If you’ve wondered why my output here has slowed down in recent months, it’s because I am going through a period of immense inventory-taking in my life. As I have officially reached the backside of my 20s since last we spoke, I felt it was time to start getting my mental, spiritual and soulful house in order, and to decide just what it is I want to keep doing. In that period, I have turned loose of a lot of people and happenings that I either had no interest in anymore, or was sapping the energy I once had. And I’ve become more mindful as to who I speak to on a regular basis, and the things I do, and how to balance both without the scale tipping too far in either direction, leading to burn-out or a lack of interest.

Put simply, at age 27, I am beginning to search for (and hopefully find!) my true north.

I am beginning to re-invest in what brought me joy before, such as poetry. While my lofty book-publishing dreams and long-form poetry output has ceased at least for now, I am partaking in another poetry challenge with a dear friend this year, and am pulling out all the stops, as we both have made a pact to write a poem a day for as long as we are able. Short poems mostly, as I am writing nijusan poetry, or “cheater haiku” as I call them. 23 syllables, a 7-9-7 string. Nijusan is the Japanese word for “twenty-three,” so it made sense to stick the name to these poems, and this new poetic invention has re-opened a lot of doors poetically that I thought were screwed or welded shut.

I am also trying to keep contact with dear friends who build me up and encourage me, and maintaining contact with those I already have roots with in their soil. Reaching out to dear friends is a cherished pastime for me, as I live a mostly rural life in the mountains of North Carolina. I am also taking stock of my friendships, and seeing which ones are benefitting me and helping me forward, and which ones needed to be clipped and left to the elements. While it is a bit sad to turn loose of some I have cherished, I know it will only help me and lessen the weight on my shoulders.

In addition to before, I am slowly dipping my big toe back into event organizing, as I have missed it very much. While it’s not anything to the extent I was doing in 2021 and 2022, it still fills the void that my prior schedule had left behind. Organizing weekly virtual music concerts, helping other friends with booking for their events, and kicking the tires on potential interviews are reaping newfound benefits for me, now that I know how to reign myself and my mind in, and to be fulfilled by it without being bogged down by it.

Another major investment has been continued therapy, though with the blossoming of a new season, my seasonal “blahs” have subsided for the most part. But it’s still a highly beneficial thing for me, if for no other reason than to ensure this newfound good feeling and happiness in my life sustains itself for many months or even years to come! While I have had some stumbling blocks in this new spring season, talking things over with my therapist has been immeasurably helpful in keeping me on the right track.



While I have shared a few different reasons for my absence here, there are still many ways I am evolving and growing and changing, and I will share these with you in future blog posts in weeks and months to come. But for now, I feel like I needed a bit of explanation as to why I took a sabbatical of sorts from blogging. It is because, friends, my true north is calling, and I must follow it. I’m not getting any younger, and as certain as it’s daylight, the time is now to go. ❤️

I hope this blog post finds you well, and in the comments, please share how you found or are trying to find your own true north in your life! What does it look like? What is it you’re doing to find it? If you’ve found it, what did it for you? Feel free to share!

As always, take care, much love and may God richly bless,

-Jon