sometimes i forget how i want my writing to be. sometimes i forget how my voice _can_ sound like. what my voice sounds like at its strongest, and brightest. so here is a reminder: you are capable of having a voice, of writing that is both honest and kind.

in moments of doubt, remind yourself also, that you have shown again and again, that you have the courage and the persistence to pull this off.

i like to think that honesty and kindness combine the best of the two worlds that i inhabit. the dutch are known for their honesty and directness. sometimes brutally so. “brutally honest” has a tinge of admiration about it. but i like to think honesty doesn’t always have to be brutal.

the chinese are kind of the opposite. we say everything but what we want to say. there are many reasons for this. some might say “face”. others might say that we consider people’s feelings (sometimes too much). i’d argue the good faith argument is to say that we value kindness. but i also like to think that kindness doesn’t mean we cannot be honest with each other.

it takes courage to be honest. but it also takes courage to be kind. this is a reminder that in my writing, i can do both. i want to do both. and that i have done this in the past, and that i believe i can do this again. add oil, tsui lok man.