Jeffrey Pillow

Write like nobody’s reading

Post date June 24, 2023
Tags blogging, creativity, life, thoughts

The Canoe Ride from Hell: Misadventures on Staunton River

Aerial view of Staunton River, portion of Long Island to Brookneal

Post date June 18, 2023
Tags canoeing adventure, childhood memories in the great outdoors, family, father's day, humor, life, life lessons, nature, nature's power and beauty, outdoors, relationships, short story, staunton river, wilderness survival

Embracing Sentimentality: The Power of Writing That Evokes Emotion

Bouncing Souls album cover for "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" — I cry listening to punk rock albums

Post date June 11, 2023
Tags Balancing sentimentality in personal essays and blogs, Exploring grief through sentimental writing and personal experiences, personal growth, self-improvement, The role of music in inspiring emotional writing and nostalgia, The significance of sentimental writing in evoking emotions

Look Down at Your Bellybutton: A Mother’s Day Tribute

Brad Pitt shirtless in Fight Club — A picture of me with my shirt off and my bellybutton showing back when I was involved in a secret underground group I'm not allowed to speak of

Post date May 14, 2023
Tags appreciation, family, gratitude, happy mother's day, love, mom, mother's day, mother's day tribute, parenting

Confessions of an Overthinker: Why I Struggle to Blog

Abstract painting

Post date May 13, 2023
Tags blogging, creativity, fear of failure, overthinking, perfectionism, personal growth, productivity, self-improvement, time management, writing

In my mind, I already had

Cyclist drinks from water bottle at creek crossing

Post date May 3, 2023
Tags bike ride, biking, cycling, family, love, nature, nature trail

Sunday Coffee, Vol. 5

bunny rabbit in the grass

Post date April 9, 2023
Tags easter, reading the news is the new smoking, rocky, squirrels, sunday coffee, the pixies, weekly recommendations, where is my mind, white throated sparrow

Sunday Coffee, Vol. 4

reading relaxing with my feet up

Post date April 2, 2023
Tags black hole, blogging, book recommendations, brad listi, discover connection, hitchhiking, nostalgia, recommendations, trail running

Sunday Coffee, Vol. 3

Jackie Robinson, from the movie 42, leaving the tunnel

Post date March 26, 2023
Tags comedy, hiking, internet culture, jackie robinson, mental health, movies, old rag, parenting, recommendations, shenandoah national park, theo von

Weekend Challenge: Re-read your favorite book

Hand drawn sketch of a book — Artwork by Jeffrey Pillow. Drawn using my Wacom tablet in the Sketchbook app.

Post date March 24, 2023
Tags book recommendations, bookish, books, brad listi, challenge, fiction, non-fiction, novel, reading, weekend, your favorite book

Sunday Coffee, Vol. 2

reading relaxing with my feet up

Post date March 19, 2023
Tags 1990s parenting, beau miles, blogging, books, brendan leonard, food, illustrated blog, inspiration, parenting, recommended reads, running essays

Weekend Challenge: Install a birdhouse

Drawing of a yellow birdhouse (digital art) — Installing a birdhouse in your yard benefits birds, the environment, and you. Artwork by Jeffrey Pillow. Drawn using my Wacom tablet in the Sketchbook app.

Post date March 17, 2023
Tags backyard birds, birdhouse, birding, birds, birdwatching, DIY project, inspiration, nature, nesting boxes, ornithology, wildlife habitat

Flowchart for whether you should run today on a bum leg

Post date March 14, 2023
Tags 10K, 5K, chart, flowchart, humor, illustration, inspiration, run, running, running motivation

Sunday Coffee, Vol. 1

reading relaxing with my feet up

Post date March 12, 2023
Tags blogging, creativity, inspiration, internet, poetry, ryan van duzer, social media, strava, wacom

Weekend Challenge: Run a mile

journey winding running trail — winding running trail

Post date March 10, 2023
Tags habit change, habits, run, running, weekend, weekend challenge

Do you hear the birds?

bluebird perched on a cedar tree limb — A bluebird sits perched on a tree limb

Post date February 24, 2023
Tags birds, birdsong, birdwatching, charlottesville, mindfulness, sounds of nature, thoughts, wildlife

The Kindness of Strangers: How a simple greeting can brighten someone’s day

have a nice day with smiley face spray-painted on a brick wall — Have a nice day is more than a simple platitude. It can be an act of kindness.

Post date January 30, 2023
Tags aesop, essay, happiness, kindness, life, personal growth

Life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows

Pepperoni pizza lapel pin — You have to take the good with the bad in life and sometimes that means stepping barefoot on a pizza lapel pin.

Post date January 26, 2023
Tags essay, humor essay, personal development, personal growth, self development, self help, self improvement, that's life, the human condition

Bacon Hollow Overlook

Bacon Hollow Overlook — Bacon Hollow Overlook, Shenandoah National Park

Post date December 31, 2022
Tags bacon hollow overlook, mountains, nature photo, shenandoah national park

Backyard birds on a cold winter’s day

A male and female house finch eating seeds from bird feeder — A pair of house finches getting a bite to eat from the feeder.

Post date December 23, 2022
Tags birds, birdwatching, wildlife, winter

Don’t be that parent at a youth sporting event.

Soccer player stops soccer ball with foot — Soccer. Hal Gatewood. Unsplash

Post date September 16, 2022
Tags parenting, youth sports

How to become a writer in 10 minutes

Writing set-up which includes laptop, timer, and Syd Field's book Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting — Become a writer in 10 minutes by setting a timer. Jeffrey Pillow

Post date September 12, 2022
Tags blogging, creativity, productivity, writing

Pedal

Post date July 28, 2022
Tags bike, riding a bike

A walk in the woods

Two women cross creek on stepping stones at South River Falls trail in Shenandoah National Park

Post date July 5, 2022
Tags forest bathing, john muir, nature writing, walk, woods