About The Living Dark
Welcome to The Living Dark
A newsletter about unraveling creativity and life purpose at the crossroads of nonduality and the daemon muse. Insights for writers, seekers, and spiritual wanderers on navigating creative consciousness, tapping the inner genius, and embracing the darkness of the unknown. Written by a seasoned author and educator.
What You'll Find Here
The Living Dark is a resource and community for individuals drawn to find and fulfill their creative calling while exploring the depths of human experience and the mysteries coursing beneath the surface of the everyday. Here, we delve into:
Writing and Creativity: Learn to collaborate with your inner genius or daemon muse in essays like The Hidden River of Your Writing and Writers: Embrace the Unknown.
Spiritual Awakening: Navigate nonduality, cosmic horror, and existential insight in posts like The Consolation of No Exit, The Uncanny Convergence of Religion and Horror, and Paradigms of Madness and Meaning.
Cultural Analysis: Examine the intersections of creativity and spirituality with challenging trends in contemporary culture in essays like The Zen of Words and When Science Meets the Supernatural.
Reading Notes: Join me in exploring transformative texts, with essays and commentary on books and literature both historical and contemporary.
For a general introduction to this newsletter’s guiding themes, see two of the posts that launched it in 2022:
A Community of Writers and Seekers
The Living Dark is more than just a newsletter—it’s a gathering place for kindred spirits. By subscribing, you’ll:
Connect with fellow writers, creatives, and spiritual wanderers in the comment sections and occasional subscriber chats.
Gain access to exclusive content, including a serialization of my book Writing at the Wellspring, a copy of my ebook Transmitting Vision: Essays on the Writer’s Path, and in-depth essays, analyses, and creative guidance.
Be part of a supportive network that mutually undertakes the creative journey.
What Readers Are Saying
“So happy I found your newsletter. Your insights on the writing process resonated deeply with me.” — Jennifer Sablich
“I’m so glad I found you, just as I was about to totally give up. Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge.” — V.
“You’re writing some of the freshest stuff on spiritual creativity I’ve seen since Julia Cameron and Natalie Goldberg.” — R. J.
“Your writing has helped me tap into parts of myself I feel very strongly but often struggle to articulate, particularly my relationship to spirituality, creativity, and what it means (or doesn’t mean) to be a person.” — Andrew Sanger
“Thank you for sharing your writing. It has been a tremendous help in shifting how I see creativity and ultimately life itself.” — J. B.
“I really resonate with what you’ve written about creativity and spirituality.” — K.
“Thank you so much for all you have been sharing. I appreciate it so much. I went through a challenging relationship with my writing, and your voice is helping me find my way out of that particular dark. I think I am mostly out of it now, but you are keeping me on course.” — M. Rickert
“Your work has very much connected with me, especially the elements covering existential dread, Ligotti (of course!), and how we writers/humans can curate our own ‘meaning’ without coming apart.” — William Grabowski
What Critics Have Said (about my books)
“[A] thinking-man’s book of the macabre.” — Publishers Weekly
“Cardin’s accomplishments as a writer are paralleled by his expertise as a literary critic and theorist.” — Thomas Ligotti
“[A] landmark collection.” — Asimov’s Science Fiction
“Informative . . . engaging . . . a pleasure to read.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Fascinating.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Recommended.’ — Library Journal
About Your Guide
I’m Matt Cardin, an author and educator with a Ph.D. in leadership studies and an M.A. in religious studies. As a published writer and editor for the past quarter century with a signature focus on the intersection of religion, horror, creativity, and consciousness, I’m here to share insights and perspectives from my ongoing journey of creative and spiritual exploration. I was a college English professor for a decade and a high school English teacher before that, with additional subjects including world religions and classical mythology. My professional resume also includes college vice president, university media producer, piano salesman, and live video director for music legend Glen Campbell. You can read more about me at my author website.
Subscription Options
As a PAID SUBSCRIBER ($5 per month or $50 per year), you’ll receive all posts and have the ability to comment on everything published here. Plus you’ll gain the following benefits:
Never miss an entry. All will go directly to your inbox, both free and paid entries.
Gain access to the entire content archive.
Receive a copy of my PDF book Transmitting Vision: Essays on the Writer’s Path.
Read serialized chapters of my book Writing at the Wellspring: Creativity, Life Purpose, Nonduality, and the Daemon Muse.
Gain access to subscriber-only chats.
As a FREE SUBSCRIBER, you’ll get free posts delivered to your inbox approximately every other week. You’ll also receive a free preview of my ebook Transmitting Vision.
If you appreciate this unique blend of practical guidance, philosophical exploration, and personal connection…
If you’re seeking a space where writers, artists, and spiritual seekers can explore the depths of their own being and find their voice and purpose…
If this all resonates, I hope you’ll join us in the Living Dark.
Have questions? Feel free to reach out at matt@livingdark.net.
