Category: Mental Modes


  • Back To Normal

    • Creativity In An Age of Crisis

      Theory: tragedy inspires the greatest art. E.g. Picasso’s Guernica Hurricane Helene has brought all kinds of trouble to the region – not just Asheville, but the counties and states surrounding it. Since the hurricane hit a week ago and the devastation continues to unfold, I’ve found it nearly impossible to create anything. It got me…

    • Notes on Disasters.

      Even when it’s not right outside your window, it consumes all of your mental bandwidth. The hurricane, the aftermath, the entire region that is suffering. This is the kind of thing that sets people back ten or twenty years. You hear the stories, but now you know. This feels different, more sinister. In grade school…

    • After The Storm

      I’m collecting links for the print-on-demand stores for artists around Asheville/ Buncombe County/ Western North Carolina to share and promote. The goal is to support the local artists who were so heavily impacted without burdening them with order fulfillment. When I’m feeling uninspired, I’ll wander around the Marquee in the River Arts district. It is a…

    • What This Could Be – September 27

      It was the week of crushing rains. Something like 8 inches has fallen over the last 24 hours with more on the way. The trash guys still picked up this week, only to leave the bins with the lid open. By the time I retrieved the can it was half full of water – probably…

    • Other Ways of Doing Business

      As of this writing, in September 2024, I feel as though I join the ranks of the burnt out. I hit this weird spot where I was running a business, but I didn’t really create much. I might be shooting myself in the foot, but I’m not sure I want my sole creations of the…

    • Creative Environments

      “What we can do is construct an environment that nurtures trusting and respectful relationships and unleashes everyone’s creativity. If we get that right, the result is a vibrant community where talented people are loyal to one another and their collective work, everyone feels that they are part of something extraordinary, and their passion and accomplishments…

    • Garbage Town USA

      They might call it Trasheville – as a play on Asheville. It all depends who you talk to. There is still a healthy punk scene that is forever supported by the artisans and students and focused spirit that this is very much an arts town. Like any city, Asheville has its growing pains that look…

    “The Only Constant Is Change” About three weeks after Hurricane Helene shut down the town and wrecked the region, and we could say that we are “getting back to normal.” But what does that mean when I took a shower in the parking lot of a bank? (In a trailer, full of showers, in a…


  • QuestionStorming

    • Creativity In An Age of Crisis

      Theory: tragedy inspires the greatest art. E.g. Picasso’s Guernica Hurricane Helene has brought all kinds of trouble to the region – not just Asheville, but the counties and states surrounding it. Since the hurricane hit a week ago and the devastation continues to unfold, I’ve found it nearly impossible to create anything. It got me…

    • Notes on Disasters.

      Even when it’s not right outside your window, it consumes all of your mental bandwidth. The hurricane, the aftermath, the entire region that is suffering. This is the kind of thing that sets people back ten or twenty years. You hear the stories, but now you know. This feels different, more sinister. In grade school…

    • After The Storm

      I’m collecting links for the print-on-demand stores for artists around Asheville/ Buncombe County/ Western North Carolina to share and promote. The goal is to support the local artists who were so heavily impacted without burdening them with order fulfillment. When I’m feeling uninspired, I’ll wander around the Marquee in the River Arts district. It is a…

    • What This Could Be – September 27

      It was the week of crushing rains. Something like 8 inches has fallen over the last 24 hours with more on the way. The trash guys still picked up this week, only to leave the bins with the lid open. By the time I retrieved the can it was half full of water – probably…

    • Other Ways of Doing Business

      As of this writing, in September 2024, I feel as though I join the ranks of the burnt out. I hit this weird spot where I was running a business, but I didn’t really create much. I might be shooting myself in the foot, but I’m not sure I want my sole creations of the…

    • Creative Environments

      “What we can do is construct an environment that nurtures trusting and respectful relationships and unleashes everyone’s creativity. If we get that right, the result is a vibrant community where talented people are loyal to one another and their collective work, everyone feels that they are part of something extraordinary, and their passion and accomplishments…

