October 14, 2026
To whoever finds this first,
Long before I shapeshifted between my roles as a corporate consultant and dog mom and beloved wife and music licensing agent and business owner, the moment I could put pen to paper, I was——and always will be——a writer.
Here is my driving belief: that the act of creation, whether conceptual and artistic or literal and procreative, community-based or independent, perfect or not——almost any act of human expression that encourages the continuation of society and inspires social discussion and action——is the main purpose of humanity.
This core personal theory, combined with the ongoing global conversations and challenges brought on by artificial intelligence, inspire me to write once again. My hope is that my collection of thoughts will inspire you too. After all, public discourse is a civic obligation.
These letters are not only an attempt to express myself, but also to embark in the self-exploration of my innermost thoughts. This practice will allow me to challenge myself and connect with others who might share my sentiments, enjoy my observations, or even criticize or delight me with their own independent opinions.
I shall consider every reader a friend, whether they are known to me or not. As my friend, you will be asked to suffer through my endless baseball analogies, tolerate my sense of humor which I will often mistake for my own cleverness, perch upon my shoulder to help me consider good versus evil, and share in the emotional turmoil of being a global citizen. In the end, I hope that my words will inspire you to follow your creative instincts and take action.
Go forth and participate in humanity.
Very Sincerely Yours,
Nathalie Q. Phan-Clifford
P.S. On the topic of style, I'm quite sure by now you've noticed my incorrigible fondness of descriptive lists——a periodic area of grief for one of my writing professors in college, a technical writer by trade, who criticized me with humdrum accusations of being "self-indulgent" and despised me for not specializing in brevity. I’m publishing my opinions, not writing a damn handbook, Professor!
That said, whatever they may be, I welcome your opinions on my writing, counter arguments, and any other well-reasoned complaints which you may send to me by e-mail: [email protected] or via the Contact page.