I have to admit, it bugs me when people call a streetcar a bus. Don’t they know the difference? Rubber tires versus steel wheels. It’s not that hard. But I …

When I built the Redwoods and Pacific, I made sure to add plenty of bridges. This deck truss bridge is my favorite. It spans a deep canyon, floor to ceiling. …

Politics are terrible right now. No way around it. But that’s not a reason to stop creating. If anything, it’s a reason to make more. In my studio, there’s a …

Paxidermy is my take on taxidermy. No dead animals. Just joy. I sculpt happy creatures with paper mache and other materials, focusing on peace, whimsy, and expression. Inspired by Theodore …

Carville by the Sea was a strange and wonderful part of early San Francisco. Retired horse cars and cable cars turned into homes, social clubs, and more. People bought them …

In high school, I was set on studying biology. Then, in 1976, a buddy said, “Hey, you gotta see what’s in the third-floor utility closet.” I expected a prank. Instead, …

I’ve been reading How to Be Avant-Garde: Modern Artists and the Quest to End Art by Morgan Falconer. It’s been lighting my mind on fire, so I’ve been interrogating ChatGPT …

In September 2022 Joyce and I took an amazing trip on the Rocky Mountaineer. It traveled from Denver to Moab through some of the most spectacular scenery on the old …

Ever wonder why you chase so many ideas? Why your curiosity pulls you down endless rabbit holes? Do half-finished projects haunt you? You’re probably a multipotentialite (also multi-passionate, polymath, and …

In this 4 minute video I show how I built a ferry slip headwork for my Redwoods and Pacific Railroad. Even though the tracks of the ferry slip end at a …

My first automata, a prototype. Inspired by Paul Spooner’s San Francisco and the San Andreas Fault. It’s pictured on page 133 of Rodney Peppé’s automata book. The base is wood. …

Poke poling takes me back. I first read about it in a saltwater fishing book back in the ’70s. Sounded strange and I had to try it. Been at it …

Ever stare at a blank page, hoping creativity will show up? I have. It sucks. That’s why I built a technique that changed everything. I call it Meditative Ideation. It’s …

I make Flux cards. Each is a pocket-sized prompt for play. Ten squares. Ten images. You perform the art. Each image is a nudge. An airplane? Maybe you fly around …

Before Tik Tok, before Reels, I was making these little shorts. I have a natural allergy to phone orientation so all of my shorts were in traditional landscape mode. Enjoy. …

Ever stumble across one of those vintage electronics shops online? The kind with pages of old parts and mystery boxes full of vacuum tubes—stuff you don’t need but suddenly can’t …

This past year, I tried something new. Making paper ghost signs for buildings on my model railroad. It worked better than I expected. One sign in particular stood out. The …

You don’t exist for anyone’s pleasure. You are not a shape to be molded, not a canvas for their brush, not a mirror reflecting their comfort. Who you are is …

I take a lunchtime walk to 28th and Ortega. I start at the top of the reservoir. Most days, the fog is in. But on clear days, I see the …

Did you know you can grow luffas in San Francisco? I didn’t. I always thought luffa (aka loofah) sponges came from the sea. Turns out, they’re actually related to cucumbers. …

Back in the late ‘80s, I got a set of Derwent watercolor pencils. I didn’t use water with them. Just drew as-is. Even so, I loved the textures and realism …

Ancient rhythms sang A sea of blue wings Named for a Persian King With daybreak, wings pulse Lupine’s pleasant companion Never far from surf’s plume Famous to the few who …

In a previous post, I talked about catching eels with my grandpa using a clod of worms. But that wasn’t the only unusual way I caught them. The Wümme River …

When I was three, my dad got his first model railroad. Märklin. The legendary German brand. His collection started with an express steam engine, some passenger cars, and a few …

The Everything Conference last August 2024 was a game-changer. I met fellow multipotentialites, swapped ideas, and left more fired up than ever. No one blinks when you say, “I’m interested …