David Van Kooten

Freelance Copywriter and Journalist

Coated with a thin layer of ice, I looked down into one of the great wonders of the world, the Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. I stood in silence and looked out at an immense wall of water, and considered how just one experience plays on the stories that you tell. I’ve never seen anything quite as immense — it’s an all-consuming, unstoppable sign of the power in nature.

I knew I would never judge a skyscraper the same because of this monster. Your natural gauges for ‘bigness’ are significantly re-adjusted as you stare in awe and watch 570 000 litres (150 000 gallons) of water tumble over the edge, creating a thick mist that’s the same consistency of fog when you’re close enough. And looking out towards the old hydro-electric plant past the falls, you can see nothing but water towards the horizon. It’s unlike any other body of water on the earth because this water is going places: it’s going to take the plunge and fall 57 metres (188 feet).

Anything that you interact with—the people, places, objects, and animals—changes you. I am not the same person who I was before I saw the Falls that day, and it wasn’t the first time that I saw the Falls.

This is what I love about writing because it’s an opportunity to share with people, allowing them to experience the moments that changed you. Every single article I write gives me the ability to tell stories that share experiences that made me the man that I am.

I’ve seen that this is true whether you’re writing engaging copy or sharing about the stories of local athletes.

Come, look at my portfolio and see the stories that I’ve written about people, places, objects, and animals that have changed my life.

Portfolio