Feb 24, 2022The Importance of Being BoredWasting time, together. It’s something that tends to lead to the most meaningful, memorable moments of our lives. Think back on your life chapters, or friend-groups, and try to think about what makes them stand out in hindsight (even if at the time they seemed random, unimportant, or even far from ideal)? …2 min read2 min read
Feb 14, 2022In the garden, as in life, follow the golden rule of engagement.There is a golden rule of engagement that should really be followed by educators, activists, facilitators, and designers alike. It is a principle I’ve encountered time and again. It runs like a golden thread through many of the (seemingly unrelated) fields I’ve immersed myself in over the years (pedagogy, sociology…2 min read2 min read
Feb 4, 2022Expertise is overrated. Unschool yourself to understand why.All my life I’ve been under a lot of pressure to demonstrate confidence in my abilities. As a kid, it was, “Work harder to fulfill your potential.” As a young adult, it was, “Learn how to market yourself.” Now as a (gulp) middle-aged person it’s, “Be the author of your…2 min read2 min read
Jan 31, 2022The AB3s of UnstuckitivityIn order to get myself unstuck the other day, I made up the AB3s of Unstuckitivity: A. Being stuck is comfortable because of its certainty, so to get unstuck, get comfortable with UNcertainty. It’s possible you like being stuck more than you want to admit (because after all it does have a certain certainty about it). …2 min read2 min read
Jan 30, 2022How to get unstuck (when advice about getting unstuck is what got you stuck in the first place).I’d like to help you get unstuck, but from this place of stuck-ness I’m not sure I’m the best person to do that. Then, again, I might be an expert. After all, I get stuck and unstuck a lot. I am just not quite sure how to get unstuck at…2 min read2 min read
Jan 25, 2022As a parent, you have a little less (and also a lot more) responsibility than you might think you do.As a parent, one feels responsible for their child in many ways. We think we’re responsible for them and to them. We think we’re responsible for meeting their needs and loving them unconditionally. And this much is absolutely true. But what we are NOT responsible for is setting them on…2 min read2 min read
Jan 24, 2022Re-design your understanding of design.We imagine that the purpose of design is to make something new. When we think of a designer, we tend to imagine someone with a bold or impactful vision, who is able to take something completely imaginary and then bring it to fruition through sketches and mock-ups or prototypes eventually…2 min read2 min read
Jan 23, 2022My kid launched his first podcast, and it’s as scary as it is awesome. (Part 2)On Jan 1st, my 9 yo launched his first podcast. This was a long time coming. He’d been recording the episodes for several months. …1 min read1 min read
Jan 22, 2022Your kid is obsessed with becoming a YouTuber for a good reason. (Part 1)So, apparently in 2019 Lego did this survey of 8–12 yo kids, and 3x as many wanted to be YouTubers as did astronauts. It comes as absolutely no surprise to me, as a parent of two young kids, but I imagine many hear this and think, what the…? …2 min read2 min read
Jan 21, 2022Where the dogs pee.When I look out the window by my writing desk, my eyes are invariably drawn to the same troublesome spot. Where our front pathway meets the sidewalk, right on the corner where my children spent days building a snow fortress in anticipation of neighborhood snowball fights to come, the snow…2 min read2 min read
