Or, are we fundamentally good or evil? Happy Sunday. Unless you’ve been living on another planet or have managed to avoid the news (good on you), then you might have heard about the assasination of a public figure in the United States. There’ve been countless think pieces, social media hot takes, media articles and news…
Read moreEnd of the union (Short Story)
Happy Sunday, happy September, and happy Autumn. This week I’m back with another short story, the fifth one of the year. I do this from time to time, and you can find the last short story (Don’t cry for me) here, and lots more in the back catalogue of this blog (I recommend Maisy and…
Read moreEarly days
…and humble beginnings… Happy Sunday. I’ve had a thought forefront on my mind for the past few days, which, if I had to sum up in one sentence, would go something like the age-old maxim, quality over quantity. Regular readers of this blog will know I write about beginnings a lot, and how there’s never…
Read moreDon’t cry for me (Short Story)
Happy Sunday. This week I’m back with another short story, the fourth one of the year. I do this from time to time, and you can find the last short story (Flowers) here, and lots more in the back catalogue of this blog (I recommend Maisy and The Observed if you’d like pointers on where…
Read moreSome nice things
…things I’ve learned and/or experienced recently, because we need a break from the news A few weeks ago. I ended an essay about hope with a list of things that have brought me hope recently. It seemed to go down well, and I had a good time writing it, so I figured, why not do…
Read moreTo do or not to do
That is the question… Happy Sunday. Regular readers might know that I’m mildly obsessed with the concept of opportunity cost. This is a fundamental idea in economics which states that the true cost of a resource lies in what the resource cannot be used for. In monetary terms, for example, when you buy a loaf…
Read moreArt is serious business
But why do we act like it isn’t? Happy Sunday. I may be preaching to the choir here, given that a blog about creativity is likely to attract readers who practice art as often as possible. Still, I believe it’s worth repeating, if for no other reason than to serve as a reminder to self,…
Read moreOn subtraction
Sometimes the way to improve something is to subtract from it Happy Sunday. This is another essay in a series about the role of constraints in art and everyday life. You can find the previous ones here about deadlines, friction, and community respectively. When I wrote about friction a few weeks ago, I drew on…
Read moreOn community
Where would we be without it? Happy Sunday. Last week I wrote about the purpose and role of friction in modern life and the creative process. The essay highlighted how, in a bid to reduce day-to-day friction, we’ve simplified modern life to the point that we spend way too little time with others, thus causing…
Read moreWhat’s the deal with friction?
Should we consider it friend, foe, or frenemy? Happy Sunday. This week I’d like to explore something I’ve been thinking about for a while – the role of friction in modern life and the creative process. What comes to mind when you hear the word “friction”? Sometimes, my mind conjures up the image of hands…
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