Hannah Aster

SEO Team Lead

Hannah is a seasoned writer and editor who started her journey with Shortform nearly five years ago. She grew up reading mostly fiction books but transitioned to non-fiction writing when she started her travel website in 2018. When she's not writing or traveling, you can find Hannah working on home reno projects, crafting, or taking care of plants.

Expertise

Graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English and minors in professional and creative writing

The First Noble Truth: Selfishness Triggers Anxiety

What is Buddha’s first noble truth? How are anxiety and selfishness related? How can you learn to accept yourself? Buddha’s first noble truth is that suffering is universal. Feelings of “selfness” can make you feel trapped, anxious, and always wanting more. But if you let go of the “I”, your personal suffering becomes universal and you can understand that there is nothing wrong with you. Continue on to learn about the first noble truth and letting go of selfishness.

Michelle Obama: Impostor Syndrome Struggles

What was Michelle Obama’s first experience with impostor syndrome? Why did the feeling of “I’m not good enough” stick with her? Michelle Obama struggled with impostor syndrome for almost her entire life. She recalls that her first time wondering if she was good enough was after she was accepted into Chicago’s first magnet high school. Keep reading to learn more about Michelle Obama’s impostor syndrome.

Illness in Literature: Diseases are Symbolic

What do illnesses symbolize in literature? Why is it more common to write about some diseases and not others? What does it mean when a character is physically disabled? When writing literature, authors choose which illnesses to give their characters very carefully. Some illnesses are picturesque, some are mysterious, some are powerful metaphors, and some have significant origins. Keep reading to learn more about illness in literature.

Radical Acceptance and the Power of Compassion

Why is compassion such an important part of Radical Acceptance? Why is it so difficult for us to show compassion towards ourselves? Radical Acceptance is made up of two parts: mindfulness and compassion. Compassion is so powerful because it goes against our inclination to run from pain. However, we need to learn to treat ourselves with compassion before we can show it to others. Keep reading to learn more about the power of compassion.

The Law of Resources: A Good Idea Isn’t Enough

What is the Law of Resources? Why is having a good idea not enough in the marketing arena? Marketing is about getting your product or service into the minds of consumers, and you need resources not only to reach them in the first place but also to stay in their minds. And marketing is very expensive. Continue on to learn more about the Law of Resources.

The 5 Best Deep Work Quotes From Cal Newport

Are you looking for Deep Work quotes from Cal Newport’s book? How can these quotes help strengthen your understanding of what deep work is? Deep work is the kind of focused work on a task that pushes your cognitive abilities. Here are five quotes from Cal Newport about deep work with explanations. Continue reading for Deep Work quotes.

Michelle Obama’s Clothes: Fashion and Social Change

Why did the media start focusing on Michelle Obama’s clothes during Barack’s presidency? How did Michelle use this to her advantage? While Barack could show up every day in the same suit, the media wouldn’t stop commenting on what Michelle was wearing. Michelle decided to use this to bring attention to social issues and to promote women of color in fashion. Keep reading to learn more about how Michelle Obama used her clothes to make a social statement.

Blindness in Literature Is Usually Symbolic

What does it mean when an author includes a blind character in literature? How do authors sometimes include metaphorical blindness? Blind characters are difficult to write because the author needs to describe how that character will navigate the world. So why write a blind character? Because both literal and metaphorical blindness are important symbols in literature. Keep reading to learn more about what blindness means in literature.

We Can Change How We See Ourselves and Others

How can we learn to see ourselves and others differently? What is the Buddhism idea of metta? Is it possible to feel lovingkindness towards those we despise? It can be difficult to see our own positive qualities, but by reminding ourselves of things that we admire about ourselves, we can reawaken love and compassion. We should also try to feel compassionate towards others rather than putting labels on them. Seeing the essential goodness in people naturally awakens what Buddhists call metta, translated as “lovingkindness.” Keep reading to learn more about compassion and metta towards ourselves and others.

The Sacred Pause: Stop Running From Your Shadow

What is the Sacred Pause? What does pausing have to do with Radical Acceptance and Buddhism? In order to be fully present, we have to pause. The old folk story about the man who kept running from his shadow is the perfect example of this. He could never put even the smallest distance between himself and his shadow but if he’d just paused to sit in the shade, it would’ve disappeared. Keep reading to learn more about Radical Acceptance and the Sacred Pause.