Happy Birthday, Words Like Silver! (2022 Archive)
From the archive: a transferred anniversary post from April 2022 explaining some of the 'why' and origin story behind Words Like Silver.
Published February 1, 2025


“Although this post is of course timely rather than timeless (written in 2022 for a specific event), it's a priority of mine to transfer over because of how much truth I articulate in this post—before even realizing the 'why' behind awe, gratitude, stories, etc,. affecting me so much. In other words: this birthday post largely gets to the point of running Words Like Silver in the first place, which has been even more special to me lately.”
Although I’ve been writing Words Like Silver for eleven years, I haven’t written for each anniversary. My thoughts on the matter (profound gratitude) haven’t changed much.
I’m perpetually grateful for this corner of the Internet, April 15 or not, and a thousand words or so still feels too small to properly articulate my insights. I’m obsessed with what I do and that hasn’t changed—which is why WLS endures.
After hitting the decade mark last spring, I began writing editorially for another publication and realized how much of my blog framework bled into the way I write everywhere. That shift has clarified and reminded me of what Words Like Silver is, and how it operates. What I love most about it.
Now, I have a few neat taglines to trot out.
About Words Like Silver
“A blog about books, lifestyle, and culture* through the lens of the psychology of aesthetics, informed by the 100+ books I read per year.”
*Occasionally, the way I describe these three elements will shift. Books, psych, culture. Books, lifestyle, visual culture. Some combination that hits at my love for sensory detail, my underlying interest in psych, and my incessant reading. I like being interdisciplinary, although the main focus for this site specifically is what I’m reading at a given time.
The Underlying Philosophy


A personality test tells me that three of my most dominant strengths include gratitude, appreciation of beauty and excellence, and curiosity. (You can read more about the pros and cons of personality testing here.) Over the past few years, I’ve noticed how accurately that reflects my voice and coverage.
Last week, I was talking to a previous writer from Atlas Obscura. As a publication, their lens is “curious and wondrous travel destinations.” During the transition from describing my book blog to expressing my interest in travel writing, she pointed out that I’d used awe to link both my voracious reading habits and my interest in sense of place. (I’ve always defined myself as being a strong place person, more deeply influenced by location than anything else, and there’s a lot I love to write about.)
Here’s the definition of awe according to Google:


You feel both big and small. You're part of the universal, but also significant in the specific. It seems to capture our need to feel like we ourselves individually matter (solving our need for individual autonomy) while also inspiring us to accept what we can't control, feel more connected to others without losing ourselves, and more broadly feel more whole.


I love awe as a phenomenon because it’s not rooted in self-absorption, but rather understanding your place in a universe that has a lot of other things to worry about. It gives you a sense of cohesion, a sense of wonder, yes, and an appreciation for the beauty of the undiscovered. It incorporates curiosity, meaning, and aesthetics into the larger story of why we’re here and why it matters, no matter how big or small your impacts may be. And at its core, it’s that sensation of breathlessness at the top of a mountain or looking out at the ocean, a very “little things” gratitude that carries a lot of weight.
2025 Update: I love that I still feel so strongly about this, and if anything feel like it's gotten even more accurate over time. For one, my favorite books embody the "universal through the specific." And after reading Dachner Keltner's research, it's pretty much proven that awe is the single-greatest predictor of happiness and meaning, and to me it symbolizes the ideal balance between individualism and connection. Resonance!


I think that gets to the core of what fascinates me and why I choose to write about it.
How Does That Connect To Books?


I’m a rabbit hole reader, so I’ll get deeply invested in one topic and devour five books on the subject. On that note, I’m also an extremely fast reader, and prioritize its role in my life.
I majored in history, minored in studio art (and would have majored if I’d had the time.) I want a master’s in psychology. All together, my background reflects a fundamental interest in storytelling. I love reading about the science, culture, and craft behind how we craft narratives about ourselves and others. To me, that storytelling emphasis situates the role of awe in our daily lives.
In 2011, as a seventh-grader, I found that awe through books—and still absolutely relish their ability to reflect the range of the human experience.
Reading increases empathy, allows you to travel (cue cheesy quote), provides a way to learn about what you find fascinating. It’s also escapist, invigorating, thoughtful, engaging. I love that sensation of reading a particularly human feeling for the first time in words—something I’ve felt but never knew how to describe. That “yes!” of understanding and appreciation.
I will always first and foremost be a reader. Now I know why.
How I Run My Blog
I work in creative strategy and content, so I’m intentional about the way I craft workflows, calendars, and pieces for others. It should all be purposeful, I say. Follow the analytics.
While I care about making Words Like Silver good, I don’t apply that same business mindset to what I do here, so I'm a little sloppier in a way I'd never allow for what I do professionally.
While I love my community and I’d love for others to discover my work (share if ya feel like it), I devote my business acumen to paying clients rather than my labor of love.
It’s absolutely “paid off”—although I’m a big believer in expecting nothing from your hobbies. Do something you’re bad at. Love something just to love it.
How the Blog Is Different
- I’ll often type up a review and not get around to posting it. I aim to be better about this. I might post three times in a week but then neglect to post for two months just because life gets hectic. (2025 Update: new blog format has helped a ton.)
- I rarely glance at my stats. I don’t optimize for SEO (although WLS is how I learned to navigate it).
- I don’t edit my posts once I write them. I try to keep it a stream-of-consciousness endeavor.
- I’m still the singular contributor; I’ve never tried to scale Words Like Silver past myself, because it still just feels like a reflection of my interests.
I love the feeling of writing a post I’m deeply proud of, that articulates the joy of reading a book I want to champion forever.
I love adding a new book to my favorites list—which still needs updating.
I love responding to DMs asking for next reading choices.
I love DMs that tell me a book recommendation of mine is a new favorite. If my blog impacts you, tell me!
I’m grateful to be able to support smaller books, authors, concepts, artists, brands, and cool people doing cool work.
It all comes down to my perpetual curiosity. My consistency and steadfast devotion to what I choose to love. (There’s a lot that I love about it.)
On That Note
I could wax poetic forever, as I’m a sappy, curious, grateful person who can always talk about books and why we love them. I’m going to leave y’all with my Instagram post from last year, which still says it all.




And finally, I rewatched this episode of Ted Lasso last night and think his points on the intersection of curiosity and kindness aptly sum up what I aim to do, and why curiosity is a driving force of mine. Good questions directed towards others make life better.
2025 Update: I can't fully describe how much it means to me to see that "what matters to me" has only gotten stronger, even as other philosophies have shifted based on what I've learned. The core aspects of WLS have only intensified! A few details in here are no longer accurate—but I'm keeping as-is for posterity.