The Blog

Sunday September 27, 2026

Dear reader, 

It’s been awhile. 

I am honored to still have so many of you guys here in this blog reading my words. I appreciate you so much, just for clicking into my blog each time I post. I don't usually talk about anything particularly outstanding, at least not to other people besides myself, as this blog is all about just talking about myself. What I do day to day. What I've done since you've read my last blog. 

I have come a long way this year, things are changing for the absolute better in my life. Just a couple months ago, over the summer, I made the first money I've ever made as a freelance writer. I have broken into the realm of paid writer, and the confidence it has given me is so cool. 

I realized when reformatting this blog onto the new website with the new domain, that I very much so love doing this blog. I was in a flow state and got all of these blog posts reuploaded all today. I am immensely proud of myself, and I hope that you guys enjoy the new website and layout. It has a user friendly interface, more than the last one did. I love the color scheme; I think it matches my branding across genres quite well. 

This year has been a new horizon as far as career prospects, I got my dream job, a white collar career. I have been organizing my entire house to be stocked up on everything, completely organized and into aesthetic containers. I have curated the best decor and items that I love so much arouond me, and I am digitally very organized as well. I have been budgeting and using my planner and Notion, and I am just so excited for the rest of the year. Let's start with this week, though shall we? Back to work tomorrow I go, and I will keep updating the blog as I can through the week. 

Check in with me on social media, @emmyelenakatzen and @ekxtraordinaire, I would love to hear from you and talk about this week's blog!

Until next time, 

-- Emmy

Monday July 06, 2026

It’s been awhile. 

I’m glad to be back here at the page, the document, whichever. Doing what I’ve always dreamed of. I love writing a blog, categorizing my life in chronological order and opening myself to relating to people. It’s important for people to step back from overthinking or doomscrolling. Like back in the day, when I would write letters to people, or idolize Hilary Duff’s character for writing a blog… it’s coming back guys. I’m bringing it back. This is the blog. We are here. 

Thanks for being here. 

I want to blog once a week, but at the least you’ll see me update once a month. I want you guys to feel like you’re seeing into my life, like a fly on the wall. As usual, I’m very private, so I only show what I show, and that’s not going to change. 

In my life, things have been amazing, and I’m focusing on career aspirations, investments in the future, and curating daily routines that bring me closer to myself and my nature. 

I read an entire short story today, one called Rainy Season by Stephen King. It took me about an hour to read and take notes. 

Most of my routine has to do with staying healthy, focusing on what I’m eating, how I’m feeling. I have been striving for a completed to do list, finishing the things I add and replacing them with new things to do. 

I want to leave you all with a quote: 

“At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?”

—- Marcus Aurelius

Meditations, Book 5

Good luck with your endeavors this week, let’s see everyone grinding out their lives and I’ll be doing the same. I appreciate any of you that are reading, it means a lot that people spend time to read about my thoughts about my life. 

Reach out to me on social media if anything I said, or maybe the quote by Marcus Aurelius, resonated with you. I’d love to connect with everyone. 

-- Emmy

Monday November 11, 2024

Dear Reader, 

I hope you’re having a good day. Today is a Monday morning and it is chilly weather outside. I am working on having a few days of resting, not barreling through my to do list as fast as I can. In fact, completing very little at all. If I think of a task here and there, I add to the list. This is the most important step, so I make sure to do that by keeping a pen and my notebook nearby. As long as I can keep my burnout away, I can come back to my lists with more energy. Soon. 

There isn’t much to report on this week, or talk about. I am attempting to read some, without overwhelming by taking notes. Of course if I come across a noteworthy thing, I will highlight it. I want to read to relax, without the pressure of note taking while reading.

There is another blog coming soon this week, so please stay tuned! Thanks for checking in and reading my blog today! 

Until next time,

-- Emmy

Monday November 04, 2024

Dear Reader, 

Thanks for reading my blog. How are you doing? When I’m writing this & posting, it is Monday morning. How is your day going? I hope you are taking the time to care for yourself, and doing something that you enjoy today! Here’s what’s new in my world. 

Poetry this week

I was held up late one night this week, the muse was there with me, and wrote the most personal poems I’ve ever written. Life is not fair, and there are challenges around every turn. For me, this is true as well as anyone. I have things on my chest, things hitting the heart right now, and poetry is the only way that I feel I can let it out in a positive way. 

I practice by working with lyrics of my favorite songs to learn the structure of them. I have always been obsessed with writing down lyrics, even before the internet when you couldn’t look them up and had to learn by listening. There are so many good songs out right now, new releases and whatnot, so I am using my love for music to bring comfort and give myself poetry exposure. 

Regenerative tasks I do when I’m tired

Nonetheless, I need a while to rest. I have been trying hard to stay on top of my to do lists and my schedule, and it is time to take a break. I don’t mean social media, or that I’ve burned myself out in the name of social media, because that’s not the case. I have burned myself out in the name of my own goals and passions, and bowing down to fears and irrationalities about my life itself. I will still be here on social media this week, but I won’t be pushing myself to write, or create art, or read & take notes, anything. I need time to rest and rejuvenate. 

