+++ title = “10” date = 2018 +++ I get really excited when I see actual artists, or even portrayals of artists, using techniques that I use myself to produce art. I noticed this as I was watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon. I loved that she carries around a notebook to capture ideas as she sees them. It doesn’t matter what the context is. She could be on the subway, getting her nails done, with her friends… her brain is constantly on a low grade search for new inputs to turn into material.

You can change what foods you eat, and it will have at least some kind of impact on your life. You might feel that you have more energy, that you’re happier, that your mood has improved. You can change the type of material you read online. Certain social networks have been shown to have negative impact on mental health. You might find that you judge yourself less harshly when compared to others, and you have less of an urge to get into arguments with strangers.

+++ title = “10” date = 2018 +++ Many people use a journal to “reflect.” But when I reflect, it’s not the semi-literal interpretation of looking at myself as I am now. There’s a clear distinction between pontificating and reflecting, for me. When I write in this blog, I pontificate. Often, the writing is just my process for thinking. I have a very small idea of what I believe when I start a piece, and a much more complete version by the time I’m done.

+++ title = “10” date = 2018 +++ I heard a metaphor the other day – that all the messages you’re sent as a child are like colored dye being put into a clear glass of water. They might all be different colors, but they blend together to create the unique image you have of yourself as an adult. I think the same is true for artists, except we can expand this to cover every piece of media we consume.

I was with a person a few decades older than me recently and we were talking about technology. “Don’t you think,” she asked me, “that technology is making us more isolated? We have all these friends who aren’t really our friends.” I’ve always though that this argument doesn’t really hold much water. Most of the people I know, from any generation, still hang out face to face with their friends. It’s just that they communicate more frequently with them.