Unobstructed
Rethink how you move through the world.
Unobstructed is a literary publication sharing stories, essays, and conversations about finding clarity and feeling less alone.
Our goal is to help people navigate daily life with more agency, so what we publish aims to reveal things, not prescribe them.
Said differently—
This is a place where we purposefully leave room for interpretation.
Sign up to get a friendly reminder each week that you’re not as stuck as you thought you were.
Or, subscribe to specific columns to receive new posts directly in your inbox.
Please note: Unobstructed Weekly is currently on its summer schedule.
New posts are published twice monthly, rather than weekly, from June - August.
What is Unobstructed about?
Some of what you’ll find here:
Reflections and insights on agency, grief, and creativity.
Conversations about overlooked and misunderstood challenges keeping people stuck.
Prompts for improving critical thinking, confident decision-making, and self-efficacy.
Bonus resources and recommendations.
Masthead
Derek MacDonald — Head of Editorial & Operations.
Contributors
Caleb Walker — Co-host, The Unobstructed Podcast; Contributor, Breaking Trail.
Rachael Sink — Contributor, The Unobstructed Podcast.
Columns
Kickturn — a daily column on pivots and new perspectives.
Unobstructed Weekly — a weekly column on rethinking your next step.
The Unobstructed Podcast — monthly conversations on navigating daily life.
Breaking Trail — a monthly column on trying new things.
The Monthly Dispatch — a monthly roundup of what’s new from Unobstructed.
Publishing frequency: We send daily, weekly, and monthly newsletters.
Paid subscribers keep Unobstructed ad-free and make it possible to keep getting great stuff from us regularly. They also get access to member-only posts.
Contact: hello@theunobstructed.com
COMING SOON: print editions.
Why Unobstructed?
Hey, I’m Derek MacDonald. I started Unobstructed after 15+ years in marketing, software systems, outdoor education, and leadership development.
Formative years spent as a wilderness guide and snowboard instructor showed me that stories—not explanations—are what help people navigate fear and uncertainty. Turns out, launching software products and leading someone up a mountain aren’t that different. Both get easier when you stop trying to act like you know everything and start listening instead.
I didn’t understand what people meant by, “if you don’t schedule a break, your body will do it for you.” And then I crashed. Hard. So I admitted defeat and tried following the “less is more philosophy.”
Because doing less is actually the answer.
That’s what Unobstructed is about: recognizing patterns and removing roadblocks. And, how to untangle them while you keep moving at a reasonable pace.
There’s nothing better than the “ah-ha” moment when someone realizes they can do something. Excitement like that can be life changing. So I’m not big on stepping in and doing things for them. But I do care a lot about helping people succeed. And I’ll always offer a hand while they figure it out.
Here are a few reads to start with:
Here are a few listens to start with:
How Unobstructed works:
Free subscribers get weekly field notes on navigating the small, but meaningful, moments of daily life, as well as monthly podcast episodes.
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