Girl Meets Troll

When I first sketched out how this twelve-week experiment might take shape, I was seated at a favorite café with one of my beloved regular writing companions, Jillian Hess.

I told her I was inspired by the opening line of Dante’s Inferno, and without missing a beat, she said, “You need to find your Virgil,” referencing Dante’s guide. “That’d be nice,” I agreed, barreling ahead with my plan. When the student is ready, the Virgil will appear.

But in the days that followed, I realized I already had my Virgil — a whole team of them, in fact, whose guidance had indirectly led me toward this moment. While this project is largely self-designed, aspects are informed by four “Virgils” — psychological (a therapist), spiritual (a minister), tactical (a coach), and what I am calling “unseen Virgil” — the influence of Spirit, my higher self, or what 2010s manifestation culture would deem “the universe.” I am grateful for their information, inspiration, and encouragement, which you’ll hear more about in the coming weeks.

The Passion Project is an experiment, not a prescription. I am an unlicensed human who’s finding my way as I go along. Furthermore, I rail against the societal imperative that paints life as one big self-improvement project. That being said, I envision this as a season of self-inquiry more than self-help.

Some folks have reached out to express their desire to follow along on this journey together. To make it easier, you’ll find a summary with questions and suggestions at the bottom of each post.

As with all offerings, I encourage you to make it your own. Take whatever may be helpful, and leave the rest.

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So, why a dedicated experiment? Why not just read a book and keep going to therapy? Because a) I’VE TRIED THAT, and b) I needed something to shake things up and coax me out of the freeze state where I frequently exist. And, frankly, because it sounded fun.

There were three catalysts that helped it take shape.

The first was that I couldn’t stand myself any longer. This may sound like self-cruelty, but it’s very much the opposite. I mean it in the sense that when you love someone it’s hard to sit back and watch them exist in a cycle of self-destructive behavior.