Why start a blog in 2026?
The blog died years ago, killed by these despondent online silos we call “social” media. We live in the era of X, Substack, Medium, AI, a million things a second, faster, better, nower. What’s my intent here?
That’s a good question. In a word,
Soul
What do you put in a first post? Except a few indexing bots, nobody is here. The field is barren, untilled; rocks and roots scattered about, nothing planted. Wholly unimpressive, a blank slate, waiting to be filled or, much more likely, abandoned under the slow erosion of life. As with so much else we pursue, especially creative, it begins as breathing to life that deeply held part of us, holding it tenderly, feeling its heartbeat. Then shame arises, right on cue, as predictable as the sunrise and asks us, “What are you doing?” Suddenly, we are repulsed, embarrassed by our joy and that which held so much beauty and mystery for us is abandoned.
I’ve written most of my life. I have vivid memories from elementary school and a few essays I wrote which provoked a response. Enough as a 10-year-old, I felt the heat in my chest brought on by the admiration of my peers. When you are young, pride simply feels good, and you don’t know how dangerous it is. I continued to write. Journals, a few more essays, trying my hand at a few longer works, discovering the beauty and inspiration of poetry. I started to see lines drawn between ideas, an intuition here, a verse or quote over there, the purple fire in clouds at sunset and a photograph of a child laughing. I write about what I see, what I feel. Simply tuning the radio dial to the slow drumbeat of the world which goes on beneath the shrill scream of progress and efficiency.
The years go by, I work, get married. Now I’m a husband and trying to figure out how to love my wife. Kids come along, and the common grace of numerous blessings fills our home and our hours; God has been immeasurably good to us. Through his grace, I feel a nudge to share more of my writing. “How do you do that?” I wonder, more as an exercise in intellectualizing the simple, setting myself up for a slow letdown in case I once again abandon this to no regard. I try a few ways. Posting on X, LinkedIn, just filling my journal with ideas. There is always resistance, as Stephen Pressfield would say.
In August 2025, I registered justinbryan.me. I messed around with it for a few weeks, got frustrated, and quit. For the next 10 months, it sat parked, unused, unengaged, just another subscription I signed up for and didn’t use. But God has used the time to focus and clarify things in my heart, my understanding of him, and how I approach my creativity. It’s time to start again. This is an offering to you, reader, for whatever it’s worth. On these digital pages, you will encounter such things as:
- The Gospel of Jesus Christ
- AI and it’s effect on everything
- Theology
- The American church
- Fatherhood and family
- Masculine formation
- The nature and goodness of God.
- Book reviews, musings, and quotes that stir me
- The growing and nurturing of a mustache
- Poems and essays
- Witticism in love
- Mereness
I am considering different rhythms for how posting here will look, but my guiding principle is soul. I won’t post every day. A reality of this phase of life and understanding the limitations of my own capacity. I get to choose and try my best to love In grace, not row against it. What sustains, feeds, nourishes my soul and glorifies God. This is one of my places to explore and share what I’m learning and (I hope) to encourage you, reader, in the process.
With gratitude,
Justin
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