5k race, and then my first 10k, and then my first half marathon.  I'm signed up to run my first full marathon in 4 months (which mystically and coincidentally I will be doing when I am 26 years and 2 days old).

All growth happens in increments!

And in that spirit, I realized that if I wanted writing to be a bigger part of my life, the solution was simple - I need to spend more time writing.  This is the inspiration for etude.

What? Think of etude as a revolving invitation  to flex the undernourished, creative, philosophical corner of your mind. Each month, a new topic will be chosen.  I will publish a series of my own essays or other writings which stem from, relate to, or perhaps tangentially caress the topic.  I will also solicit the wonderful minds from my circle of friends to submit their work as well.  And lastly, I will accept reader submissions!

What am I looking for? Anything! Deep reflections, humorous musings, treatises, allegorical fiction, sonnets, free verse, and whatever else you've got as well.  The intent of etude is to give us all the opportunity to cultivate in ourselves the thinking, reflective, artistic aspect in all of its manifestations.

Hit me with your best shot.