About
I am a writer, a thinker, a talker, a woman, a wife, and a mother. I am TJ Hirst, the author of Illuminate Everyday, and I write at this website every day.
My everyday realms are ordinary, but they are a microcosm of larger realms. Considering and connecting, comparing and contrasting everyday experiences to each other and to the larger world reveals truth.
To illuminate is to provide or brighten with light, to make understandable, to clarify and to enlighten. My writing is a creative process to discover that light and “elevate the everyday rather than denigrate it.” My goal on this website is to share that process and what I discover.
In addition to creative writing and commentary, I share some of my answers to the question that I ask myself daily, biographies of everyday people, media reviews, and my pondering.
Here are three of my favorite posts:
Filling in the Blank
The Eight Minute Love Story
The Bread and Butter of Friendship
I also host Try-It-With-Me Tuesday, when I propose a monthly reading challenge and weekly self-improvement goals and encourage readers to Try Them With Me; then we report on our progress and what we learned from the experience in comments and linked posts.
The Internet is interactive, and I welcome comments on my writing from new and returning readers. That feedback encourages a two-way conversation that shapes our thought process. Feel free to add your thoughts at the end of my writing; leaving your full name is not necessary.
I live in Minnesota with my husband, Paul, and three children. He is the behind-the-scenes part of this website team. I recognize and appreciate him as my web designer and technical guru who makes my writing accessible to a broader audience. My children are identified by their initials: eh is my 14-year-old daughter, nh is my 11-year-old son, and kh is my 9-year-old daughter.
I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), and while my spirituality influences my content, my site is applicable to a broader audience and not geared specifically toward other members of my church. –TJ
