'Tis What 'Tis

Not me relating to a 6 month old Japanese monkey.

Things are well into 2026 now, and I've realized that when I sit down to create something, I'm less likely to reach the epiphanal state of mind required to create such things.

Anything coming in through the forebrain always seem to hide like an Amazon package left behind a bush.

I've realized, for the most part, some things have to come in through the side door.

The shower principle.

Or, for me, the treadmill principle. The Sunday chores principle. The long drive principle. The boring movie principle.

This is why I keep a notebook, or at least a note-taking app, open at all times. Flypaper for the big fish.

If I'm on the treadmill or in a similar situation where my hands aren't free, I've developed mantric mnemonic devices to keep ideas from disappearing back into the mist.

So if you see me in the gym burning through my thrice weekly mileage, it might appear that I'm quietly chanting or praying or otherwise talking to myself.

Secret: I'm holding onto ideas like a beekeeper transplanting swarm of bees from a telephone pole to a safe hive in my backyard.

'Tis what 'tis.

I've been sobbing with the rest of the world about the plight of the little Punch monkey in Japan. This will go like every viral thing. But I'm happy for the little guy. He appears to have found a flesh and blood family to keep him safe and included. That's all anyone can really hope for.

'Tis what 'tis.

Changed my work cycles from daily to weekly. To manage this enormous backlog, I started off the new year with something that looked like:

Monday: Art and design

Tuesday: Music

Wednesday: Writing

Thursday: Music

Friday: Writing

Saturday: Technical day (studio config, editing, mail orders)

Sunday: Free writing (this blog)

I quickly found that I fell off the wagon almost from the start. So, even though we're barely past February, I've switched it up to weekly cycles.

Week 1 (M-F): Writing

Week 2 (M-F): Art and design

Week 3 (M-F): Music

Repeat, with Saturday and Sunday remaining techical and free writing days, respectively.

Hoping this will give me more time to go deep and move the needle on some things. That gives me approximately 17.333 cycles per discipline in a given year. Things may take longer in the short term, but more things will actually cross the finish line.

That's the hope anyway.

'Tis what 'tis.

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What I’m reading: Living the Good Life: How To Live Sanely and Simply in a Troubled World (Scott and Helen Nearing)

What I'm listening to: Sonata No. 42 in D Minor (Cimarossa, Ólafsson)

Read the Brazil tour blog at the Substack: