Higher Thoughts

Short, daily bursts of elevated thought about life, love, and good, clean creative living by Jonas Ellison. | Subscribe via email: http://bit.ly/1ULQlbK

When weeds take root and grow

When weeds take root and grow

I remember the moment I became an official ‘shy person’. I was in the back seat of my grandparents’ car as they drove me along the long…

Jonas Ellison15 hrs ago

Reconnecting with ordinary

Reconnecting with ordinary

When we’re kids, we have these storybook images in our minds of what life is going to be like when we ‘grow up’. We’re gonna be Batman or a…

Jonas Ellison2 days ago

Bubble gum content

Bubble gum content

I have a friend who calls Top 40 music ‘bubble gum music’. Paints a picture, right? It’s tasty. Sweet. Fun. Immediately satisfying…

Jonas Ellison3 days ago

On making a living from your art without selling out

On making a living from your art without selling out

You know the struggle... The never ending battle between keeping true to your art and selling out by turning yourself into a commodity.

Jonas Ellison4 days ago

The bottom of the ‘U’

The bottom of the ‘U’

I’ve seen this analogy a few different places lately, so I’m not sure who to credit, but the concept is definitely not coined by me.

Jonas Ellison5 days ago

That Studio

On our backs in your full-size bed, staring at the ceiling, talking over the soft, nasally sound of James Taylor coming through the iPad…

Jonas EllisonApr 4

Profanity as clickbait

Profanity as clickbait

I’m seeing it a lot lately. Especially on Medium.

Jonas EllisonApr 3

Don’t quit (just fix it)

Don’t quit (just fix it)

It’s easy to toss out the bathwater with the baby. Wait… Or is it the other way around?

Jonas EllisonApr 2

Let yourself say it

Let yourself say it

This is what writing does for me. It lets me just say it. Whatever’s clawing at me from the insides, fighting to get out. Writing allows me…

Jonas EllisonApr 1

This is how Tom Wolfe opened his articles back in the 60's…

This is how Tom Wolfe opened his articles back in the 60's…

“Bangs manes bouffants beehives Beatle caps butter face brush-on lashes decal eyes puffy sweaters French thrust bras flailing leather blue…

Jonas EllisonMar 31

Of the paper page

Of the paper page

The other day, I just had to do it. Something was beckoning me. Calling me. It’d been awhile.

Jonas EllisonMar 30

A battle cry for people-pleasers

A battle cry for people-pleasers

I’m a people-pleaser. I register as a solid 9 on the enneagram. Conflict makes me itchy. And if it gets real bad, it sends me into fight…

Jonas EllisonMar 29

Your very own, personal time warp

Your very own, personal time warp

What I’ve noticed lately is, the faster I rush, the quicker time goes by. It’s like, when I speed up, those hands on the clock seem to move…

Jonas EllisonMar 28

On growing an audience without losing your soul

On growing an audience without losing your soul

I’ve studied copywriting. But I’ve found when I write touching, short stories and posts, they resonate more than the listicle stuff. I…

Jonas EllisonMar 27

Acceptance: Damn, it feels nice

Acceptance: Damn, it feels nice

As crappy as it was, growing up in poverty was a ripe environment for big, crazy, audacious dreams to sprout and grow. I remember wanting…

Jonas EllisonMar 26

Provide the starter

Provide the starter

There’s plenty out there that tells us how to do it. Sure, there’s some value in it. But if this is all you’re giving your audience, they…

Jonas EllisonMar 25

Keep your eyes on your own paper

Keep your eyes on your own paper

I used to cheat as much as I possibly could in school. When I was a Senior in high school (I think — we’re going way back here), my…

Jonas EllisonMar 24

A brief ode to David Foster Wallace

A brief ode to David Foster Wallace

My wife and I just watched The End of The Tour, the first film treatment about David Foster Wallace. It was a great portrayal of a small…

Jonas EllisonMar 23

Your audience and you

Your audience and you

Whenever things get foggy for me — like, for example, when I start to question my existence and stuff — I can almost always trace it back…

Jonas EllisonMar 22

Creative freedom craves boundaries

Creative freedom craves boundaries

The hard part (well, ONE of the hard parts, I suppose) about blogging or creating in your very own online space is the ever-present…

Jonas EllisonMar 21

On blue-collar work

On blue-collar work

It always seems to work this way… Let’s see if I can get this right:

Jonas EllisonMar 20

On personal development

On personal development

The problem with a lot of personal development is that it makes a promise it can’t ever keep.

Jonas EllisonMar 19

Of approval

Think of how many times you’ve hesitated doing something because you’ve been scared to offend someone (or a group of people) you care…

Jonas EllisonMar 18

On fist-fighting grizzly bears and taking creative risks

On fist-fighting grizzly bears and taking creative risks

I’m pretty sure, if I were to put one of those fancy brain scanner hats on (I think that’s what they call them, right?) while doing…

Jonas EllisonMar 17

Life as a question mark

Life as a question mark

What’s life like for an exclamation mark? Probably loud. Concrete. Unchanging. Foot-stomping. Headstrong.

Jonas EllisonMar 16

Create like no one knows your name

Create like no one knows your name

Sometimes, I wish I’d started blogging anonymously. Because then I wouldn’t have to worry about disappointing any of my friends or…

Jonas EllisonMar 15

On value

You hear it all the time in ‘content marketing’ circles.

Jonas EllisonMar 14

The mighty cape

The mighty cape

A couple weeks ago, I bought my daughter a $3 cape. And it was the best investment I’ve made in awhile.

Jonas EllisonMar 13

Higher Thoughts

Short, daily bursts of elevated thought about life, love, and good, clean creative living by Jonas Ellison. | Subscribe via email: http://bit.ly/1ULQlbK

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