Sign up for Derek’s newsletter here.A few years ago, a young writer asked me if I had any tips for an aspiring journalist. My first instinct was to say no. My career has been full of hard work but also quirky luck, and I think everybody should distrust individuals who claim that the path to success is a highly specific set of circumstances that just happens to match, step for step, the story of their life.A rant about selection bias seemed misplaced, though. So instead I shared a few organizing principles that I’ve relied on for nonfiction writing, and I’m sharing them again, below. What follows is hardly Strunk and White, but some may find it helpful.Simple is smart. High...
This article is written by Frankie Wallace. It has been two years since the advent of COVID-19 changed our world. But as much as we all yearn for an end to the pandemic, the reality is that new variants continue to emerge and hundreds of thousands of people each day are falling ill, some proportion of whom will be hospitalized. But when it’s your loved one who is sick in the hospital with COVID, those statistics suddenly take on a new meaning. When it’s someone you love, all that matters is helping see them through this crisis, all that matters is ensuring they return home healthy. And yet, if your loved one has coronavirus, you are likely to be quite...
In 2015, Victor Temprano protested a pipeline project in British Columbia. Standing alongside Indigenous peoples who steward that land, Temprano asked himself whose lands the project would impact. He started mapping the pipeline paths, oil spills, and protests across Canada. Temprano’s quest to close the loop on that question opened the floodgates. His work of mapping Indigenous relations to land expanded, leading him to create Native Land Digital in 2018. While Temprano is a settler from Okanagan territory with no previous experience in mapmaking, Native Land Digital has blossomed into an Indigenous-led not-for-profit organization with a digital map depicting Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages, all presented on a global scale. In fact, its map now serves as the de facto...
Arts and crafts aren’t just for kids anymore.During the pandemic, which continues to make 2020 feel like the year that refuses to end, Canadians have turned to all sorts of hobbies to stay safely occupied and entertained amid public health restrictions. Bread making was followed by gardening was followed by snowshoeing, all in the pursuit of socially distant self-care. Similarly, crafting kits for adults saw a boom during the pandemic as first-time buyers picked up knitting needles, tried their hands at pottery or got into drawing.In short: Craft kits have become a hot pandemic commodityand the resulting mugs, embroidery and scarves aren’t the only benefits.A 2011 review found that creative arts can improve psychological and physical well-being because they “promote...
In case you didn’t know, tomorrow is National Puzzle Day! Now of all the unofficial social media holidays (see: National Coffee Day, Houseplant Appreciation Day, and so on), National Puzzle Day is undoubtedly one of our favorites – because on top of the valuable mental exercise they provide, puzzles are a great way to disconnect from the sensory overload of our phone and laptop screens, de-stress, and get lost in a meditative challenge while solo or with a group. The best part? When you’re done, you’ll have your very own piece of modern art to hang on your wall – and bragging rights to boot. We rounded up our favorite modern jigsaw puzzles that puzzle pros and newbies will love!...