    • Garbage Town USA

      They might call it Trasheville – as a play on Asheville. It all depends who you talk to. There is still a healthy punk scene that is forever supported by the artisans and students and focused spirit that this is very much an arts town. Like any city, Asheville has its growing pains that look…

    The expectation is that people will show up to a brainstorming session with a grip of solutions ready to go. I previously worked through an alternative approach to brainstorming for those who have teams of people with varied personalities (introverts, extroverts) and how to ensure the loudest idea wasn’t mistaken for the best idea. A…


  • Joyful Creation

    • Creativity In An Age of Crisis

      Theory: tragedy inspires the greatest art. E.g. Picasso’s Guernica Hurricane Helene has brought all kinds of trouble to the region – not just Asheville, but the counties and states surrounding it. Since the hurricane hit a week ago and the devastation continues to unfold, I’ve found it nearly impossible to create anything. It got me…

    • Notes on Disasters.

      Even when it’s not right outside your window, it consumes all of your mental bandwidth. The hurricane, the aftermath, the entire region that is suffering. This is the kind of thing that sets people back ten or twenty years. You hear the stories, but now you know. This feels different, more sinister. In grade school…

    • After The Storm

      I’m collecting links for the print-on-demand stores for artists around Asheville/ Buncombe County/ Western North Carolina to share and promote. The goal is to support the local artists who were so heavily impacted without burdening them with order fulfillment. When I’m feeling uninspired, I’ll wander around the Marquee in the River Arts district. It is a…

    • What This Could Be – September 27

      It was the week of crushing rains. Something like 8 inches has fallen over the last 24 hours with more on the way. The trash guys still picked up this week, only to leave the bins with the lid open. By the time I retrieved the can it was half full of water – probably…

    • Other Ways of Doing Business

      As of this writing, in September 2024, I feel as though I join the ranks of the burnt out. I hit this weird spot where I was running a business, but I didn’t really create much. I might be shooting myself in the foot, but I’m not sure I want my sole creations of the…

    • Creative Environments

      “What we can do is construct an environment that nurtures trusting and respectful relationships and unleashes everyone’s creativity. If we get that right, the result is a vibrant community where talented people are loyal to one another and their collective work, everyone feels that they are part of something extraordinary, and their passion and accomplishments…

    • Garbage Town USA

      They might call it Trasheville – as a play on Asheville. It all depends who you talk to. There is still a healthy punk scene that is forever supported by the artisans and students and focused spirit that this is very much an arts town. Like any city, Asheville has its growing pains that look…

    via – Reclaiming Joy in the Creator Economy – by Thomas Klaffke (creativedestruction.club)


  • It’s a Wet Heat

    • Creativity In An Age of Crisis

      Theory: tragedy inspires the greatest art. E.g. Picasso’s Guernica Hurricane Helene has brought all kinds of trouble to the region – not just Asheville, but the counties and states surrounding it. Since the hurricane hit a week ago and the devastation continues to unfold, I’ve found it nearly impossible to create anything. It got me…

    • Notes on Disasters.

      Even when it’s not right outside your window, it consumes all of your mental bandwidth. The hurricane, the aftermath, the entire region that is suffering. This is the kind of thing that sets people back ten or twenty years. You hear the stories, but now you know. This feels different, more sinister. In grade school…

    • After The Storm

      I’m collecting links for the print-on-demand stores for artists around Asheville/ Buncombe County/ Western North Carolina to share and promote. The goal is to support the local artists who were so heavily impacted without burdening them with order fulfillment. When I’m feeling uninspired, I’ll wander around the Marquee in the River Arts district. It is a…

    • What This Could Be – September 27

      It was the week of crushing rains. Something like 8 inches has fallen over the last 24 hours with more on the way. The trash guys still picked up this week, only to leave the bins with the lid open. By the time I retrieved the can it was half full of water – probably…

    • Other Ways of Doing Business

      As of this writing, in September 2024, I feel as though I join the ranks of the burnt out. I hit this weird spot where I was running a business, but I didn’t really create much. I might be shooting myself in the foot, but I’m not sure I want my sole creations of the…

