Welcome to the beginning of the end…of 2025 and the holiday season. Sorry, that was unneccessarily dark, and this year has already had enough of that. I do love this time of year with all its sparkle and shine, but it also has a way of bringing up a touch of sadness. Given the onslaughtContinue reading “Muddle Through”
Tag Archives: optimism
Collective Awe
Last week felt like a whirlwind of beginnings. The week started with the unofficial start of winter with the first snowfall in Chicago and ended with what felt like the beginning of spring. Sandwiched in between was the return of the Northern Lights, which always feels like some sort of cosmic reset. Forcing us allContinue reading “Collective Awe”
Practical Protest
There is a lot going on in the world right now. Calling it overwhelming seems like a gross understatement. It is heartbreaking and can leave even the most aggressively optimistic feeling hopeless. I don’t have any answers for solving the world’s many problems, but I do know that protest is essential to surviving moments likeContinue reading “Practical Protest”
Diversions from Dread
With all that’s going on in the world right now, it’s easy to forget that creativity and art are more than a diversion from existential dread. They are an act of protest. That’s both good news and bad news. It’s bad because it highlights the true intentions behind defunding the arts, but it also meansContinue reading “Diversions from Dread”
Handful of Helpers
This past weekend, International Women’s Day was celebrated around the globe. It may have been removed from many a tech company’s calendar, but it happened nonetheless. It happened with marches. It happened with protests. It happened with community. There’s a lot to say about what’s going on with women’s rights and (gestures vaguely) everything else,Continue reading “Handful of Helpers”
Colorful Chaos
We’re just over two weeks out from the U.S. presidential election. We’ve nearly made it after endless campaigns, a few debates, and a couple of plot twists. At this stage, even the most dedicated political junkie has all but reached their limit. Your average semi-engaged voter has just completely checked out, either because they knowContinue reading “Colorful Chaos”
Circumstantial Smile
Happy Groundhog Day! It’s that time of year when we (in the northern hemisphere) turn our attention to the wise woodchucks for the timeline of the changing seasons. This year, we seem destined for an early spring, or at least that’s the hope. And that is what all the silliness and pageantry is about, reallyContinue reading “Circumstantial Smile”
Holiday Homestretch
We’ve made it to the holiday homestretch and the new year is well within our sights. It’s a small window where most of us give ourselves permission to rest, reflect, and look forward. A moment of relaxation is a powerful thing. It can leave us feeling renewed or quite the opposite. The outcome depends onContinue reading “Holiday Homestretch”
Look for the Magic
When I get stuck in my head, I like to go for a walk with my camera. It’s that slight step outside of comfort combined with a search for a new perspective through a creative lens. It’s almost always the perfect, simple solution for even the most seemingly dire circumstances. More and more I findContinue reading “Look for the Magic”
Summer Stories
I tend to live a few months in the future. It’s partly due to the nature of my work, but also because that is just how my brain works. I know I’m not alone in this, especially at this time of year. The beginning of August has a lot of us in the northern hemisphereContinue reading “Summer Stories”
Onward & Awkward 