Like cats and dogs do each time they stand up, I too stretch right when I wake up. Yoga is a good way to alleviate stress through your physical body, there is something I can control! I have a super small routine consisting of seven poses that I do if I’m not in a good place and can’t get a full Sun Salutation in. Making sure to stretch, go on long walks, and eat healthy are my only goals when I am burned out. 

My seven step morning yoga for a pinch: 

I do two forward folds, one with legs together & one hip width apart, and then I reach up to the sky, and work my way down and back up like that. I bring my back into a half fold, then alternate between those three however I feel like. Next, left leg lunges, right leg lunges, back to forward fold, then reach up to the stars. That is it!

The muse is here, but I’m burned out

Well, what a predicament. The elusive muse, here with me, standing just behind me in my shadow, cannot help me with my motivation and physical exhaustion in life at the moment. I can instead feed the muse my attention, gratitude, and journal my feelings in a magnificent way that no one will ever read, nor could they encapsulate the way I feel into these words. The muse is helping me create a lot of personal depth, a lot of writings I won’t share with anyone, and that is fair. Since they are here, I cannot let the precious time with them slip away. 

I hope you tune in for the next blog post, I aim to share another one by Friday. Have a wonderful week, as always! 

Until next time,

-- Emmy

Monday October 21, 2024

Dear Reader, 

Have the leaves in your neighborhood started to fall from the trees? In mine, they are falling and leaving a nice orange layer on the ground. The summer has been filled with warm days, now it is time to convert to a colder season on the far side of the sun. This transition in weather signals spooky season, the wonderful Halloween holiday vibes where everything gothic, scary, and creepy is welcome! Time for sweaters, warm coffee, and pumpkin pie! At least for me, that is. 

The drive to create is ever present during this season, the time when my brain has a natural desire to be deep inside a book or to paint a masterpiece. I have been engaged in all of my goals and passions, making sure to focus on the steps I need to take in order to be successful. Starting with my short story that I’ve been working on exclusively. I write poetry each time the itch hits me, a good feeling of inspiration for smoothing feelings into a poetic language. I have also been putting as much spare time that I have after writing my fiction, and poetry, to work on essays and nonfiction pieces. Right now, I am exploring personal and creative non fiction, finding any muse from my past and working it into a nonfiction essay, much in the same way I am thinking about prose poetry.

I picked out a new fiction book to read, it’s a new release that I am reading to develop an analytical book review from it. Then, I found a non fiction book to read, that I will also be analyzing into a book review, and other essays. Since the projects that the books are for are a current top secret, I won’t be revealing the titles until I am complete and ready to publish the reviews and essays. 

On another note, Halloween is coming up, and I always love to channel my inner demon. This year, I have put together the best outfit to wear and I am going to hit the town on Halloween night, to walk around in the ambiance, and go out to dinner. I am super excited for it, determined to have the best Hallow’s Eve of 2024! My absolute favorite part of this season is the feeling of family and warmth and comfort that it gives, and it’s the beginning of the Holidays, where Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. Take the time to tell your loved ones that you care, that you’re well, and that you hope they are doing well! 

Until next time,

-- Emmy

Thursday October 17, 2024

Dear Reader,

Let’s talk about physical vs digital books.

There is an internal battle between readers whether a physical copy of a book is better than a digital copy of a book. 

The basis of this lies in the antediluvian nature of reading, where there were books that took up space on a shelf, and that you had to take notes with pen and paper. 

I’ve been on the side of the argument where I thought that digital books were lame, or a waste of money, and I thought that it was best to have a physical book in order to get the same enjoyment out of it. 

However, I have come to a realization that taking notes and learning from the content is easier with a digital book. 

Often times, I slack on taking notes, or end up with scattered bits of notes for when I have the energy to find a pen and paper to jot them down. 

Now, I tend to seek out the digital version of something when it’s my first time reading, or if I am trying to take good notes on it. 

All of you fiction readers might not need to take very many notes, so this won’t apply to you as much. Although, I do tend to take notes on fiction books I am reading, and a lot of other people do too. 

Anyway, thanks for reading my thoughts on this. Have a wonderful rest of your day! Until next time, 

-- Emmy

Monday October 07, 2024

Dear Reader, 

I hope you are having a great day! It’s a wonderful Monday morning, and I am sitting at the desk preparing for this blog post. For me, this is almost like a journaling session. It’s a time capsule of memories that I have chosen to share on this blog, as a part of my journey as an author, and a poet, but also as a philosopher. These titles describe who I am and what I desire to share with you and the rest of the world. It’s important to share the knowledge and perspective that I have, and this is the way that I have begun to do that. 

I want to add that my bullet journal calendar & planner has helped me on so many levels. I have become more organized and productive in my personal life and career goals, and it’s really given me a boost of confidence in my pursuits. Which is exactly the type of thing that I need - day to day - to keep me going with all of my projects and aspirations. 

I am working on my short story today, and I try to write 3-4 times a week, every other day. So a minimum of 3 days a week, I am sitting down at the typewriter, sprinting through the words. Right now I am drafting, so I am just going and going until the timer stops me. I’ve been tracking my WPM, and I’m not mad at any of the results ever, I don’t like to put any pressure on that sort of thing, so I just collect the data and learn from it. 