    • Creative Environments

      “What we can do is construct an environment that nurtures trusting and respectful relationships and unleashes everyone’s creativity. If we get that right, the result is a vibrant community where talented people are loyal to one another and their collective work, everyone feels that they are part of something extraordinary, and their passion and accomplishments…

    • Garbage Town USA

      They might call it Trasheville – as a play on Asheville. It all depends who you talk to. There is still a healthy punk scene that is forever supported by the artisans and students and focused spirit that this is very much an arts town. Like any city, Asheville has its growing pains that look…

    We’re hitting the first hot and wet days here in Asheville. And as uncomfortable as it is, I tell myself that it could be worse. I know the Piedmont and coastal regions are easily 10 degrees warmer and 40 percent more humid just by being. I’ll never forget our late-July trip to Wilmington for a…


  • The Universal Reminders

    • Creativity In An Age of Crisis

      Theory: tragedy inspires the greatest art. E.g. Picasso’s Guernica Hurricane Helene has brought all kinds of trouble to the region – not just Asheville, but the counties and states surrounding it. Since the hurricane hit a week ago and the devastation continues to unfold, I’ve found it nearly impossible to create anything. It got me…

    • Notes on Disasters.

      Even when it’s not right outside your window, it consumes all of your mental bandwidth. The hurricane, the aftermath, the entire region that is suffering. This is the kind of thing that sets people back ten or twenty years. You hear the stories, but now you know. This feels different, more sinister. In grade school…

    • After The Storm

      I’m collecting links for the print-on-demand stores for artists around Asheville/ Buncombe County/ Western North Carolina to share and promote. The goal is to support the local artists who were so heavily impacted without burdening them with order fulfillment. When I’m feeling uninspired, I’ll wander around the Marquee in the River Arts district. It is a…

    • What This Could Be – September 27

      It was the week of crushing rains. Something like 8 inches has fallen over the last 24 hours with more on the way. The trash guys still picked up this week, only to leave the bins with the lid open. By the time I retrieved the can it was half full of water – probably…

    • Other Ways of Doing Business

      As of this writing, in September 2024, I feel as though I join the ranks of the burnt out. I hit this weird spot where I was running a business, but I didn’t really create much. I might be shooting myself in the foot, but I’m not sure I want my sole creations of the…

    • Creative Environments

      “What we can do is construct an environment that nurtures trusting and respectful relationships and unleashes everyone’s creativity. If we get that right, the result is a vibrant community where talented people are loyal to one another and their collective work, everyone feels that they are part of something extraordinary, and their passion and accomplishments…

    • Garbage Town USA

      They might call it Trasheville – as a play on Asheville. It all depends who you talk to. There is still a healthy punk scene that is forever supported by the artisans and students and focused spirit that this is very much an arts town. Like any city, Asheville has its growing pains that look…

    Because sometimes you wonder if this is all worth it. Because doing your own thing, running your own business, sharing your story, making it matter, and going out of your way to try something way off base from the norm tends to fail far more often than it succeeds. Because sometimes you find yourself looking…


  • What The Hell Is a Hobby?

    • Creativity In An Age of Crisis

      Theory: tragedy inspires the greatest art. E.g. Picasso’s Guernica Hurricane Helene has brought all kinds of trouble to the region – not just Asheville, but the counties and states surrounding it. Since the hurricane hit a week ago and the devastation continues to unfold, I’ve found it nearly impossible to create anything. It got me…

    • Notes on Disasters.

