Authentically Teresa Funke – Never AI
Outside The Box? What Box?
I was one of those kids who listened carefully when the adults were talking. I took in as much as I could, trying to understand the world around me. Every now and then I’d hear someone refer to “thinking outside the box.” And, in the literal way a child sometimes thinks, I would picture boxes...
How to Banish Envy
I was reading one of my friend’s Facebook posts, and I said to myself again, “She is leading my writer dream life.” If you’re in the arts or entrepreneurship, you have at least one friend like this. Someone whose work you admire and whose talent you would never dispute. Someone who you genuinely like ....
Are You Ready for an Adventure?
There’s a line in the movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey that gives me such a thrill. As Bilbo Baggins rushes by—pack on his back, big feet flying—one of the villagers calls out, “Mr. Bilbo, where are you off to?” “I’m going on an adventure,” Bilbo shouts back, as he hurtles headlong into an uncertain...
Should I Take a Nap or Change the World?
For the first part of last year, I was working way too much. My friends told me to slow down, take more naps, spend more time outdoors, etc. So I did. I dropped some projects, stepped back from some roles, said no to some opportunities. And for the first few weeks, it felt great. I...
How to Have it All
New Year’s Eve is fast approaching, and the radio ads remind us to enjoy “all things in moderation.” But it’s not just this time of year that we hear that advice. To many people, that phrase sounds restrictive or even punitive. Not to me. It’s my personal motto. Has been for a long time. You...
Why We Love the Classics
“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.” I found that quote by Italo Calvino on Goodreads the other day, and it struck me that at no other time of the year is that saying more true. The holiday season brings us so many beloved classics in all...
The Force is With Artists, Always
How can I not comment on the upcoming release of the new Star Wars movie? I’m not a fanatic, nor do I plan to brave the crowds on opening night, assuming any tickets remain unclaimed. But from the years 1980–1983, a significant part of my heart and mind resided in the Star Wars universe. Why?...
Does Your Art Pass the Relevancy Test?
Yesterday, I was reading Jon Morrow’s blog post on the seven tests every blog must pass in order to grow and thrive. He argued that if the blog missed the mark in even one of those areas, it was doomed to fail. I bit my knuckle and read the rest of the article. Fortunately, my...