I am proud to have almost finished Plato’s Republic, I have less than 200 pages left on the apple book. I hope to read the remaining pages by tomorrow. I can’t wait to pick out new fiction to read, it may be one of my favorite parts of having a yearly reading goal. The excitement and clean slate feeling after finishing a book, especially such a deep read and hard to digest, I really am giving myself the props for it. 

Yesterday on the bench in the park, I wrote down a series of words that were calling to me, words that I turned into a poem. I love the dance and the romance of writing poetry, and since I became a “poet” and started trying poems, I swear I can hear the calm wind in my ears, now.

There is the summary of my last week, and I can’t wait to see you back here when I post a blog next week. Thank you for sticking around to read until the end, I always appreciate you!

Until next time,

-- Emmy

Friday September 27, 2024

Dear Reader, 

It’s been of the most productive weeks this far, but I haven’t checked in with you at all. This last week, I have been absent from social media and late at posting this blog. Nevertheless, thank you for reading this blog post today! The weather is a bit cold half of the time now, but the earlier part of this week was warm. Yesterday, the weather was quite warm, also. Beyond the weather, it’s been an amazing time to get things accomplished. 

Task List in a tiny notebook

Have you ever tried a running to do list? I bought this memo pad a few weeks ago, and I’m using it as my task list. I’ve split the notebook in half, and the first half is a task list of all household / cleaning / organizing tasks, and the second half is all of my personal / career goals. It’s been working amazing. I write down tasks right when I think of them, and I started carrying it around with me at all times. I cross them off when they are complete, I scribble them out to cancel them, and I cross them out and draw an arrow if it’s lost in a sea of completed tasks and rewrite it at the bottom of the list. I have this key worked out, and so far it’s going swell. As far as the reward motivation, crossing a task off of the list with a solid, long line across it has been satisfying for me. 

I am working on getting everything in my writing fields done at least once a week, but for many things like my short story, reading endeavors, essays, and social media posts, I am doing them multiple times a week. But each day has been focused for a while now, however I have fallen behind a little. What I do is add tasks to the task list, and then I have a long list to catch up on. There are random days that I have a ton of motivation to catch up on days worth of work, and that is how I rely on my system. 

Writing Updates

My writing update is that I am working on a short story, multiple non fiction essays, and poetry. I’m practicing writing in 15 minute sprints, and I am tracking my words per minute to see the most effective time lengths for me and collect more data about my writing habits. I hope something can be published soon, I am working hard on sending things in to publishers to be read and considered. It’s another job all on its own to format and send all of those in. I am working in a diligent way to keep moving forward, and hope to see some results. 

My goal in general is to live my best life, but without the pressures. I do feel a lot of pressure, like for instance how there weren’t that many swimming pool days in my last summer, and that made me feel some fear of missing out. But no pressure, you know? If there isn’t time for something, I know I am doing the best that I can, which means prioritizing things. There are more examples but I try not to think about it. 

Finding my Fashion Style & Working on a Curly Hair Routine

I have been working on my fashion style, which has been an endeavor of mine since I discovered archetypes and Venus rising, and it has made me open my eyes to all clothing. I’ve scoured the internet and stores for the clothes that will fit me best and I’m sticking to a color palette, which consists of all of my favorite colors and neutrals. Keep in mind, these are colors I have always liked. When I am shopping now, I have a mental list of styles/pieces I need, and I make sure things fit well, follow my color palette. I made an extensive list over a year and a half ago, and it’s almost complete! 

My hair routine has seen a major upgrade, as well. I have always known I had naturally curly hair, but I am pretty much the only one in my family that does, so I did not know how to care for my hair in a proper way until very recently. My current hair routine is to wash my hair roots with shampoo, and condition the ends, rinse that out, condition the ends again and let sit for 5-10 minutes, brush my hair while rinsing out the conditioner, then I split my hair in two sections: left and right, I use my brush to seperate curl strands, then I scrunch, I get gel in my hand, rake it around the curl strands, then scrunch that gently and slowly. Both sides. I can clip it up for a little bit of time while it’s like this to get dressed but I have to let it out soon after to scrunch it back to shape and then let it dry without moving it much. My favorite is to sleep or let it dry with a hair wrap on.

I enjoy taking time each week to write this blog, it feels like I'm talking to you. I look forward to hearing from you on social media!

Until next time,

-- Emmy

Monday September 16, 2024

Dear Reader, 

It is the middle of September, which saying that reminds me of September by Daughtry… what a banger. Anyways, the weather is superb. It’s been giving us warm summer again, and it’s officially time to savor each last drop of warmth. 

I’ve been on an organization journey this week, and organized my desk by tenfold. My writing projects each have their own notebooks, along with separate notebooks for reading, planning, journals. This is a recipe for a lot of clutter. Through the years, my systems have evolved based on the home I was renting and which projects I was focused on. Which has helped prepare me with the knowledge necessary to transform any space I need into something more functional. There are a few natural steps to take with each organization project. 

The first important step is to solve problems within the space, and to create ways to save time in this particular area. Once you’ve done that, you could stop there. If you want to do more, you would find even more ways to upgrade and improve the space. Upgrade how the space looks, upgrade the containers, and make sure you get quality items that are sleek and last a while. My favorite system is to separate items by type, store little things in a container, and multiple little containers into a bigger container. And so on. Be mindful of the containers you choose, good quality ones with a natural or simple color that can be timeless in your space, durable, and for the best price you can find it. 

