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First of all, thank you. A few of you have been signing on for subscriptions and tipping, and it keeps me going. I feel the support, and that helps me take time to sit down to write, draw, and do this digital dance with less guilt for not being a high-efficiency piece in an industrial machine.
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Just now on the radio, I heard a musician talking about how his band's music changed direction by a single song. The proponent of the new sound met with cuts of resistance from band mates who wouldn't even try the song in the studio. Even if the new music "died in that studio, never to be heard by anyone," they weren't having it.
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One said, "we're a rock band, and that's not rock."
So the leader gave the band the day off and recorded the new sounds solo. The next day the rest of the band heard the demo and asked to accompany him. Whatever it was besides "rock" was unclear, but it was definitely good music.
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Artists (of various media) are harbingers of change, precisely because they are willing to work outside understood styles and identifiers, to process and complete things in new territory.
Holding onto a creative moniker even as rebellious as "rock star" can prove limiting too. What's a rock star to wear to the grocery store? This is only a valid question because rock star is a role or style, not substance, unless you write music. Substance comes through work.
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And an artist's work often occurs outside of what's occurred before. The movement part, pushing beyond and completing things beyond the typical edge of a field, an idea, even a material, is the work.
For those of you who enjoy a creative life, you know work is a process. And processes move and change: perhaps processes are movement and change. And when a day's work is satisfying, an artist calls a thing "done," and will often start another. Artists don't often repeat because there's so much metaphoric space to explore beyond the place they worked yesterday. Another place to push past...
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Perhaps this is why creative people shift from one medium to another, or weave together materials, or shift from one subject to another: it shows new territory where one can stack dimensions of exploration. Sometimes artists play around in a studio, experimenting with materials to see what comes up.
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Creatives tinker and experiment – and that's what pushes even the selvedge edge of "rock star" toward the stratosphere.
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Where have you limited your creative process? Can you name that edge and accomplish something beyond it today?
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Thank you for reading. With kindness and gratitude,
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Sit Stay Wait Watch
April 13, 2026 | markup on photo
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More Text & Images
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There's not much to say here that hasn't been said about Artemis program to – and around– the Moon. Watching, thinking, listening, and conversing about this go-round of Integrity has been mostly a joy. And for that, I am grateful. I'd rather see a nation's people joining together for exploration than many other things. And I can hit a few …
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Categories: Culture, History, Mommess, Science, Technlogy, Uncategorized
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Remember when the Democratic party broke with proper convention (and conventions) to nominate Kamala Harris? As a decidedly left-leaning citizen I absolutely wanted Kamala to beat Trump in the last election. But here I am still staring at an old guy in office who wears a diaper and starts wars so he can play deal maker while enriching a few. …
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Categories: Culture, Mommess, Uncategorized
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and what to do about it. Focusing on social media engagement stats can be antithetical to actually helping people show up in real life. Because "engagement-based" social strategies encourage more digital time, and less real-world activity, they need to be evaluated carefully before doubling down on "data-driven" drivel that often obscures facts. After all, engagement is what social media does: …
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Categories: Mommess, Research & Development, Technlogy, Web Marketing, Work
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You received this email because you signed up here, or I thought you might find this interesting and added you to my weekly roundup of text & images. You may unsubscribe at any time at bottom. Your replies, questions and comments are welcome. |
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In the days of AI and excessive optimization, mess is leading edge.
Some content here is political, some personal, much of it philosophical, and all of it meant to shine some light into the lives of my readers, because it was written to shine light into mine.
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I hope my work stirs your soul, ignites your creativity, and helps you feel connected to all the good things this life can offer. If it doesn't, please promptly forget it!
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POLITICAL ACTION AREA It's likely best to plug into your local groups, and show up in the ways you can. Peaceful crowd sizes matter, as does your positive energy and adherence to non-violence. APRIL 25 is a National Day to Protest ICE.
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