Category Archives: podcast

Pain yields to innovation

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Audio Recording of the Author Reading: Pain yields to innovation

Recently, I have been thinking about pain.

The pain of the market is just one such example. Pain of the body, too. And while I have thought on this, I’ve concluded that pain yields to innovation.

“Let me explain; no, there’s too much. Let me sum up.” Inigo Montoya

There is multi-millenia of pain that our species has experienced, and for it we have become exceptionally capable overcoming pain:

  • cold -> fire
  • weather -> shelter
  • hunger -> agriculture
  • conflict -> weapons (empathy is a weapon, too)

These are only a few examples, there are many more.

And what of your pain? Do you shun it, ignore it, mask, bury or hide it?

Hone in on it. Feel it.

The source of your pain may yield wonders untold, undiscovered or unimaginable. But you must not turn your back; no, not on your pain.

To do so, to turn on your pain, is to turn on your self.

Face you pain, feel it, and grow.

This morning I turned off my computer, you should too

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Audio record of the post, ‘This morning I turned off my computer, you should too’

This morning, while writing my morning pages, I found myself listening to the
hum of my desktop computer. I stopped writing and I took a moment to turn off
my computer. After a moment of hearing the hardware dial down, I was now in a
quieter room.

This shift from up-time to down-time became incredibly apparent when I looked
to turn off my phone. A moment later, my kindle was off too. That’s three
powered devices within arms length at the desk.

That’s when I paused.

And then I asked myself, do I expect my machines need to run at 100% uptime?

Then another, does running machines at 100% uptime mean I need to manage them
100% of that time?

As I sat listening to my furnace kick off, I was struck by how simple the logic
of its operation.

Meet objective, then turn off blower motor;
if not met, ignite and heat,
then, initialize blower motor;
and, turn off gas to flame;
pull thermostat reading:
if objective met, turn off blower motor.

Ask yourself:

  • what if more of my work process included turning off as a key component to its functioning?
  • Am I expected to run my machines 100% of the time?
  • By extension of that, am I expected to run 100% of the time
  • And, do I try to meet that irrational standard?

If this is a new concept to you, turning off your devices, take a moment and do
it now.

(Bonus points if you measure how much time your device has been off.)

Slow Activities may lead to a a happier life, says my experience

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Audio record of the post, ‘Slow Activities may lead to a a happier life, says my experience’

I experience what Devine Lu Linvega, at LibrePlanet 2022, mentioned about slow activities when I write on paper before I write on a keyboard. When I take the time to write it out by hand, I generally like writing more, and I feel like it comes more readily. I have experienced a notable shift in tone, pacing and rhythm when using different sizes of paper. And I’ve noticed a different timbre when using pencils instead of pens; said in another way,

A risky hand races
with a pencil knowing

strikes can be made undone
just as fast,

but a cautious hand
strikes the page with pen,

there is no going back.

Alixander Court 2022/03/20

I’ve also noticed too that cursive is more pleasant than print. Cursive also has a speed to it. I prefer using cursive; my morning writing is entirely written out by hand before it gets typed up. When ever possible, I try to write my text messages and mastodon replies by hand first before I send or post them. I’ve found that my messages come from a more sincere place when written first. Am I 100% on that, no. But my experience writing leads me to believe that the more I pursue the source, the more real my writing tends to be. Which I imagine you want as much as me.

Where does your slow work take place? For me it is writing tool and paper, for others it might be the pan and spatula, or the anvil and hammer. It would be neat to discover where you go to connect with your creative source, if you would not mind sharing.