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

Let Go of What You Can’t Control With BuJo

Do you have trouble letting go? How can Bullet Journaling (aka BuJo) help you let go of what you can’t control? Instead of immediately reacting to a situation, taking the time to step back and record your feelings in your Bullet Journal daily log can help you reflect. Then, if a situation needs to be acted upon, it can help you map out the next steps. If not, Bullet Journaling can help you let go of what you can’t control. Here’s how to use a Bullet Journal to come to terms with situations.

Jeannette Walls’s Parents: Rex and Rose Mary’s Drama

What were Jeannette Walls’s parents like in The Glass Castle? What kind of relationship did Rex and Rose Mary have? In the memoir The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls’s parents were violent and neglectful. Rex was an alcoholic who was constantly running away from debt collectors, and Rose Mary was a starving artist who literally left her children to starve. Learn more about Jeannette Walls’s parents below.

The Book of the Void: The True Way of the Warrior

What does Miyamoto Musashi mean by the “Void”? How can a samurai warrior discover the Void? The Book of Five Rings, written by legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi, is split into five different chapters. The final chapter is called The Book of the Void where Musashi teaches how to reach the “Void”—a state of spiritual enlightenment. Here’s how to access the Void, according to Musashi.

Bullet Journal Exercises for Discovering Your Purpose

How can bullet journaling help you find meaning in life? What bullet journal exercises can you do that will get you excited about the future? In his book The Bullet Journal Method, Ryder Carroll suggests two exercises for finding meaning and fulfillment in life: the visualization exercise and the obituary exercise. These exercises will help you move forward in a way that makes you feel more fulfilled. Here’s how bullet journaling can help you in your search for meaning and purpose in life.

How to Gain Clarity: Try Bullet Journaling

Do you feel like you lack clarity and direction in life? Why are you doing what you’re doing? Many people run on autopilot which leads them to believe that life is meaningless. In his book The Bullet Journal Method, Ryder Carroll explains how to gain clarity on why you’re doing what you’re doing. Here’s how you can use your Bullet Journal to gain clarity and purpose in life.

Shortform Reads: A Shameless Harry Potter Superfan

Why did Megan make the transition from fiction to non-fiction books? What lesser-known book does she wish more people knew about? Megan works as a book guide writer at Shortform, making educational guides that help readers gain insight into their favorite books and become exposed to new ideas. She’s originally from the United States but recently made a big life change and moved to Brazil with her husband.

The Glass Castle: A Memoir—Book Overview

What happens in Jeannette Walls’s book The Glass Castle: A Memoir? What did Jeannette and her siblings go through as children? Did her parents ever learn? Jeannette Walls’s memoir The Glass Castle is the harrowing tale of her life growing up in poverty with wayward parents. Following the Walls family through the desert to the coal-mining region of West Virginia to the fast-paced life of New York City, this memoir explores the nature of family, loyalty, and tragedy and what it takes to survive together and apart. Here’s a brief overview of the events in Walls’s book.

How to Boost Productivity: The Bullet Journal Solution

Do you want to know how to maximize your time? How can using the Bullet Journal Method help you? If you feel like time is your enemy and you just don’t have enough hours in the day, you should try bullet journaling. This may sound like an odd and counterintuitive solution at first, but bullet journaling can help you become more productive and organized so you can focus your time on what matters. Here are some Bullet Journal productivity tips from Ryder Carroll.

How to Do a Year-in-Review in Your Bullet Journal

Do you keep a bullet journal? Do you take time at the end of the year to review it? Ryder Carroll, the author of The Bullet Journal Method, says that you should always do a bullet journal year-in-review. This will help you reflect on your previous year’s goals, aspirations, and plans. Here’s how to do a year-end review.

Niten Ichi-ryū: Miyamoto Musashi’s Sword Style

What does Miyamoto Musashi teach in The Book of Water? In what ways should a samurai be like water? In The Book of Five Rings, legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi says that a samurai must learn to be like water. He teaches three fundamental components that a warrior must master if he wants to learn his famous sword style Niten Ichi-ryū: 1) don’t memorize, absorb, 2) train both body and mind, and 3) master yourself first. Let’s take a look at each in detail.