The next step is to establish a new routine or habit with this new space. So, for instance, if you have solved a problem with the space, then make it a new habit to incorporate the benefits into your day. How can you utilize all of your space and your items to best support you? If you have set up a new habit or routine, it’s part of this step to stick to it. New things are hard to be consistent with, so don’t be surprised that it’s hard to keep up with upgrades and changes to your routine. Be diligent to continue to practice these new habits, as it is the only way to grow and succeed. 

I did a desk revamp, and I started a bullet journal as a calendar in my purse. I have a lot of events and deadlines that need to be explicit on a calendar, and sometimes the phone app is easy to ignore. I started a monthly spread and a weekly spread, trying to keep track of deadlines and tasks that are due on both my calendar app and this bullet journal. It’s a little bit of extra work, and I can see how it’s tempting to give up and not put the effort in, but I know that instead I have to keep going. 

Life is a lot about learning that lesson, over and over again. 

Thanks for stopping by to read my blog this week, I enjoyed taking the time to put my thoughts down for you to read; I hope I have helped you with this information the same way that it has helped me this week. Until next time, have a wonderful week, and keep up with me through social media 

-- Emmy

Wednesday September 11, 2024

Dear Reader, 

It’s been a tumultuous few weeks in my life, with challenges from the world and people. These things are coming from left and right. Without giving too many details, I can say that a lot has been happening in regards to stress. It’s important to take things as they come and stay rooted in the moment. When times get distracting and start going too fast to keep up, staying focused on routine and what I am used to is vital. For peace of mind, stability, and because I know it can be easy to let habits fall through the cracks. Once a habit falls through, it’s sort of like a domino effect, where everything begins to go downhill along with it. Before you know it, a lot of aspects of life are in shambles. And how can you fix it, once the problem has gotten worse, and harder than you began with? There you have it, my current situation. My hopefully motivating plan on how I will get through this situation, minimally scathed. 

On a brighter note, I am enjoying quiet video game time this week. Since my mind has been craving autumn and the change of the season, I am trying to illuminate all of the great things I love about the fall season. And my mind immediately runs to reading, playing games on my phone, and movies/tv. But I’ve been so active in life this year that the tv isn’t on the list this time. The games I have been thinking about are Sims Freeplay & Township. Sims Freeplay is the free phone version of the game, which I have over 5 years of history on my account. Right now I am building the Snow Boarding Mountain, it’s taken two whole days to complete. And I’m playing Township, which is a farming game / town building game, but my current favorite in the genre. And, who remembers that original computer game on the desktop browser based on the CSI Miami tv show? That memory came to me recently, and I went and downloaded a murder mystery phone game to feel the vibes of that again. The thing with these new true crime games is that a lot of them are hide and seek type puzzles, which is different from the fingerprinting and sleuthing you could do on the CSI game, but I will take what I can get. 

I am still working to read Plato’s Republic, and I’m taking diligent notes to learn what Socrates is saying in the dialogues. 

I am working on my writing, practicing the 15 minute sprint technique. Trying to write as much and as fast as possible for a solid 15 minutes. Not much to add about the works in progress, other than I am focused on my short story. 

It’s been quite the busy week, with work and life, so I will end this blog here. I look forward to the next week, and I hope you will continue to follow along with me on this journey! I would love to hear from you on social media, what is the most motivating thing that has happened to you, either this week or all time? Send me your answer on social, and I will see you here next week! 

-- Emmy

Monday September 02, 2024

Hello reader!

I hope you are having a wonderful day. 

I have just awoken. And getting down to the desk this morning, I see there is a lot of stuff on the backlog. I have submissions to do for a lot of my reviews and essays, and I always get so excited when I put in submissions. I get a drastic boost of inspiration, and it’s like I am feeling the joy of something being accepted, even though it hasn’t happened yet. I am spending a lot of time planning my projects. I am the type of girl where I have a lot of ideas, and they have morphed into projects. I also have big dreams that have a lot of heads, like running this magazine, my personal writing projects, books, essays and poems for submissions, and running social media accounts for everything. All of this takes a lot, and so the list of things for me To Do tends to be extensive. 

As a writer, and one who tries to be out in the public view, there are some daily doses that are vital to success. 

First, reading. 

Types of reading that is necessary as a writer, and I am talking about doing this DAILY: 

FICTION: a book, a short story

NONFICTION: a non fiction book, this is a long form study that you tackle bit by bit

Magazines & newspaper: gives a close look at what is happening in real time, important to keep up with

POETRY: mostly for poets, lyricists, but it’s important to read them and explore all the vast oasis’s in poetry. You could listen to music that resonates with you, as well as music that resonates with people you know. 

Second, inspiration and ideas. 

The thing that takes a kid who loves to read into a writer who grows up to create stories is: IDEAS. Inspiration. Creativity. The imagination gets piqued, ideas form, and before you know it, you’re feeling an awful lot like a writer. This transition will happen to people of any age who realize that they love stories and want to tell them themselves. 

And third, planning.

