Welcome

Jump in Where?

I've never felt a strong desire to participate in the social web. You could call me a lurker, though that makes me sound like a shadowy wallflower. I'm plenty social off the computer, and readily jump in on the group chats. But, beyond sharing some creative projects and occasionally uploading photos, I haven't liked the idea of tossing my thoughts, feelings, and other personal data in the stream. How does it come so easily to others? It's just too quickly washed away, and increasingly, there isn't room for nuance or generosity, why would I offer myself to the piranhas?

I do have a desire to participate though. I want to get get my words out there; to share and grow ideas with other people on the internet. It's taken me a long time to find and understand ideas that I now hold very dearly. I want to show, and be shown, exciting new paths — especially the utopian ones that are overgrown or closed off. It feels like there's so little time to change this world. Why are we fighting? Let's care for each other and work together already.

I've decided to land my words here on this website for the time being. It's not yet a plot in the overlapping gardens of my dream internet, but it's calmer and there's room for nuance. And even though it does still feel like self-promotion or broadcasting to me, I think that says more about the path the web has taken. It can still be a place to share and explore, and I need something that isn't the blackhole of my Notes folders.

My Garden

I have struggled with how I will publish my words onto the internet. My brain is simply not wired to write blog posts. I have found that I make things-- music, art, software—- in multiple passes: bursts of focused work followed by periods of rest, then picking it back up when I find the energy and interest. If something is important, I will come back to it eventually-- sometimes years later.

So, this site will consist of living documents that I can add as I discover things, and edit as my thoughts inevitably evolve. A wiki is probably the closest concept for now. I expect it'll end up looking like my backyard garden: new plots with seedlings, a partially built shade/greenhouse, a scraggly tomato bush, and a number of beds with thriving winter greens. Welcome.