I have quite a bit of video content this month. Mostly because I’ve been listening to a lot of audiobooks and it’s not a medium conducive to notetaking, so my notetaking has been done when I’m chilling in the evening and watching YouTube. The only gripe I have about listening to books instead of reading…
Inaugural Memex post
Inspired by those that have been inspired by Cory Doctorow’s Memex method. Some of these links have been gathering dust in my digital bucket for so long, I forgot what they were about. Many are video content, very loosely categorized and in no particular order. A few are blog posts. This isn’t meant to have…
I’ve begun to face the facts about AI
Tech caution I always approach new tech cautiously. It took me years to get a smartphone. I don’t have VR, or a hand-held gaming system, or any smart devices in my home. It takes money to be on the bleeding edge of tech, which is one reason. The other reason is that I like to…
Give yourself permission to make terrible things
Your first steps on a creative journey will be shaky, maybe even embarrassing. But the only way to get better is to allow yourself to get better. I have a problem with creativity. It seems that I don’t want to “waste” anything. Sometimes that means my precious free time. Whatever I do with that time…
Energy & creativity
I was reading this blog post about the writer tracking their energy level in their journal, and then noticing that there were not only daily and weekly but even seasonal ups and downs that directly correlated to their creative output. Thinking about that brought to my mind the view that the winter season is “hibernation”…
Summer break or summer slump?
I didn’t really intend to take a summer break from this blog. It just sort of happened. I didn’t even go anywhere or do anything extraordinary. Just working, gardening, and… well, not writing. Let’s not kid myself: I wasn’t taking a break, I was moribund. I think I lost my muse for a time. I…
Above, Below, and Within: this week’s links
This week’s link post is about exploration. Exploring the human mind, the distant reaches of the Solar System, and the surprise that lay beneath the floor of an ice cream shop. Boost your brain with peppermint tea. Too bad it’s my least favorite kind of tea. https://www.psypost.org/peppermint-tea-boosts-memory-and-attention-but-why/ An object (designated as 3I/ATLAS, or C/2025 N1),…
Unlocking Creativity, One Link at a Time
It was a creative week for me. A little family art project allowed me to stretch my creative muscles, but left little time to write. Since creativity is in the air, unlock your creativity with this weeks’ links! We go from free creative tools, to getting over “blank page syndrome,” to creative divination, with a…
This Week’s Curiosities: Coffee, Creativity, and Clever Machines
Robots are coming for our jobs, decaf is coming for our brains, and apparently writing grocery lists by hand says something profound about our personalities. This week’s links touch on everything from resin printers that look like magic to unexpected sources of creative inspiration. Grab a cup of coffee, or placebo, and settle in for…
Embracing Dilettante Status
“Amateur” means “to love,” and “dilettante” means “to find delight in.” And yet, both of these words have developed negative connotations. “Amateurish” is an epithet that puts one’s efforts beneath the notice of others. “Dilettante” brings to mind someone who’s unserious and idle, perhaps even someone who feels superior to others while lacking credentials. I’ve…