Matt Hogan's Blog

Reading With A Brilliant Little History Professor At Your Bedside

Published on January 29, 2026

History was a subject I struggled with in school.

Dates, names, countries… I had such a hard time remembering specifics.

A curiosity has come alive, however, as of late while reading historical fiction that’s changing this internal narrative.

It started with a fascination of Miyamoto Musashi and the historical context that surrounded him during feudal Japan.

And has grown considerably within the past few weeks as I began to read All The Light We Cannot See after having recently finished The Book Thief.

Typically, reading was something I did to understand overarching story lines, general plot, and to absorb key insights. Dates, names, countries… I mostly just skimmed and paid little attention to.

Now I find myself curiously doing deep dives into dates and what was happening in countries at that time and what it might mean for the character context.

And let me tell you… this is an excellent use of AI.

I use Claude and it’s like having a brilliant little history professor at my bedside ready to answer my ignorance with crucial digestible context.

Some questions I’ve recently asked: “What was happening in the world, specifically around France, around August 1944…” and “Can you give me an overview of d-day?” and “What does congenital cataracts… bilateral… mean?” and “The story went back in time. Can you tell me what was happening in Germany in 1936 roughly?” and “What was so humiliating for Germany at the end of ww1?”

I share this for two reasons: (1) “I’m not good at history” is a made up story—one that can be rewritten at any time; (2) Using AI as a comprehension companion is a highly underrated life hack.

Take More Side Quests

Published on January 28, 2026

Yes, you’re on a mission. Yes, you have an itinerary. Yes, you’re on a timeline.

But… why be so rigid?

A side quest implies a following of curiosity… a swapping of itinerary for serendipity… an exchange of hitting future benchmarks for surrendering to what’s immediately present.

Urges to side quest nudge at you all of the time. But most likely, you’re too busy trying to be productive…. Or too distracted with external stimuli… or too brainwashed into following an exact path perfectly… that you miss them… or dismiss them… or even knowingly kiss them goodbye.

But what’s so important to remember is that side questing is an urge that’s usually sent directly from the soul.

It’s hard to explain but feeling called to start a little side-hustle or go chat to that other group of people or detour down a different life path… is a feeling worth honoring… and at the very least… contemplating.

Because just like it’s true that our gut usually tells us something is wrong before our brain knows why… so, too, will our gut tell us that there’s something right about a decision before our brain knows why.

You just have to learn to listen and muster up some courage to say yes.

After all, why be in such a hurry to finish your life mission in the first place?

Something To Remember While Building An Audience

Published on January 27, 2026

Yes… it’s for them. But more importantly, it’s for you.

If you sacrifice your art, ideas, direction, excitement, curiosity, and truth… because you think it needs to look, feel, act, behave, present to an audience in a certain way… then you’ve lost.

Period. Point blank.

And you’ll soon feel lost. And as a result you’ll eventually lose them anyway.

The thing about audiences is that they should evolve with you.

As you continue to share new ideas, pivot directions, change excitements, explore fresh curiosities, and discuss alternate truths… some people will leave. But more importantly, new people will arrive.

…Just as past versions of you will be shed as new skins/identities will grow.

This is a natural part of the self-evolution process. And it should be embraced equally as a part of the audience-evolution process.

This is how you win.

Because every day is aligned and becoming more and more aligned both within and without.

And after a decade of this? How could you not win?

P.s. Struggling with creativity? Try getting more bored.

A Helpful Exercise To Do Before Public Speaking

Published on January 26, 2026

What question(s) are you trying to answer? Write your answer(s) as completely as you can. Try to incorporate stories whenever possible.
Wait at least 8 hours and answer again, but don’t read what you wrote the first time.
Repeat one more time.
Read back through everything you wrote and extract the key answers, insights, and stories. Edit to its most concise form.
Highlight the key trigger words that remind you of the complete ideas.
The first time you do Step 5, you’re most likely going to highlight more words than you need to. Repeat Step 5, but find ways to consolidate more ideas into fewer trigger words.
Practice presenting by only checking your notes for those trigger word(s)—share ideas in your own words in real time… don’t try regurgitating pre-memorized paragraphs.
Repeat Step 7 until you’re feeling about 75% ready to perform in public, then, go do it.

