This website, including the latest iteration of my online “journal,” began anew in 2015, and I’ve been writing with some regularity since. In 2019, I revisited and updated the entire catalog, which has naturally grown steadily over the years. By January 2024, I decided it was time to start publishing my work in book form, setting the stage for The Reluctant Pilgrim series.
As I worked through edits and revisions, I began recording audio versions of my earliest posts — a mix of poetry, observational musings, and short reflective essays. Some evolved into video clips as well. The idea was to enhance the content while refining it to be more evergreen and enduring — incorporating better-fitting images and photographs and, at times, linking to music that complemented the themes of the writing. I paused that process when something else started bubbling beneath the surface.
Throughout the year, other creative projects stretched my writing muscles in new ways. I continued writing new essays and articles as usual and even recorded a few audiobooks, which reminded me just how much work that art form entails. Curiously, I also found myself dabbling in light book editing. Plain text editions of eBooks I wanted to explore further needed reformatting and fixes — the result of rough PDF-to-text conversions from translated works. Methodically working through ten books to make them Kindle-readable sharpened my eye for detailed proofreading, spelling, and punctuation. Good music in the background kept the process flowing.
In the autumn of 2024, while backing up my website’s posts and pages, I realized I had enough material for several volumes. It felt worth the effort to go through everything with a critical, honest eye, ensuring only the words I truly wanted to say remained. The logical starting point was Volume I, Ashes and Ascent, and to let things unfold from there. If nothing else, I’d have something tangible for posterity.
Happily, as of January 2025, Volume I is complete and published — now available internationally on Amazon in print, eBook, and, eventually, audiobook formats.
The “reluctant pilgrim” is, of course, me. The pilgrimage continues. I borrowed the name of the book series from a three-part album project of mine that has long waited patiently for my attention. The two projects are only loosely connected; most of the music was written, performed, and produced in the years leading up to 2015. This timeline underscores how long the albums have been gestating, awaiting a focused effort to bring them to completion. The progression mirrors aspects of my life story, starting with Runaway, then Wander, Fleshwound, and, finally, The Reluctant Pilgrim. These records trace a 20-year journey from 1994 to 2014.
To mark ten years of this ongoing artistic adventure and turning a new page in my life, my hope is that 2025 will bring forth music projects interwoven with volumes of the book series.
As for the book’s artwork, the front cover features the kanji symbol for “fire,” while the back displays the symbol for “dragon.” Together, they represent my birth symbol — the Fire Dragon — according to Chinese astrology. This reflects the purifying fire of shedding the old and stepping into the real, true, and authentic self: Ashes and Ascent.
Here’s the blurb and sales copy (which will live on the Books page):
What if life’s greatest lessons don’t unfold in a straight line, but instead come as fragments of a mosaic — beautiful, chaotic, and full of meaning?
The Reluctant Pilgrim: Ashes and Ascent is a unique collection of poetry and reflective essays exploring transformation, healing, and the awakening to deeper truths. Presented in the order they were written, these writings embrace life’s non-linear journey, where seemingly random moments reveal hidden purpose and profound insights.
Within these pages, you’ll find reflections on:
- Inner Work and Emotional Healing: Embracing vulnerability, self-awareness, and authenticity.
- Personal Growth and Transformation: Navigating choice, perception, and self-discovery.
- Philosophical Reflections: Exploring dualities, societal constructs, and human potential.
- Creativity and Artistry: Pursuing passions and finding one’s voice.
- Spiritual Insights: Energy, interconnectedness, and awakening to a deeper truth.
Each piece offers a quiet challenge to look inward, find meaning in life’s uncertainties, and rise through resistance into clarity and truth. Whether you’re seeking inspiration, exploring mindfulness, or uncovering your authentic self, The Reluctant Pilgrim: Ashes and Ascent is an invitation to reflect, grow, and rediscover your light.
Authors of a Similar Style / Genre:
Jeff Brown — Love it Forward
Garret Kramer — True Self
Derek Sivers — How to Live
Buy It on Amazon
That’s the general gist of it. Ten years in the making, followed by two months of intense updating, editing, and revising for Volume I to come together. I’m looking forward to diving into the next ones.
Thank You
At this point, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been with me at various points along this journey. To my friends and family who have patiently and quietly supported me and helped me get back on my feet time and again — thank you. It’s been an interesting decade and more, and those who came into my life and crossed my path have undoubtedly shaped my writing, growth, and transformation.
Love your life