This is important, but highly ignored. You’ve got your love for reading, you know the craft and genre you love to read, and you’ve got these ideas and inspiration to create a story for yourself. Let’s just say that this is where you land. Now, the only way forward is to be meticulous and plan a route to success. Where are you now, and what can you do to get to where you want to go? Get your ideas flowing and mark them down on a to do list. Mine is as long as the carpet, and I used to have a lot of trouble maintaining an order to things. I will give you guys information in the coming blogs about how I’ve learned to do this, and hopefully inspire you with my day to day work routine.

I want to have a discussion with readers and writers on social media about what they think is the most important part of a writer’s day. I can’t wait to read your comments and chat with you @emmyelenakatzen / @ekxtraordinaire! 

Until next time,

-- Emmy

Monday August 26, 2024

Hello Reader, 

The weather has been minacious. It’s been back and forth between steamy summer days and crisp fall days! How gripping, to see the gradual evolution of the weather as seasons change. It is the meteorological start of Fall in just under a week, and it happens to fall on this Sunday. Summer is coming to a close, people are getting ready for fall, and I am longing to keep ahold of my garden for a little while. What is in my garden is nothing special. I like to take care of a few plants here and there, and then keep ugly weeds away from them and everywhere else. I don’t mind the other weeds that grow if they are pretty, I only cut out the ugly ones. 

I feel trepidation about going into the fall months, because I don’t want summer to end. It has been a great season, full of wonderful days and plenty of new experiences. A lot of sun tannings, long walks, playing outdoors, time with family, enjoying nature’s abundance, and gardening. 

I only express these feelings to you because I want to share how normal it is to feel anxious about changing seasons and time passing. But it’s important to look at this as an opportunity for growth. 

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” 

-- F. Scott Fitzgerald

There is an entire week left of August, and I am working on: 

• wrapping up a short story project

• wrapping up an essay/ article 

• submissions 

• journaling & planning for the next month

September is going to be such an amazing month, and not because of the Septembers that have come before, and all of their lovely glory, but because it is the next month of my life and I have such amazing things planned! 

"I guess I'm just feeling all September-ish...All the trees change color, the days get very clear—with little smoke on the horizon from burning leaves. Pumpkins begin to come out." 

-- George Selden

Have you ever tried growing a pumpkin? It’s a fun, amazing transition to fall experience. The green leaves and ground level vines will grow first, and take over a large area. Big triangular leafs. And then the pumpkins appear. 

“But when fall comes, kicking summer out on its treacherous ass as it always does one day sometime after the midpoint of September, it stays awhile like an old friend that you have missed.”

 -- Stephen King

Staying for a while, the colder weather is going to take over the days and the nights. It’s going to be a treat to see how I can tackle the projects ahead, and by that I mean my stories and essays and poems that I get to write! I’m so in love with the weather right now, I hardly want to blink because I know it will be gone soon. For now, the focus is on stretching every moment and sitting in the now. Writing everything that I want to. Following my muse where it takes me. 

Talk again soon. 

-- Emmy

Wednesday August 14, 2024

Dear reader,

This summer, I have been deep in a poetry phase. The romanticism of summertime has enthralled me and I’ve been so excited to produce a ton of poems. I was passionate to write mostly ONLY poetry for all of the last two months!

But last week, something changed. I was reawakened to my short story that has been on the shelf. I haven’t worked on this piece for the greater part of a year, and it is finally time to crack it back open. I spent a bit of time searching for all of the pieces of it scattered around my files and in different notebooks. And I found it all, and I am revising the outline once more before I begin to draft again. I’m calling it my first draft, because I kind of consider the last one to be a rough draft since so much has changed in the plot.

And when I tell you that I am so in love with this story, I mean it. This story is so perfect, so juicy, and dramatic. It’s bad ass. It’s so fun. And I am so absorbed by the world right now, I don’t know when I’ll come back out!

Thank you if you’re reading this blog, and I hope you continue to read and that we can continue to go down a writing journey together!

-- Emmy

Sunday August 04, 2024

Dear Reader, 

I am happy to be here, to sit down and be able to talk with you about my week. I am blessed to have been spending a lot of time on writing, and pushing the boundaries of how much work I have been able to get done. I am very proud of the progress that I made, and I have also sat down to brainstorm new plans. I’m looking far into the future, and planning out a well rounded approach to making sure I am on track, and a lot of that has to do with being consistent. 

So many new things are in the works, and it’s made me so excited to share it with you all. 

If you follow me on social media, you may know that I have recently decided to submit my work for publishing in other magazines. I was making a lot of progress in the Indie realm, and I feel like I have grown a bit and gained confidence through my small fan base, that I now want to expand my reach. I’m working on my portfolio and my pitches and then submitting away! It’s so fun and exciting, I have probably annoyed some of you by trying to convey how very excited I am.

If you are reading this, I want to thank you, thank you, thank you. It means a LOT that you are here and hopefully will consider yourself a part of my community. I look forward to reading any of your comments, and I am open to conversation on social media as well.

There are going to be some changes, so as a State of the Union:

• Weekly blog posts

• I want to hear from you guys, so follow me on everything please: @emmyelenakatzen  /  @ekxtraordinaire 

I will see you next time!

