Welcome to the Vulnerable Human!
Field-note #1
"My life is more than the sum of the worst things that happen to me. Now is the time for me to tell my whole story."
-Yuval Noah Harari in Sapiens (A Brief History of mankind)
A student once asked why I chose art and what decision along my road of life told me that this was the thing I wanted to invest time, energy, and sleepless nights into. They looked at me with wide eyes expecting some profound answer laced with prose and simile; I am a poet, after all. With a slight pause, all I could render into my vocal cords was, "it was the one that made the most sense." In no way was I trying to diminish their view of the art world, so I explained, "I chose the path that best fit my story, the one that made the most sense when I asked 'who is Donovan?'" & so with that in mind, I welcome you to, The Vulnerable Human. When I answer that question, "who is Donovan?" I can say he is a person who still gets anxious in the middle seats of airplanes; he is someone who gets chills when good music plays, and who still has to give himself a pep talk before introducing himself to someone new. But he also is a lover of a good story, who, as a kid, would get lost in department stores playing king-of-the-hill inside of clothing racks, and was once defined by a friend as a "walking encyclopedia of information you'll rarely need...but you are always glad to know anyways." And in the pursuit of wanting to experiment, dream and try new things, I am starting this, a sort of notebook shared with all of you. A place where I can share my curiosity about this world, the things that interest me, amuse me and make me cry. From books to music, movies, conversations in coffee shops, and shower thoughts, a weekly report into the mess of my mind. In no way am I forcing you to come along for the journey, but I would welcome you on it. If you're a friend of mine, you know how often my thoughts can run off into space for hours, but my aim for this newsletter is to remain short and sweet (well, as short as my mind can make it.) Often starting with a quote from a recent reading or listening session followed by a journal entry checking in with you all.
BUT if you want to hear more of these longer-form writings, let me know! I am more than happy to write them! As well as another announcement being made today! Alongside launching this newsletter, I am also launching a Patreon! Behind-the-scenes videos, a Discord channel, exclusive writings, and an extended version of this newsletter will all be shared there! Becoming a member gives you instant access that directly and supports my work as a writer. It also contributes to my annual donation to The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the JED Foundation. So I also welcome you to join me there! (The link is shared below)
Many announcements are being made today, but I think this newsletter is the one I'm most excited about. A space where I can share parts of myself where elsewhere I wouldn't, and the goal of all this is to welcome you to do the same. To make the phrase, "oh, they're a pretty vulnerable human," a little bit more welcomed.
Sent with love,