Really, the biggest hurdle, for me, to writing more — more often, more thoughtfully, more substantively — is finding the motivation to actually sit down and write. It’s a struggle to make it a priority, which is too bad. I enjoy writing. It’s something I tend to do well, and it helps me think more critically about the things I believe, the news stories I encounter, the people I meet, the work I do, the stories I tell.

This writing muscle of mine needs exercise, but just like lifting weights or setting off for a brisk morning run, this sort of exercise requires plenty of motivation. I’m not being paid for my writing — at least not directly, not like a newspaper columnist or a professional blogger — and I have a family and friends and all sorts of other hobbies to occupy my time.

It’s time to make “wanting to write more” enough of a motivator to write more.

I’ve been telling myself this for months, but now that my desire to write is in writing, it’s official. Recently, my inspiration has come from two friends. One is Rick Mahn, who wrote a post called “Doing it wrong,” in which he bemoans the inclination to hold back, reminding me — these are my own words — to just write, damn it. Get on with it!

Another is Andrew effin’ Miller. Miller joined the crew at Fast Horse after running a kick-ass campaign during our nifty summer intern-search program. I knew right out of the gates that this kid was a one-man media empire. (Andrew Miller Omnimedia has a nice ring to it, no?) Most significant is the daily writing he does for his blog, The Miller Times.

If he can do it, why the hell can’t I? There’s nothing special about him (lie). I don’t intend to publish a piece on a daily basis, but I certainly plan to write more. More frequently. More intelligently. More effectively.

And to do that, I’m going to need my own little content strategy, as we marketing folks call it. I’ll write about that soon.

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Tonight’s drive home from work featured an album I can, after some consideration, confidently describe as perfect. I don’t mean that it is without technical flaw; I’m sure a close listen would turn up a few hiccups here and there. Rather, I mean it is nearly unmatched in its ability to make me giddy. Even depressing, heart-wrenching music makes me giddy in a way — joyful at the songwriter’s skill for putting into words what most just put into mild alcoholism.

The list that follows contains some albums I consider to be perfect. Amazing. For-christ’s-sake-buy-it-now good. This list is far from complete; I plan to add to it over time, but for now, I can’t help but share these incredible works of music.

In no particular order, the first additions to my Perfect Albums list:

• “August and Everything After” by the Counting Crows
• “Lifeline” by Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
• “Sky Blue Sky” by Wilco
• “Live at Java Joe’s” by Jason Mraz
• “Purple” by the Stone Temple Pilots
• “Z” by My Morning Jacket
• “Led Zeppelin III” by Led Zeppelin
• “I and Love and You” by the Avett Brothers
• “Return to Cookie Mountain” by TV on the Radio
• “Only by the Night” by Kings of Leon
• “Gold” by Ryan Adams

Perfect. Perfect. Don’t even start arguing with me. Rest assured, though, I’m well aware this list is far from complete. This was mostly compiled off the top of my head. And for the record, the Ben Harper album is the one that prompted this post, but “Sky Blue Sky” is the album I first described as perfect. Thank you, Nels Cline.

What albums would be on your Perfect list?

(Update 7/24/2010: Now that we’re squarely in the middle of summer, I’ve again come across what might be my favorite — not the best; my favorite — album of all time, which should be on this Perfect list: Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti.)

(Update 2/23/2011: How could I forget the Red Hot Chili Peppers?! I hereby add “By the Way” to this list. And for god’s sake: Beck’s “Guero.”)

I’m about to turn 27 years old, and somehow I’ve made it through life — not to mention high school English classes, specifically — without yet having read Catcher in the Rye.

I’ve read a lot of books in my still young life, including a lot of classics. I devoured Old Man and the Sea, which still stands as perhaps my favorite book and which undoubtedly gave Papa Hemingway the Mike’s Favorite Author trophy, in a single night. (I know that’s not much of an accomplishment, as it’s a rather short book. Shut up.) But somehow, this post-World War II novel slipped by.

My bookshelf looks like “who’s who” of lit class syllabi, with the Hemingway, Orwell, Fitzgerald, Vonnegut, Updike. Those, coupled with my collection of journalism and political science textbooks, make for quite the geeky personal library.

I believe it was A Farewell to Arms I was in the middle of when a friend once asked, “Who the hell are you trying to impress?”

Honestly, I’m just looking for authors who’ll impress me.

Photo courtesy of Reini68 on Flickr

I love books. I love newspapers and magazines, too, but books are on a different level. Reading a good book, whether a novel or a work of non-fiction, is such a rewarding experience. Holding a book, smelling a book only makes the experience better.

When I buy books, I intentionally go to a used book store and buy old paperbacks. They’re usually cheaper, they’re cooler and they smell better. Something about old paper makes me happy.

Let’s see how my old books stack up against the Kindle’s big features: E-ink screen? Nope. Gigabytes of on-board storage space? Nay. Extended battery life? Not here. Headphone jack? Not included. EVDO wireless communication? Not a chance.

As I tally the results, it seems the old books are a clear winner.

The photo above is of a few books I picked up at Midway Used & Rare Books at Snelling and University in St. Paul. It’s one of the coolest places in the city. I’m also a huge fan of Sixth Chamber Used Books on Grand Ave. near Hamline.

Do yourself a favor and stop by. And if you’re asking, I’d suggest a nice Hemingway. I had fallen in love with Catherine by the end of A Farewell to Arms.

UPDATE July 12, 2011: I received a Kindle as a Christmas gift, and I love it. Truly love it. It’s a nearly perfect device. I never thought I’d say that. And you know what? I still love a good old paperback even more.