Let’s talk about wellness. Not the pastel-colored, perfectly curated, green-juice-cleansing version of wellness that usually clutters your feed. I’m talking about the raw, necessary, and sometimes brutal art of simply stopping.

If the last few weeks in the Starr-Verse have taught me anything, it’s that the digital grind—and the algorithmic overlords that police it—will happily consume every ounce of your energy if you let it. Sometimes, the most radical act of self-care you can commit is to step out of the endless scroll, find a quiet concrete wall, and let the harsh midday sun remind you that you actually exist in the physical world.

The Architecture of Rest

Take a look at these shadows. There is something deeply grounding about brutalist architecture and hard, geometric light. It doesn’t ask anything of you. It just is. When I’m deep in the trenches of writing—plotting the next occult corporate hostile takeover or untangling the messy, dangerous lives of the characters in The Sterling Cross Files—my brain is running a marathon in a dozen different directions. Add the daily chaos of content creation to that, and the mental noise becomes deafening.

Wellness, for me, often looks exactly like this. It’s stripping away the noise. It’s trading the tailored suits and heavy armor for textured sweats, finding a corner where the light hits just right, and allowing the mind to wander into the dark, quiet spaces it usually avoids. You have to get comfortable in your own skin, and sometimes, you just have to get comfortable doing absolutely nothing.

Embracing the Shadows

We are constantly told to “find the light” and “stay positive,” but there is immense value in the shadows. The chiaroscuro of our lives—the stark contrast between our public-facing wins and our private, quiet exhaustion—is what gives us depth. You can’t have the brilliant, viral moments without the necessary, quiet periods of recharge in the dark.

“A warlock CEO doesn’t panic when the lights go out; he just learns to see in the dark.”

Rest is a strategic asset. If you are constantly pouring from an empty cup, your creative magic dries up. Whether you are battling literal demons in a fantasy noir or just battling your own inbox on a Wednesday afternoon, giving yourself permission to shut down, tune out, and rest your heavy head against a wall isn’t weakness. It’s preparation.

Living Unfiltered

This is why having this space—this blog, owned by us, away from the unpredictable panic of social media bots—is my favorite form of digital wellness. Here, we don’t have to worry about whether a shadow or a silhouette is going to trigger a community guidelines violation. We can just be authentic, unfiltered, and connected.

So, here is your assignment for the week: Find your own concrete wall. Put on your most comfortable sweatpants. Let the sun hit your face, and let the rest of the world wait on hold.

P.S. If you’ve followed the breadcrumbs from my other platforms to find a little sanctuary here, welcome to the inner circle. Make sure you are subscribed to the email list so we never lose touch, no matter what the algorithm decides to do tomorrow. And if your idea of wellness involves curling up with a wickedly good book, you know exactly where to find Wicked Assets.

Stay grounded, Starr-Gazers.