A Passion Project

Reflections From a Year of On Fire

Illustration by Mihajlo Stojanovic

“A mighty flame followeth a tiny spark.” — Dane Alighieri

One year ago, almost to the day, I set out on a quest. My mission was simple yet ambitious: to better understand passion — that mystifying, active force that makes us feel so alive. I would spend the next year profiling the world’s most passionate people from diverse backgrounds: from exuberant mythologists to psychologists doubling as magicians to bonsai enthusiasts and extreme ironers and everyone in between.

Since then, I’ve interviewed over 60 passionate people and published nearly 50 profiles. Along the way, I’ve learned a lot about how to cultivate, grow, and sustain passion. These stories have inspired me to live more passionately, and I hope they’ve done the same for you — not just to live more passionately, but to recognize passion in yourself and others. Passion is an electrifying force; it’s the closest I’ve come to describing that feeling of being truly alive.

At the start, I hoped to answer questions like: What separates the super-passionate people from the rest? What drives those who put their whole hearts into something? How does passion change them? And how can we infuse our daily lives with that same fervor? How might doing so change us?

Since beginning my quest, I’ve also dug deep into the science of passion. Surprisingly, research on what it truly means to be passionate — defined by psychologist Robert Vallerand as “a strong inclination toward a self-defining activity that one likes (or even loves), finds important, and in which one invests time and energy,” — is still relatively new. While philosophers have debated passion for centuries, psychology is only beginning to explore it.

Early on, I knew I wanted to learn not just from people living passionately but also from the experts studying it. I’ve interviewed leading psychologists, devoured every book on the topic, and stayed on top of the latest studies. I even have a daily Google alert for anything passion-related.

A year later, I’m even more fired up about passion. Passion is one of the forces that makes life worth living — and I believe we’re all capable of leading vibrant, purpose-filled lives powered by it.

What’s Next for On Fire

From the beginning, I left the door open for On Fire to be a one-year experiment. But I’m nowhere near ready for it to be over. This journey has given me a space to explore passion and a reason to connect with some of the world’s most passionate people—and I’ve loved every moment.

That said, I believe things shouldn’t stay the same forever. Growth and evolution are part of who I am. So, here’s what you can expect from On Fire moving forward:

A Little Less Formal Content

Up until now, I’ve approached On Fire like a magazine, carefully crafting each profile as if it were for The New Yorker. I’m proud of these polished pieces, but by always keeping things formal, I feel I’ve sometimes masked the personal side that makes blogs and newsletters so engaging. Moving forward, I want to experiment. Alongside profiles of passionate people, you’ll see more personal reflections, shorter insights, casual expert interviews, and maybe even some videos (though writing will always be my first love).

More Actionable Advice

I’ve spent the last 15 years obsessively reading self-help, and I don’t think I’m alone in feeling tired of abstract talk with little action. That’s why I’m drawn to sport and performance psychology — it’s grounded in application. Through my conversations with passionate people and experts, I’ve learned so much about building, inspiring, and sustaining passion. In the future, I’m excited to share more of these practical takeaways with you.

Paid vs. Free Option

I’ve kept On Fire completely free so far because I’m passionate about spreading the message of passion. I’ve made it my mission to highlight the amazing, diverse stories of passionate people out there and show ways we can all build more passion into our lives.

Moving forward, I’m adding a paid option — but most of the content will remain free.

I get it — we’re all tired of endless subscriptions. But I pour my heart into this newsletter and genuinely believe in the mission to help create a world full of more passionate people! If you value my work and want to help spread the message, it would mean a lot to me if you’d support On Fire.

Weekly Passion Roundup

I’m toying with the idea of a weekly passion roundup featuring “quick hits” — anecdotes, videos, stories, books, movies, and anything else that inspires. These would be little doses of passion to help us all stay inspired and seek out more passionate experiences.

As part of this experiment, if you come across anything that lights your own fire, send it my way!

Help Me Set the World On Fire

I started On Fire with a core belief: passion is essential to living a joyful, purposeful life. By stepping outside ourselves and engaging with the passions of others, we enrich our own lives. Passion is also contagious — the more we’re exposed to passionate people, the more it ignites passion within us. It’s a reminder of how full of wonder the world is — and a powerful antidote to burnout or stagnation.

That said, I don’t want to write in a vacuum. Building an audience takes time, and part of that means showing you that On Fire is here to stay (it is). My dream is to create a world where passion becomes a conscious pursuit for more people — something we actively seek, nurture, and celebrate.

In that spirit, I’d love your input. What have you enjoyed most about On Fire so far? What would you like to see more of? Please share your thoughts in the comments or send me a message. (I get that posting a public comment can feel a bit brave, so private messages are always welcome!)

Thank you for being part of this journey. Here’s to a future that’s On Fire!