Matt Cardin

“How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book!” Here, Matt Cardin quotes Henry David Thoreau. And appropriately so. "Writing at the Wellspring" is itself such a book.

There is potential here to change your life. Prepare yourself. “Living into the dark” is not for the sedentary or squeamish of heart. The author strings a tightrope across the abyss of your creative wellspring, teaches you how to walk it, and dares you to take the step. Don't worry, he gives show more you the confidence you need to do so. Hands free! It is harrowing. It is exciting. It may make you breathless.

This is smart writing. It not only engages your intellect, but also your emotions through personal anecdotes, deeply researched schools of thought on writing and living a creative life, and stimulating images that tangibly demonstrate fruitful techniques and exercises.

My personal experience was one of open-mouthed astonishment. Cardin’s writing stirred something dormant in me. A slack in spirit that had unwittingly accumulated over the years was pulled taut again as I leaned into the final chapters on “The Axis of Creation.” Matt offers no succor for rationalizing inaction; you may be tempted to hide, but the Wellspring challenges every excuse. The paradox, though, is that within his challenge is its own escape! (And that’s all I’m gonna say about that; the book will give you the clarity you are longing for. Go. Read the book!)

Wellspring. I had to look it up: an original or bountiful source of something. It’s the perfect word. Cardin invites you to discover it, and beyond that, to “live into” this darkness that is the source of your creativity. Live into the uncertainty, the fear of potential chaos, for it is there, he shows, that you will find your voice, yes, that one, the one that claws at your spine, that scratches the blackboard of your most intimate and immanent desire - the desire to be heard. You are worthy of an audience. Matt Cardin knows this about you. His book will show you how to find them: hint, they are there already, in the Wellspring of that desire.

There is much more I’d love to say about this work. It sings. It praises. It testifies. But to go on would be to start with the opening line and simply read it for you. So I leave it with you and bless you on your journey. Step in. You will be handsomely rewarded. show less

This is a rare book that reveals the true source of creativity. I read other books on creativity, but none of them helped me because they were all based on the false premise: Creativity belongs to individuals. How could they when that belief is the very obstacle to creativity?

The author weaves his creative/spiritual journey and other authors’ in a flowing manner to guide us toward the true source of creativity. His experiences were so relatable that I often felt he was describing my show more experiences, especially deep paradoxes that come up on the journey and how he navigated them. This confirmed that despite our different circumstances, we are all on the same journey, awakening to our true Source.

The book was insightful throughout, but the last three chapters were most illuminating. I particularly enjoyed Chapter 14 in which his deep introspection peels back the layers of resistance and penetrates its core. We think we have surrendered, but we rarely have. Total surrender is the key to creativity, so the chapter is a must-read not just for writers but for anyone who wants to live a truly free and creative life.

This book is by far the best book I have read on creativity. I hope it will reach many people and help them freed from creative block, procrastination, paralyzing self-doubt, and perfectionism. show less

This isn’t a how-to book about writing. It’s a book about why writing matters, and what it’s actually touching when it’s real.

Cardin treats writing like a spiritual path. The core idea is that the best work doesn’t come from the part of you that’s trying to control outcomes, build a career, or manufacture meaning. It comes from something deeper, and your job is to get quiet enough to cooperate with it. Solitude, attention, and a kind of devotional consistency matter more than show more quick hacks or writer-tricks.

A lot of what he’s pointing at is the ego trying to protect itself, keep its story intact, and avoid the risk of actually being exposed on the page.

All in all, I enjoyed the work. And even went off to read some of the other books he mentioned like "Writing Into The Dark".

My one complaint: the thinking can be hard to follow. It meanders. Sometimes I liked the wandering. Sometimes I wanted it to feel more orderly and systematic.

Still, if you’re a writer who suspects the block isn’t mainly “craft,” … this will hit. show less

Matt Cardin's DIVINATIONS OF THE DEEP garnered praise from the likes of Thomas Ligotti and John Pelan. Ash-Tree Press chose it as the premiere edition of their new paperback imprint, New Century Macabre. Knowing these things, I had high expectations for this collection, both in production quality and content.

As far as production goes, my expectations were exceeded. The book is beautiful and built to last. Macabre cover art by Jason Van Hollander perfectly fits the collection's theme. Like show more the dust jacket on a hardback, the cover has front and back flaps that contain blurbs by Ligotti, Pelan and McNaughton, as well as Matt's picture and bio. They also function well as bookmarks. The interior is as nice and polished as the exterior, with easy to read text and pages that even smell good. Yes, I like to smell book pages. Weird aren't I?

So, did the content meet my expectations? No, it blew them out of the water.

This collection was everything I'd hoped it would be, and that doesn't happen often. DIVINATIONS OF THE DEEP contains five stories that share the same Judeo-Christian religious theme. But this isn't a book that you would find in Pat Robertson’s library. This collection goes far beyond Judeo-Christian tradition, far beyond God, into the dark possibilities of what existed before God.

"Notes of a Mad Copyist" is my favorite of the five stories. They all work, but I think this tale is a supreme example of weird fiction. It is the story of a monk scribe who's tasked with copying the Holy Scriptures. This he does faithfully until one day he suddenly begins writing other words. Sentences with hideous meanings flow from his hand convincing him that he is possessed by Satan. But the monk soon discovers that the truth is far more terrible than Satan could ever be.

Like Lovecraft and Ligotti, Cardin excels in creating a truly terrifying atmosphere of dread and decay by revealing what may lurk just beyond our view of reality. Few people succeed in this, but Matt does it with aplomb. His prose is intelligent and poetic, his execution, effortless. I believe this collection will become a classic of weird fiction.

My one complaint is that the book is too short. At only 77 pages, I'm left wanting more, especially with such a unique and intriguing theme. But if the book is skeletal, the stories themselves are fat with true, cosmic terror. They stay with you long after you've read them, haunting your thoughts until you're forced to probe their black depths again.

If you enjoy Lovecraft and Ligotti, DIVINATIONS OF THE DEEP will make a worthy addition to your collection. show less