-- Emmy

Wednesday June 12, 2024

One of my favorite things about this blog is sharing with you what has been on the forefront of my mind, and today I want to talk about being mindful. We are blessed with the technology of the modern day, but the abilities are overwhelming. 

As much as possible, stay focused on internal peace. Stay positive, and with your eyes on the prize. And what is the prize? For each person it can be different, and I am not talking about "god given purpose" here. For each person, they probably want to be happy. At minimum. They want to be healthy, comfortable, without pain and disorder. A lot of us want to have pets, children, and a partner near us, people to keep us company. A lot of us are fine with no one. We all need food, water, and a nice place that we like to live. Some basic things. Beyond that is a different topic, so let's focus on these things. These basic fundamentals people like to have on a daily basis. Some would say we need these things in order to live a good life. Maybe so. 

Try to get in touch with yourself today. Ask yourself what you need, and make sure you meet those needs. Come back and read more from The EKxtraordinaire when you have time, and as I post more like this, you can be notified by social media. 

I will leave you all with a poem I wrote, (June 11 2024).

-- Emmy

Thursday February 29, 2024

Good evening! Let's start with a briefing. I have decided to submit an essay for publishing. There is one article that I had previously planned to publish here, and you may be looking forward to it, so I just wanted to start with this news. Also, if I am not specific in the future with the topic or details of a work in progress, I am just keeping the project low-key. I'll keep you updated as much as I can, through this blog, and on my X, Threads, and Instagram accounts. 

Now, onto the next topic: today's agenda! It is Thursday in the early evening, and today was an inspired day of reading. I woke up this morning and decided to focus on enjoying the day, since I had the luxury of taking a nice break. 

I tried to begin on a good note, and I think the key is making sure to start the day according to how you feel. Focusing on the best parts of your routine, and finding out what feels best for you to do, first thing when you wake up. If you do these things, you're guaranteed to be on the right track to having a good day, right? If you don't know what you want to do in your routine, don't worry. Soon, I will create resources on that topic, where I will help explain exactly what you can do to find out who you are and what you enjoy doing. 

It's important to find your true self, and make sure to take care of the true you. It's hard to see to the root of our problems a lot of the time, hard to see the right paths to take in front of us, based on our goals and our lives. But it's always in our best interest to know exactly what we are working with. A person can not advocate for themselves if they don't know their own values, beliefs, weaknesses and shortfalls. 

Our beliefs and perceptions on our lives are ingrained into our subconscious minds. Even though you may feel or appear in control, you still need to check in with yourself, at least once in a while. Today, I took a good break to reflect, do a lot of journaling, reading, and taking notes. And I feel amazing! 

I am brainstorming topics that I want to write about, and making a list of research to do. The future of this magazine is bright, and I am so grateful to be in charge of steering the ship. 

Ta, for now,

-- Emmy

Tuesday January 09, 2024

Reading is the whole point here, am I right? The point of this magazine, and why it was founded. Reading is why any magazine is created and cherished. So... reading. I love to read, and I love-love to write. When we read books, short stories, and poetry, along with watching television and films, we are consuming writing.  It takes time to read, to get better at reading. And by being better readers, we can become better writers. I like to read and consume writing so much, I figure I should put it to use by writing reviews. 

This afternoon, I worked on a wonderful project based on the Pantone color of the year. Not sure when that's coming out but it will be on Instagram Reels and YouTube, soon. Carving out time to brainstorm ideas, and then I can't wait to create graphics. I also recently announced the launching of my freelance services, though I haven't priced all of the things I will offer yet. 

Immediately after writing this blog, I'm going to pick up my fiction WIP and write for a couple of hours in the coziness of my office. I haven't been counting the words on the outline, but I'm trudging through a story circle for this short story... it's going great and I'm super excited to get drafting again. This is the second go around on drafting this story, the first time the details weren't falling into place like I wanted them to, so it sat for a while. Got the inspiration last month to get going on it again, and here I am almost through the outline! Chef's kiss!

-- Emmy

Tuesday October 10, 2023

3 PM

Good afternoon, reader. 

I am very eager to be back here after a much needed breath of fresh air. I was taking time away from social media and from making posts to the magazine. Now, alas, I am here & excited to talk to you about my life. 

I've been loving the weather, getting outside in nature as much as possible. I spend my entire mornings outside, listening to the birds and the squirrels. The nights are getting colder, and the mornings with it. This past week, leaves started fluttering down from trees in the back and front yard. So we are transitioning from summer to fall. When is the official date? 

The first day of fall: September 23, 2023.

Sounds about right, then. Nevertheless, I am starting to wonder when my morning routine of making a coffee and sitting outside will come to an end. For now, my adjustment has been hot coffee and a blanket, and I'm still enjoying the sounds of the morning in between shivers. Kidding, but I do get a bit colder than normal people I think... so I'm not exaggerating that much. 

After, I get inside and get to work. I've been writing my ass off, on secret novels and essays and projects. I want to include you guys in the process of my writing and other creative endeavors, but I'm just beginning to learn how to share that part of me. For now, you can catch me on Instagram and Threads the most. I'm making it a super-goal to update this blog everyday!

Until next time, 

-- Emmy

P.S. Looking for a book to read? Read my book reviews, it's a majority of Stephen king short stories so far!

