Killian's Blog/Website/Whatever

I really enjoy podcasting. I want to make my podcast better. You can help me out with this! Loading... Daniel and I are hoping to use this to make our podcast better! We don't care about making money off of it (as you can tell--it's 100% free and in the public domain), but we really want it to be enjoyable. Thanks for taking a few minutes to fill out the form and tell us why you like your favourite podcasts! And if you're interested in checking out Audiodidact by the Apiary*, here's the link to our tumblr. Our most recent episode, "Bad Media" is about why Gone Girl is a book better left unread.

Today I struggled over an internal (and external--thank you, Twitter, for existing) debate to change my "personal branding." Never did I think this would be an issue for me, but here we are. I do social media and brand management for a few people/organizations, and I've started to worry that people might conflate me and my opinions and my personal work and my self with the work I do for others. So I was thinking about changing my Twitter handle, and associating my Name with a more Refined and Professional Appearance. But that was lame of me. Here's why: 1. I don't plan on being a brand manager when I grow up. I am a writer and artist, first and foremost. Those don't pay the bills right now, but they are who I am, and I want people who follow me on social media to have a personal relationship with me. Me me. Not some fake version of me that never says "poop." I say poop literally every day in real life. 2. I never say anything mean on s...

Photoblog time. Ireland and good friends make for the best time.

Trying to evaluate fear, and why certain things are scary to a person while others aren't. For me, it's not a fear of death, I know that much. I was on a boat this week--a small ferry heading to the Aran Islands--and the wind was nasty, and the waves were huge, and the boat was alternately flying through and crashing into the water, and everyone directly around me was either silent or vomiting (or, in the case of one poor little girl who was not pleased with her parents' choice of adventure, screaming and weeping), but I wasn't that afraid. Got a little queezy around minute 40 of rolling side-to-side, but I was still in a peachy mood after we got off the boat. When we first started pitching, it felt wild, just like the drop in a roller coaster, my stomach still floating at Point A while my body had relocated to Point B. But then I began to evaluate the situation: why wasn't I scared? People around me were freaking out. The crew wasn't, but I doubt I would have...

Daniel and I are about to head out (tomorrow afternoon) on our second real vacation ever. Much like last year's trip * to Scotland, we will be embarking upon a journey to...Ireland! Perks of living in the UK are their proximity to other European countries. We've been to Dublin briefly, for a whirlwind weekend adventure with some friends (also last year), but never got too deep into the countryside. This time we'll be chilling with our friend Rob in Cork and Galway, and we'll have a car, and I won't be panicking about a thesis and planning a wedding or whatever. Probably the biggest deal is that I have made a solemn vow to not check work email. This is a vacation. I need it to be a vacation. I owe it to myself, to Daniel, to my coworkers, and to all of the friends I can barely keep in touch with. I am, in fact, leaving my computer at home. (I'm keeping my phone, though, because sometimes you need to Instagram a sheep.) I had to write all of this down as a...

Hello, September. Let's recap, like, the whole summer : 1. Graduated! I'm a Master, no big. (But you guys knew that.) 2. Got a job! I work for a not-for-profit organization that offers homeschooling and distance learning courses. Everyone who works there is amazing. If you've ever considered homeschooling (or returning to school as a ma ture student) and would like course material AND a tutor who emails with you all the time, I wholeheartedly recommend this place (we'll have our new website up soon. It will be totally hot). Also, follow us on Twitter , Instagram , Facebook , Pinterest , whatever, everywhere. Everywhere! 3. Adjusted my antidepressants! Thank jeezus. I can tell I need to readjust when I basically sound like Rust Cohle every time I open my mouth. Hashtag nihilism. 4. Decided I was going to dress like an adult! I gave away half my clothes and am only buying affordable versions of things that Robin Wright (a la Claire Underwood) or ...