…Remember: you’ll never feel 100% ready. And you’ll never feel like you nailed it 100%.

…And guess what? That’s not what it’s about. It’s about getting out there and doing it, and doing it imperfectly, and learning from it, and growing from it.

…Not what you might’ve been conditioned to believe since you were a nose-picking, booger-flinging, direction-following toddler—that everything is graded and 100% is the only acceptable grade.

Unlearn this belief.

It’s not realistic. It’s not healthy. It’s not human.

In fact, if anything… it’s holding you back. It’s keeping you hiding in fear that you might get graded less than 100%. When the only thing that’s 100%… is that you’ll end up regretting not doing things like shine a light on your ideas, your uniqueness, your life.

We’re All Acting All Of The Time

Published on January 25, 2026

We have our family mask, our work mask, our friend mask…

And in most cases each of those masks have several variations based on which family members or work associates or friend groups we’re around.

These masks that get created, however, the ones that we wear, aren’t always fitting to who we want to be or how we ideally want to present.

We let people manipulate our masks… we let criticism and influence steer us away from our own tastes… we sometimes wear a mask for so long that we forget that it’s outdated or that we’ve outgrown it or, worse yet, what it even looks like…!

But once you realize that it’s acting and masks… the beautiful thing is… you can reclaim your power as an actor.

You can choose in this moment that you want to adjust your mask, shed a layer that’s no longer relevant, or add a component that your highest self would have.

Take a few moments today to “lay” your masks down and take a closer look.

Are they each aligned with who you most want to be?

Are there little tweaks that need to be done that you can take care of today?

The ones who wear only one mask are limited.

Be free. Expand your closet. Be anything and everything you want to be when the time calls for it.

Make taking masks off and putting new ones on seamless… smooth… invigorating…

Limiting your spirit to just one is a situation that makes none of our spirits feel free.

A Blinding Love Will Follow [Poem]

Published on January 24, 2026

Love is blinding
It’s why we smother, cling, obsess
Awareness first
So we can heal, unlearn, relearn
Build a warm nest
One with no bars, traps, or ceilings
Just attraction, yearning, desire to fly back
Direct the love you want so badly inward
Never underestimate the size of an act
Every line written, conversation had, and insight scavenged
Every twig, piece of bark, and leaf neatly intertwined and stacked

P.s. You can read my other poems here.

“Your Life Expands When Your Nervous System Relaxes”

Published on January 23, 2026

Think about what happens when your nervous system tenses…

Vision narrows; loss of peripheral vision; hyperfixation on tension/fear.
Speaking becomes forced; choppy; we ramble and overuse filler words.
Body language closes off; we look unapproachable; we repel people away.
Thinking gets mudded; invasive thoughts distract focus; anxiety is created from fear.
Coordination short circuits; normal muscular patterns feel heavy/weird; we become clumsy/awkward.

…Maybe not all at one. But for many of us… it’s many of the above things.

When you learn how to relax your nervous system, however… think about what happens…

Vision expands; we regain peripheral vision; we notice opportunities.
Speaking slows; becomes more clear; presents more confidently.
Body language opens; people feel more comfortable approaching and opening up to us.
Thinking clears; keeping a train of thought is easier; creativity arises.
Coordination smoothens out; muscular patters feel light and crisp; we feel grounded.

…Again, maybe not all at one. But for many of us… it’s many of the above things.

Think about the difference in how the former type of person approaches life versus the latter… how they might respond to life situations… how they might handle challenges…

Think about the way the two types might interact with people… how people might interact with them… what kinds of opportunities might come up… or not…

And finally, think about some of your favorite life moments… which type of energy were you trying to embody in those moments… and what type of energy preceded them…

I think you’ll find it to be true for yourself: “Your life expands when your nervous system relaxes.”

Just remember this as you approach all of the upcoming, unavoidable “scary/fearful” moments of your days.

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