Sunday August 13, 2023

1 PM

Good afternoon, reader. 

Putting on the finishing touches for this week's issue of the EKxtraordinaire. As promised, there is going to be a short story review on Stephen King's Popsy, and there's going to be an essay on the musing of art and fashion. A biography of an exquisite fashion house and their artistic essence. 

Thanks for your patience, and your time. Stay tuned, sign up for the newsletter to be notified by email when the issue is live on the EKxtraordinaire magazine, sometime tomorrow. 

-- Emmy

Friday August 11, 2023

7 PM

Good evening, reader.

Just checking in quickly, as my project writing is the main priority tonight.

A series of crazy storms has swept across the country this week, and a lot of people have been affected. It's important to be grateful for simply being here, being safe, and having a good time.

Don't forget to have a wonderful week, and enjoy the rest of the summer. It is passing by faster than I hoped, but it's not too late to slow it down. To a great week! Cheers.

-- Emmy

Thursday August 10, 2023

3 PM

Good afternoon, reader.

This blog is about love. First, it's so awesome that you're checking in on me, and I want you to know it means a lot. This week, I have worked hard and dedicated a lot of time towards this magazine and to you as the reader. I appreciate you for being here.

Furthermore, I love what I do. I love to write and I love this magazine, and I love the essay that's coming out in this week's issue. I love the topic of art and fashion, and this essay has perfectly wrapped the two together. I love to read and to do research, and I love to organize. I love love love everything I do.

Thanks for being here on this journey with me, you will see the amazing leap of growth that is soon to happen. Stay tuned, subscribe to the newsletter and Instagram for updates.

-- Emmy

Wednesday August 09, 2023

3 PM

Good afternoon, reader.

The new issue of The EKxtraordinaire will be available this weekend.

I'm proud to add that there will be a feature essay & a short story review for your indulgence. 

By the way, I hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday! It's been a lovely, long week of rainy afternoons for me. It almost feels like this is the fourth Sunday this week, which is amazing. I'm working on the issue of the magazine, drafting my scifi novel, outlining my novella, reading as much as I can, updating you lovely reader, as much as I can... and, putting together videos and reels for Instagram.

-- Emmy

P.S. Does anybody still use Twitter? I'm genuinely out of the loop on worldly drama, especially re. the drama of Twitter... nevertheless, now I feel I may be left in a sinking ship????

Tuesday August 08, 2023

5 PM

Good evening, reader.

I've been reflecting a lot on the affect that I want the magazine to have on people, and I think that consistency is key to being important in people's lives.

To implement consistency, the first step is to begin to build the first habit. When we try to change something in our life, the first challenge is usually our habits. So it's vital to break old habits by replacing them with good habits. Building up blocks of good habits, in the interest of a goal, is the only way to create change that will stick.

As I said, MY goal is to be more consistent, so every day I have a habit to work a certain amount. I put in the amount of hours allotted for each task, and before long, day after day, those blocks are building up. With this tool, we can all make changes, like to be more consistent, in the blink of an eye.

-- Emmy

Sunday July 30, 2023

7 PM

Good evening, reader. 

On this beautiful, fine Sunday, I am nearing the middle of the 3rd Quarter of 2023. Though I only loosely planned this quarter's deadlines, there is a lot going on in the month of August for me & the magazine. Most of the summer was reserved for taking time off and focusing on life. Now, I'm going to get back into writing full swing AND enjoy the rest of the warm weather. 

It's so important to take the time off needed, even from hobbies and side hustles- and especially from a career and day job. Like what Malebo Sephodi meant when she said: "Take time off. The world will not fall apart without you." As I am living through each day, I try to keep this in mind. It helps to keep the ego in check, so I don't convince myself that my role here is something that it isn't. My role here is to share my work, to share my thoughts and feelings through my writing, but most importantly - to share messages that are important for me to share. I am refreshed and excited to get some essays, reviews, and other blog posts out for you to read.

I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead!

-- Emmy

Saturday July 29, 2023

9 PM

Good evening, reader. 

It's been a wonderful summer, and yet it is hard to grasp that it's short lived. It may be coming to an end soon, but I hope that you are taking the time to savor the weather and get outside. We should take each day, and embrace each moment, as it comes, including the hottest days of the year that we can't wait to end... soon we will be hoping for it back. 

I have been busy living each day to the fullest, and recharging my batteries for creativity in the process. 

Now, batteries charged, it is time for some hard work. Evidence of hard work coming soon.....

-- Emmy

Thursday June 15, 2023

Good evening, reader. 

Simply enough, I have been too busy to update the blog until now, after 9 PM. It's already really late tonight, but I figured that the time I post my blog doesn't matter at all. So here it is. 

This morning, there were seven unfinished tasks on the essay I'm working on. After writing for over four hours today, all of this afternoon, there are now only two things left to do. Then, the thing is ready to be edited. 

I need an hour or more tonight to write my novel, so until next time! 

-- Emmy

Tuesday June 13, 2023

Good evening, reader. 

After a successful writing day, most of my essay is organized and drafted. For some reason, I severely underestimated how long it would take me to complete this piece. 

My subject is so fascinating, the research could be endless. Carried away into the depths of the internet with inspiration from the subject, and before I know it... it's been hours. Research can take days and weeks this way, people. 