      Even when it’s not right outside your window, it consumes all of your mental bandwidth. The hurricane, the aftermath, the entire region that is suffering. This is the kind of thing that sets people back ten or twenty years. You hear the stories, but now you know. This feels different, more sinister. In grade school…

    • After The Storm

      I’m collecting links for the print-on-demand stores for artists around Asheville/ Buncombe County/ Western North Carolina to share and promote. The goal is to support the local artists who were so heavily impacted without burdening them with order fulfillment. When I’m feeling uninspired, I’ll wander around the Marquee in the River Arts district. It is a…

    • What This Could Be – September 27

      It was the week of crushing rains. Something like 8 inches has fallen over the last 24 hours with more on the way. The trash guys still picked up this week, only to leave the bins with the lid open. By the time I retrieved the can it was half full of water – probably…

    • Other Ways of Doing Business

      As of this writing, in September 2024, I feel as though I join the ranks of the burnt out. I hit this weird spot where I was running a business, but I didn’t really create much. I might be shooting myself in the foot, but I’m not sure I want my sole creations of the…

    • Creative Environments

      “What we can do is construct an environment that nurtures trusting and respectful relationships and unleashes everyone’s creativity. If we get that right, the result is a vibrant community where talented people are loyal to one another and their collective work, everyone feels that they are part of something extraordinary, and their passion and accomplishments…

    • Garbage Town USA

      They might call it Trasheville – as a play on Asheville. It all depends who you talk to. There is still a healthy punk scene that is forever supported by the artisans and students and focused spirit that this is very much an arts town. Like any city, Asheville has its growing pains that look…

    This all reminds me of Parkinson’s Law: work contracts to fit the time you give it. My goal is fairly simple: restrict my “work” to 15 hours a week. Three, five-hour days sounds simple enough. But when someone asks what I do for a living I sardonically respond: “Whatever the hell I want.” This makes…


  • A Personal Manifesto for 2024

    • Creativity In An Age of Crisis

      Theory: tragedy inspires the greatest art. E.g. Picasso’s Guernica Hurricane Helene has brought all kinds of trouble to the region – not just Asheville, but the counties and states surrounding it. Since the hurricane hit a week ago and the devastation continues to unfold, I’ve found it nearly impossible to create anything. It got me…

    • Notes on Disasters.

      Even when it’s not right outside your window, it consumes all of your mental bandwidth. The hurricane, the aftermath, the entire region that is suffering. This is the kind of thing that sets people back ten or twenty years. You hear the stories, but now you know. This feels different, more sinister. In grade school…

    • After The Storm

      I’m collecting links for the print-on-demand stores for artists around Asheville/ Buncombe County/ Western North Carolina to share and promote. The goal is to support the local artists who were so heavily impacted without burdening them with order fulfillment. When I’m feeling uninspired, I’ll wander around the Marquee in the River Arts district. It is a…

    • What This Could Be – September 27

      It was the week of crushing rains. Something like 8 inches has fallen over the last 24 hours with more on the way. The trash guys still picked up this week, only to leave the bins with the lid open. By the time I retrieved the can it was half full of water – probably…

    • Other Ways of Doing Business

      As of this writing, in September 2024, I feel as though I join the ranks of the burnt out. I hit this weird spot where I was running a business, but I didn’t really create much. I might be shooting myself in the foot, but I’m not sure I want my sole creations of the…

    • Creative Environments

      “What we can do is construct an environment that nurtures trusting and respectful relationships and unleashes everyone’s creativity. If we get that right, the result is a vibrant community where talented people are loyal to one another and their collective work, everyone feels that they are part of something extraordinary, and their passion and accomplishments…

    • Garbage Town USA

      They might call it Trasheville – as a play on Asheville. It all depends who you talk to. There is still a healthy punk scene that is forever supported by the artisans and students and focused spirit that this is very much an arts town. Like any city, Asheville has its growing pains that look…

    Forget Resolutions. Long Live the Manifesto!


  • Math as a Liberal Art

    • Creativity In An Age of Crisis

      Theory: tragedy inspires the greatest art. E.g. Picasso’s Guernica Hurricane Helene has brought all kinds of trouble to the region – not just Asheville, but the counties and states surrounding it. Since the hurricane hit a week ago and the devastation continues to unfold, I’ve found it nearly impossible to create anything. It got me…

    • Notes on Disasters.

