Thinkingdog Publishing

Here's what I'd noticed: when someone asks "how are you?", we mostly answer with a verbal shrug. Oh, you know. Tired. Busy. Surviving. And then we nod at each other, having successfully confirmed that being alive is a lot of work and neither of us wishes to elaborate. Because — and I say this with love — nobody actually wants the download. Answer that polite little question with a four-minute report on your car's mysterious new noise and your neighbour's judgmental dog, and you can watch the light leave a person's eyes in real time. They asked out of habit. You handed them a monologue. But. And it's a glorious, magnificent but. Walk around genuinely smiling — not the frozen caffeine grin, but a warm, I-know-something-you-don't smile — and suddenly everyone is desperately curious about you. Like you've strolled in holding a mysterious little box, and the whole room wants to know what's inside. So naturally, I ran an experiment....

Dear author— Yes, you . The one reading this with a mix of hope, doubt, and a half-finished draft sitting somewhere nearby. Somewhere in the world, someone is waiting for a story that only you can write. Not a perfect story. Not a polished, award-winning, magically-written-in-one-sitting story. Just yours . Even on the days you doubt yourself. Even on the days your inner critic is louder than your creativity. Even on the days you wonder if your words matter at all. They do. Your words still carry power. They still hold meaning. They still have the ability to make someone feel seen, understood, comforted, or inspired. Stories don’t need permission to matter—they just need to be written. Writing isn’t always easy. Some days it feels magical and effortless. Other days it feels like staring at a blinking cursor while questioning every life choice that led you there. And yet, you show up. Or at least you try . That counts more than you think. So keep writing. Keep dreaming....

 You know those wholesome motivational quotes like, “Be the reason someone smiles today” ? Yeah, well, I aimed for that. I really did. But sometimes life hands you a glitter grenade, and suddenly you're the reason someone’s clutching their emotional support coffee (or cabernet) like a life raft. ☕ It Started with Good Intentions... One day, I woke up and said, “Today’s the day I’m going to spread joy like confetti!” Except, I was out of actual confetti, so I improvised with passive-aggressive Post-it notes and a smile that made people wonder if I was okay. (I wasn’t. But I had snacks, so I was hanging in there.) At the coffee shop, I complimented a stranger’s socks. They looked at me like I had just asked them to join a cult. I smiled. They left quickly. So… not quite a smile, but I was the reason they power-walked back to their car with fresh adrenaline. 🍷 You Win Some, You Wine Some Later that afternoon, I tried again. I told a friend they looked radiant. They asked if I wa...