Years ago, I started a practice I call Meditative Ideation. It’s a way to quiet the mind and let creative ideas flow. Ideas show up for art, music, sculptures, automata. …

Hobbies are strange things. They shape who we are, yet they also let us escape ourselves. I have plenty of interests, but a few hobbies always pull me back. Fishing, …

I’ve been thinking a lot about play, joy, and enthusiasm, especially as they relate to my multipotentiality. Then I came across a German term that hits home: Funktionslust. Loosely translated, …

Orchids have been in my life since childhood. My mom was an orchid grower, running two greenhouses in our backyard. She cultivated all kinds, mostly tropical, like you’d expect. But …

Not in the Hollywood way… more in the “every parasite in nature wants a piece of me” way. I had my annual physical today. It always gets me thinking about …

I wasn’t sold on Bluesky. I quit Twitter the week Musk took over in 2022. Since then, I’ve bounced between Threads and Bluesky, following my usual mix. Bloggers, journalists, friends, …

Can you hear yourself over all the noise? Lately, I’ve been asking myself this a lot. For someone as easily distractible as me, doomscrolling is a trap. Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, …

Way back in the mid-’70s, I was fishing with my cousin at Loch Lomond in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The bite was slow, but the day was good. We kept …

I’ve had tinnitus for as long as I can remember. No idea why. Genetics? Inner ear damage? Too many fevers as a kid? Who knows. But it’s not the annoying …

I’ve always struggled with dense books, especially ones packed with personalities. My brain prefers a clear, focused thread, like how the British cracked Enigma or the science behind raising Rainbow …

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 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 …

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 …

I live near the ocean in San Francisco. Foggy summers might make solar panels seem like a bad idea. But ours have worked great. Installed in 2008, and we haven’t …

One of the best things about having your own art show or residency? The recommendations. Other artists see your work and say, Hey, have you heard of…? That’s how I …

Back in the 1970s, I visited my Opa in Germany. We fished on the Wümme in Bremen for European eel. He had a clever way to catch them. No hooks. …

Metson Lake in Golden Gate Park was my spot. On a calm day, the water turned into a perfect mirror, reflecting the trees like a William Wendt painting. One tree …

(Continued from Part One) Did I finish everything I set out to make? Almost. As always, new ideas popped up. I needed to fill a whole shipping container, my makeshift …

Five years ago, my artist residency began… but I didn’t realize the anniversary had passed until today. I still can’t believe it happened. Six years ago, I wasn’t even calling …

You sit down at your studio table to create. But first, you have to be here. Fully. Distractions pull at you—notifications, obligations, self-doubt. Ignore them! Creativity needs presence. It’s in …

I rented a boat recently at a local lake. One of the perks of getting older? Senior discounts. In this case, $12.50 off. When I checked in, I told the …