From a 2014 journal entry: One thing that worked well today, at work especially, was taking a simple breath before every decision. Every one. Even deleting an email. “Pause. Breath. Think. What’s happening here? What’s important? Let’s let it happen slowly.” This is a habit that’s stuck with me. I don’t do it all the … Read more
After finding myself exhausted with the “I read an article the other day” culture of forgotten references, I made a resolution to somehow keep track of the tangled mess.
I was at my parents’ place all week last week. My iPad was the only computer I brought with. I did a lot of work on personal projects —mostly writing, editing, and planning — and kept up on email, Slack, and a few small tasks for work. It was the most intense use I’ve made … Read more
I’m not good at going to bed. It got really bad a couple of months back. I’d sit on my couch scrolling social media on my phone or watching dumb stuff on Hulu right on through 11pm, midnight, 1am. It’s not like I have to get my nonexistent kids off to school at dawn or … Read more
I used to do freelance videography for legal depositions. I’d set up a camera and microphones to record lawyers interviewing someone for a court case. One time, an old businessman was being deposed. The smug young lawyer hammered him with questions. Stuff about the history of the business and a partnership arrangement going back to … Read more
I’m giving a workshop soon in Sioux Falls. It’s one I’ve done before, Build Your Digital Writing Toolbox. The most recent deck and materials, from Confab Higher Ed, were in pretty good shape. I cleaned up some typos and alignment issues, added presenter notes for things I was feeling rusty on, and — this is … Read more
There’s no way you’re going to complete delicate repairs on a Phantom Zone projector at an open-office desk in the Daily Planet bullpen.
Sometimes I do longform writing in Drafts, like if I’m at a show by myself and the second band is taking forever to get going.
The idea of “time management” was effectively meaningless for much of my life. How do you manage a raging bull? A runaway train?
One of my favorite quotes of late, on freedom: Like most Americans, I shrink from the thought of subservience of mind or person. I too cherish the word freedom. But I want to be free to be painstaking if I want to, to be responsible, to be involved; to be free to exercise whatever intellect … Read more