So something has happened. I was approached by an indie publisher about writing a book on nation-building, and I’m going to do it. I am saying yes. That’s not even the most profound thing to come from that experience. The profound thing was that I saw myself and my work through different eyes…through those of someone who saw me on the crest of my greatest work. Suddenly, I knew what I needed to do. All it took was one step; … Continue reading
The worst way to do social media is to sit down at a computer and read through hundreds of articles to find the two worth talking about that haven’t already become ubiquitous. What a waste of hours that could have been spent making something brilliant! How depressing to work so hard for a handful of shrapnel! Over the years, I’ve created various systems for myself so that I can do the work, but also share the work. My motive used … Continue reading
I’m convinced, finally, that now is all there is. After feeling the high heavens and rock bottoms of all my successes and failures, I know it’s true — this is really my life. I spent my 20s reaching high and wide for my dreams. So far, my 30s have been spent coming back down to earth and helping other people reach theirs. You know what’s strange about that? “Success” continues to find me anyway, somehow. Which makes me wonder over … Continue reading
I have always been a nerd And not the “real” kind who likes Star Trek (I didn’t even know who Wil Wheaton was until Big Bang Theory), but the kind who has read everything in sight since she was 4 years old…including the ingredients of every food item in our shopping cart, as well every book that happened to reside in our house (including some my mom would have been shocked at me pulling off our bookshelves). I emphasize the … Continue reading
So I was brushing my teeth this morning. (Actually, it was closer to the afternoon because I got carried away with nation-building and didn't eat or shower until about an hour ago. It is currently 6:45pm…I'm sure you can relate.) Anyway, I was brushing my teeth with my brand new, never-before-been-tried Tom's toothpaste. In Peppermint! Here are the benefits, as listed: No animal testing or animal ingredients We share every ingredient, its purpose, and its source at tomsofmaine.com Sustainable practices … Continue reading
I’m at a weird place in my work life right now. I have more freedom than usual. I realize almost nobody says this at this time of year, and it surprises me that I am. Despite the big web design project that I’m working on for one of the nations I’m helping build, and the secret santa I’m putting together for the Tour de Bliss travelers, and the Remarkability Carnivale that I’m preparing for January…oh wait, maybe it’s not freedom … Continue reading
I’ve gotten a couple of emails from folks asking where in the world I’ve been. Answer: I’ve been traipsing around Orlando, FL and Nashville, TN with my family. We’re not even home yet, but my brain can’t take any more vacation, so I came back to digital civilization. Hello, patrons of the honorable pixel! And what was the first thing I did when I got back? Re-vamped my website, of course. (What is this, version 6? Well yes, it is … Continue reading
I never thought I wanted to be famous. (Although, get me up on a stage performing in a musical, and I’m a totally different person…what happened to that introvert who liked to curl up on the couch all day, reading and eating toast?) Recently though, as I’ve been reading Martha Beck’s Finding Your Own North Star, I’ve been scrutinizing the way I live my life. Strangely, a lot of my time is spent being very “public” and creating things that … Continue reading
I always go through this weird creative cycle. It goes something like this: Step one: Create something. Get incredibly excited about it. Put it out into the world. Step two: See how people use it (or don’t use it). Learn a bunch of stuff about human behavior. Discover flaws. Get sad. Step three: Think really hard about how to fix said flaws. Eat lots of toast and drink lots of blood orange soda. Read a thousand books. Cry some. Step … Continue reading
In six days, it will be A Small Nation’s birthday. Today, I got a present in the mail that reminded me that in its first year, I have achieved the most important thing I wanted to achieve with A Small Nation. And that is for our work to be meaningful to us. It was kind of a selfish goal, actually. But in making sure our work is meaningful to us, we make sure that the people we work with get … Continue reading