Coming soon, we promise! Ta, for now.

-- Emmy

Monday June 12, 2023

Good afternoon, reader. 

After working hard on the new look for the website, I must say it is absolutely better and more perfect than we intended it to be. The greens and the yellows blended oh so perfectly... I hope you love it as much as I do. 

Also, more structural integrity is on the way when it comes to a sort of schedule for the magazine. It's been our goal to be more punctual and consistent, but it's not something that's been possible so far. However, soon there are changes made to ensure that more will be coming from us, AND more often as well. As we get better at doing what we do, things will be a bit better for everyone- meaning more content for you, the amazing reader. 

I have a novel in the works, and that takes up a good majority of my time. The rest of that time has been dedicated to this magazine, so thank you for being here to read it. Talk tomorrow? Ta! 

-- Emmy

Sunday June 11, 2023

Good afternoon, reader. 

You may notice some changes coming to our sites aesthetic, and a couple of other minor improvements. I want the site to be authentic to my personality, so I've chosen to add a little flair with the background colors, and the photos in the collage are very colorful... 

During the past few weeks, there has been a lot of brainstorming and planning for the future of this magazine. Going in the same direction as we were at the start, but faster. The vision is to create the magazine of my dreams, and I hope The EKxtraordinare will become the magazine of your dreams, too.

-- Emmy

Sunday May 28, 2023

Good evening, reader. 

While working on the finishing touches of my latest essay and realizing it likely will not be complete until at least Tuesday. There's a touch of research needed to do still, a plot hole, if you will. I had to update here in the blog in case there was anyone looking out for it today. And if that is you, thanks a million! We won't let you down!

Aside from that, I want to get the Word Of The Day going again on socials, but there are intentions to add it as a section on the magazine’s website, too. Keep an eye out for that super fun feature. 

Until next week!

-- Emmy

Friday May 26, 2023

Good evening, reader. 

This is a busy Friday since I have a lot of projects in progress, one of which will be posted in the magazine this weekend. 

The essay I'm working on is about fashion and the runway, one that I teased on twitter a little while ago. This has been a fun challenge for me to do a ton of research and put together a nice exposition on my subject. I chose a topic that is in my peak interests lately, and I've been super excited to share it with you.

-- Emmy

Thursday May 25, 2023

Good afternoon, reader. I have only a little bit of time today for writing, and I am focusing on writing fiction. I write both fiction and nonfiction, sometimes on the same days, but today I need to drive my energy in one direction. I'm motivated in my fiction world, motivated to bring it to life, in a clearer and more deeper way. 

I'm working on outlining the scene I'm drafting, and then writing the scene. I'm going really slow on the opening chapters and scenes, just because that's how I have felt most comfortable approaching it this time around. I made a lot of changes to the story throughout the drafts, so it's important to make sure it's right this time. No more plot holes. 

Until next time! 

-- Emmy

Monday May 22, 2023

Dear Reader, 

After taking a few days off, I am back and better than ever! Writing a little bit everyday is my goal, and I try to meet that as much as I can. I appreciate this blog for holding me accountable with another writing project. Even though it is minimal effort right now, I believe that there are a lot of writers out there like me who are interested in reading a blog like mine. So stick around if you like my vibe and share this with your friends too. 

-- Emmy

Friday May 19, 2023

Today I am feeding the muse.

There are many ways for me to achieve this, like listening to new music, watching inspiring tv shows or movies, reading books either fiction or nonfiction, going on a walk, or a hike through nature. Doing exercise or yoga, meditating, painting, drawing, interior design, cleaning, shopping (and more.) This is important prep work for a perfect writing routine. If you can, make sure to do something today that will fill your creative cup, and inspire you to make art.

-- Emmy

Thursday May 18, 2023

Tweet: "Outlining like crazy today. There is no way that I can't figure out how to sort the storyline and make it all flow in perfect sequence. It seems like an absolute disaster now, but it will be amazing in due time."

Some outlining is necessary before I can dive into scene two, and I am a bit hesitant. I don't feel like there is enough direction for this scene, not enough action. Maybe I'll have to do a bit of creative research, take a breather, and step back until I can find the right things to make my characters do in this scene. Anyway, once I've figured that out and completed an in depth outline, I am ready to draft this. Maybe in the next few coming days.

-- Emmy

Wednesday May 17, 2023

Starting a new thing here! I am opening up this blog to show a deeper side of the writer behind this magazine. No other medium is as effective as a blog to create a relationship with an audience as a writer. Some of you may already know, but if you don't know, I am the sole essayist & editor in chief keeping this magazine running. But not only that I also write fiction. Science fiction, fantasy, romance, romantic comedy, & short fiction. This side of me is not presented much on this magazine, so I wanted to carve out a place for our readers who also love fiction to get to know me. Starting with a blog that I will take down my thoughts and feelings as I go through my writing routine. I write most days, and today was dedicated to chapter one, scene one (ch1,sc1). I've already written it for the most part, but before I move on I want to practice my outlining abilities. I want to outline scene two to the max and see how that makes me feel.

-- Emmy

 ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO HAVE  A READER REACH THE END / THE BOTTOM IS THE FIRST POST I EVER MADE! TYSM <3