Web pages which neglect to include two of the most important pieces of information: Who and When. Yes, all web pages. Thou shalt always list the author. (“Anonymous” is a legitimate answer to, “who?’) Thou shalt always list at least a general composition/publication date. Online, it is already difficult to place things into context. Having a Who and When gives that many more clues to place things into context.
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Let me be clear that no part of me idealizes the bygone agony of waiting three weeks for a letter from your lover to cross the Atlantic—a letter that might never arrive from a lover who might be dead by the time it does arrive. But let me also be clear that, in another century or two, if humanity is wise enough to survive and reconsider its compulsions, posterity will look back on us gobsmacked that we put ourselves through the agony of the three pulsating dots.
~ Maria Popova
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A simple way to start moving your body more is to swap your sedentary seat for “active sitting.” How much of your body’s work are you giving to the chair? If the back of the chair disappeared, what would happen? Would you collapse backwards? If yes, then the chair-back is doing the work of your core musculature. And obviously, if the bottom of a chair dropped out we’d fall straight down because the chair is also doing the work of the legs.
~ Katy Bowman from, 53 Ways to Take A Seat – Nutritious Movement
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This is a terrific example of Bowman’s way of looking into human movement. A huge amount of what I do involves computers. Even though have all the various physical types of computer, sedentary is still sedentary. Short of abandoning my entire lifestyle, the best I can do is to change things frequently through my day and this delightful little article has “a few” variations.
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Age. Age brings perspective in the fine clarity one gets at midnight, on the tracks, looking into the lights of an oncoming train. It dawns on you rather quickly: There’s only so much time left. Only so many star-filled nights, snowfalls… brisk fall afternoons, rainy midsummer days. So how you conduct yourself and do your work matters. How you treat your friends, your family, your lover. On good days, a blessing falls over you. It wraps its arms around you and you’re free and deeply in and of this world. That’s your reward: Being here.
~ Bruce Springsteen
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Consider sketching on a page, where various ideas or points are connected by drawing arrows or shapes or groupings. When sketching, you aren’t quite sure how to structure your thoughts before you start. And sketching is, in some way, the act of figuring this out. There is something highly nonlinear about this process where your thoughts backtrack to previous ideas and test the strength of old conclusions.
~ Gytis Daujotas from, Iterating fast: voice dictation as a form of babble — LessWrong
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Before I begin, I want to point to these general thoughts about Babble, and to this very interesting series of articles advancing the idea that the antagonistic algorithms Babble and Prune can at least partly model how the mind works.
I’m thinking that one way to have what I’d call a “really good conversation” is when the participants are babbling together. Baby babble is generally incomprehensible, or at least not comprehensible overall. Baby babble has many comprehensible words, but rarely a comprehensible sentence. In conversations which I’d call “good”, the babble has comprehensible sentences, and often comprehensible paragraphs, but may not be comprehensible overall. We’re babbling, and pruning, to see where we end up.
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How do different communication mediums influence engagement and interaction in personal and professional settings?
Exploring the interplay between technology, generational habits, and learning styles shapes the dynamics of modern communication.
There is a little bit of a disconnect because there’s that expectation from a generation that says you have to show yourself on video, but the digital natives… don’t care.
~ Jam Mayer (4:33)
The conversation explores the nuanced ways communication mediums affect engagement. It contrasts the experience of in-person training with digital formats, highlighting the energy and connection possible in face-to-face settings versus the challenges posed by video calls. Generational differences in behavior and expectations are examined, with older generations often emphasizing visible engagement and digital natives demonstrating a more relaxed approach.
The discussion goes into the dynamics of online communities, particularly challenges in making platforms user-friendly for diverse engagement styles. Jam and Craig address the difficulty of translating podcast audiences into other forms of interaction and consider strategies for creators to adapt content for various mediums, ensuring accessibility for their audience’s preferences.
Takeaways
Choosing communication mediums — dependent on personal learning styles and context.
Generational differences — younger audiences are more comfortable with digital flexibility.
Energy in interactions — stronger in-person connections compared to digital ones.
Podcast audience behavior — challenges in transitioning listeners to other platforms.
Community space design — balancing simplicity with features for proactive users.
Adaptability for creators — experimenting with multiple formats increases engagement potential.
Resources
Jam Mayer on LinkedIn — Jam Mayer’s preferred platform for professional connections.
Discourse — a community platform with customizable homepage settings.
Reddit — mentioned as a highly active online forum illustrating user engagement challenges.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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How do personal exploration, creativity, and cultural influences shape movement practices and artistic endeavors?
Christian Anderson is a parkour coach, athlete, teacher, martial artist, and movement artist. He created his own parkour teaching program, pursues weapons training, and is an artist in other mediums, including drawing, music, videos, and blade-smithing. Christian earned his bachelors in Landscape architecture at North Carolina A&T University.
You don’t have to tell a kid to play, to jump to climb. There’s a lot of innate understanding of movement that I think children have, to be completely honest.