      Even when it’s not right outside your window, it consumes all of your mental bandwidth. The hurricane, the aftermath, the entire region that is suffering. This is the kind of thing that sets people back ten or twenty years. You hear the stories, but now you know. This feels different, more sinister. In grade school…

    • After The Storm

      I’m collecting links for the print-on-demand stores for artists around Asheville/ Buncombe County/ Western North Carolina to share and promote. The goal is to support the local artists who were so heavily impacted without burdening them with order fulfillment. When I’m feeling uninspired, I’ll wander around the Marquee in the River Arts district. It is a…

    • What This Could Be – September 27

      It was the week of crushing rains. Something like 8 inches has fallen over the last 24 hours with more on the way. The trash guys still picked up this week, only to leave the bins with the lid open. By the time I retrieved the can it was half full of water – probably…

    • Other Ways of Doing Business

      As of this writing, in September 2024, I feel as though I join the ranks of the burnt out. I hit this weird spot where I was running a business, but I didn’t really create much. I might be shooting myself in the foot, but I’m not sure I want my sole creations of the…

    • Creative Environments

      “What we can do is construct an environment that nurtures trusting and respectful relationships and unleashes everyone’s creativity. If we get that right, the result is a vibrant community where talented people are loyal to one another and their collective work, everyone feels that they are part of something extraordinary, and their passion and accomplishments…

    • Garbage Town USA

      They might call it Trasheville – as a play on Asheville. It all depends who you talk to. There is still a healthy punk scene that is forever supported by the artisans and students and focused spirit that this is very much an arts town. Like any city, Asheville has its growing pains that look…

    The problem with math – at least with math instruction – is that everything is presented as a problem to be solved, and there is one solution. It wouldn’t be until a seminar on etymology that I started to understand where my mathematical collapse begun.


  • Notes On: The Manifesto

    • Creativity In An Age of Crisis

      Theory: tragedy inspires the greatest art. E.g. Picasso’s Guernica Hurricane Helene has brought all kinds of trouble to the region – not just Asheville, but the counties and states surrounding it. Since the hurricane hit a week ago and the devastation continues to unfold, I’ve found it nearly impossible to create anything. It got me…

    • Notes on Disasters.

      Even when it’s not right outside your window, it consumes all of your mental bandwidth. The hurricane, the aftermath, the entire region that is suffering. This is the kind of thing that sets people back ten or twenty years. You hear the stories, but now you know. This feels different, more sinister. In grade school…

    • After The Storm

      I’m collecting links for the print-on-demand stores for artists around Asheville/ Buncombe County/ Western North Carolina to share and promote. The goal is to support the local artists who were so heavily impacted without burdening them with order fulfillment. When I’m feeling uninspired, I’ll wander around the Marquee in the River Arts district. It is a…

    • What This Could Be – September 27

      It was the week of crushing rains. Something like 8 inches has fallen over the last 24 hours with more on the way. The trash guys still picked up this week, only to leave the bins with the lid open. By the time I retrieved the can it was half full of water – probably…

    • Other Ways of Doing Business

      As of this writing, in September 2024, I feel as though I join the ranks of the burnt out. I hit this weird spot where I was running a business, but I didn’t really create much. I might be shooting myself in the foot, but I’m not sure I want my sole creations of the…

    • Creative Environments

      “What we can do is construct an environment that nurtures trusting and respectful relationships and unleashes everyone’s creativity. If we get that right, the result is a vibrant community where talented people are loyal to one another and their collective work, everyone feels that they are part of something extraordinary, and their passion and accomplishments…

    • Garbage Town USA

      They might call it Trasheville – as a play on Asheville. It all depends who you talk to. There is still a healthy punk scene that is forever supported by the artisans and students and focused spirit that this is very much an arts town. Like any city, Asheville has its growing pains that look…

    The first draft of every manifesto comes from a place of fear, anxiety, frustration – a position of “fuck this.” A single event – bad traffic, an asshole boss, an absurdly horrible day – and the pressure is let off. The gas burns, the rant begins. Most people rant, rave, have three glasses of wine…