Food, film, beauty, language, and literature lover. I write a little bit of everything.
** Last Updated: September 15, 2021
My life as a writer started when my parents gave me a little blank book with a cat on the cover for Christmas when I was maybe 8 or 9 years old. Something extraordinary happened when I decided to turn that book into a…
I no longer allow people to tell me the things I want most out of life aren’t impressive enough. You shouldn’t either.
Growing up, I was absolutely fascinated with foreign countries and cultures. Languages, people, food, music — if it had anything whatsoever to do with someplace other than where I was, I was all about it.
I’d spend hours and hours devouring books, movies, and documentaries about different places. And I’d…
And if you really want to be happy, you won’t try.
A while back, I wrote a dating article called 8 Brutally Honest Reasons Why She Doesn’t Want to Date You. It was one of my first stabs at writing about relationships for myself (as opposed to one of my clients), and it was filled with things I’d always wanted to…
Fiction
A Lemon-Colored Fable for Those Who Walk in the Sunlight
There are those we don’t yet know but wish to know someday. They breathe magic and fairy dust without even trying. The air becomes electric for reasons you can’t entirely identify if they happen to walk into a room when you weren’t expecting them. They sparkle. They shine. …
Elevated Living Newsletter: October 2021
I know things like calendars, dates, and… well… time are nothing but social constructs and all, but I still couldn’t help myself. Knowing it was officially October when I got up this morning was enough to make the world feel a little more magical. …
And to be honest, I’m starting to wonder why I ever became one.
Alcoholism isn’t a struggle I’ve mentioned in very much of my writing until extremely recently, and I suppose there are a couple of reasons for that. One is good, old-fashioned shame. …
I’m also officially done feeling guilty about it.
“I’m actually surprised you never decided to get on board with the natural hair movement. You’re one of the strongest, most authentic women I know, so I would have thought you’d be one of the first.” …
Fiction
A Fable of Lightness, Heaviness, and Perspective
When the world was first born, every atom of every stone and tree crackled with magic — contained energy that could be accessed by anyone at any time. In fact, magic was so commonplace, no one thought anything of it when the seemingly impossible would occur. The earth was like…
If you work for yourself, you’re allowed to take a sledgehammer to rules that don’t work for you. Start with these.
Granted, I’m a lot less rebellious than I used to be now that I’m cruising comfortably into middle age, but I’m still not the kind of person most folks think of when they picture someone who has their shit together. I don’t blindly follow the rules or other people’s advice…
And you don’t have to apologize for, explain, or justify your decisions to anyone.
“You know, Shannon, it’s like no one’s good enough for you. You better do something about that pickiness of yours before you wind up alone.”
That’s something I’ve heard more than once in my life, but sentiments like that were especially plentiful when I left my first marriage. My ex-husband…
Shannon Hilson
Full-time writer. Casual linguist. Unapologetic smartass. | Email: bellingthecat@gmail.com | Connect Elsewhere: https://linktr.ee/shannonhilson