~ Christian Anderson (28:59)
Christian Anderson’s unique interests are wide-ranging; from martial arts and weapons training, to parkour, to art, to creating his own weapons and training set-ups. Christian shares his inspirations and process for learning and creating. He discusses teaching, landscape architecture, and his specific influences and role models. Christian unpacks his personal martial arts, weapons, and movement practices, and how all of them are creatively interconnected.
The conversation explores how personal creativity, cultural influences, and movement intersect in both art and physical practices. Topics range from martial arts and weapon-making to how imagination facilitates movement, particularly in children. The discussion highlights the importance of personal space creation, whether for training or as a sanctuary, and how integrating these elements into daily life fosters growth.
There is a deep appreciation for cultural artifacts, such as samurai films and ninjutsu, which serve as both inspiration and a means to connect with broader traditions. Additionally, the dialogue touches on the challenges of prioritizing projects, maintaining focus, and overcoming impostor syndrome, illustrating the complexity of creative expression and personal exploration.
Takeaways
Creating personal spaces — Spaces designed for training or reflection enhance creativity and personal growth.
Martial arts inspiration — Movement practices often draw from cultural traditions and historical arts.
Childhood creativity — Imagination and play significantly aid learning and physical development.
Overcoming impostor syndrome — Acknowledging and embracing imperfections is key to creative growth.
Interdisciplinary practices — Combining artistic and physical endeavors fosters innovation.
Environmental influence — Nature and green spaces serve as restorative environments for recharging.
Visual motivation — Visual aids and imagery act as powerful tools for focus and inspiration.
Cultural connections — Martial arts offer a window into understanding and appreciating different cultures.
Resources
Instagrams: @adept.anderson, @adeptations
Magnificent Seven scene recreation
The Magnificent Seven (2016) — Film discussed for its choreography and cultural references.
Mirakawa dummy video — Creating videos of his work
Japanese Throwing Weapons by Daniel Fletcher — A guide to traditional shuriken and their use.
Akira Kurosawa – Japanese filmmaker
Rashomon – story told from multiple viewpoints. Also, Seven Samurai, Hidden Fortress, Harakiri, 13 Assassins, Samurai Rebellion, Yojimbo
Freeway Park in Seattle — Lawrence Halprin
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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Every time people contact me, they say, “look, I know you must be incredibly busy…” and I always think, “no, I’m not.” Because I’m in control of my time. I’m on top of it. “Busy,” to me, seems to imply, “out of control.” Like, “oh my god, I’m so busy. I don’t have any time for this shit!” To me, that sounds like a person who’s got no control over their life.”
~ Derek Sivers
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When we conjure up what it will be like to start a new practice, form a new habit, knock an item off a bucket list, we see the fun but not the work. We see an image in which all the drudgery has been edited out, and only the montage of rewards left in.
~ Brett McKay from, «https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/advice/sunday-firesides-do-you-like-the-idea-more-than-the-reality/»
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Great points from McKay. I often enjoy inverting problems like the one he’s describing. Let’s say I thought a lot about the idea and the reality and decided far in the past to start something—for example, a daily podcast of me reading quotes. Then the inversion of the problem McKay is writing about would be to figure out, in the present, if my current experience of the reality matches what I expected the reality to be, back when I made the decision. Because, if I don’t do that, how do I get better at making the idea/reality choice McKay is discussing?
This is one reason I journal. For every project (and much more) in the last decade I’ve journaled about it. An idea begins to appear repeatedly in my journal entries. Sometimes it grows into my laying out the expected reality—the work this is going to require, the physical and emotional costs, the expected outcome(s), the rewards, etc.. Then I regularly reread my old journal entries and see how much of an idiot I was. ;)
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How does podcasting facilitate personal growth and the exchange of insights?
Podcasting invites both hosts and listeners into transformative spaces of thought.
Doing this work can be playful… and giving others the opportunity to listen in when insight happens is a pretty cool thing.
~ Corey Schlosser-Hall (19:11)
The conversation explores the multifaceted nature of podcasting, particularly its potential to create and share insights. Corey reflects on his podcast “On the Verge,” which captures moments of inspiration before they manifest into tangible outcomes. Craig and Corey discuss how meaningful exchanges in conversational formats provide fertile ground for reflection and personal growth.
They also examine the concept of “emergence” in communication, debating whether conversations simply elicit pre-existing knowledge or foster the creation of new ideas. They agree that podcasting serves as a unique medium for these emergent moments, with its challenges and rewards—including the variety of approaches it enables, from intimate dialogues to larger production endeavors.
Takeaways
Capturing inspiration — Moments before ideas become tangible can be deeply insightful.
Insight through dialogue — Conversational podcasts enable reflective and emergent thinking.
Creative challenges — Balancing pre-recording, live recording, and post-production has unique rewards and difficulties.
Emergence in communication — Interactions can construct new meaning rather than just reveal existing thoughts.
Playfulness in podcasting — Creating and sharing content can feel enjoyable and spontaneous.
Adaptability — Different podcast formats and experiences provide ongoing opportunities for growth.
Ownership transitions — Navigating podcast ownership when shifting organizations poses challenges.
Resources
On the Verge podcast — Focuses on capturing moments of invisible inspiration before they become visible.
Calendly — Scheduling tool used for organizing podcast interviews.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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