The Rough Draft

I got tired of reading news that bummed me out— this segment is called news of the woo its a dozen hand picked news items about stuff like psychedelics, Cavemen, ancient crystals, hypnotism and mediation. Far out!

How Salvador Dali and other creative thinkers tapped into using hypnogogic imagery for inspiration.

It's easier to lean into what you want more of than it is to lean away from what you don't want. Some thoughts on how to make the most of this principle to have a good summer, and life.

By request, some thoughts on the lost art of letting yourself get a little bit bored. 

What the age of A.I. can teach us about the value of being human.

 In Daoism there is the idea of Wu Wei, of getting things done the right way, by not stressing, by not trying too hard, but just being natural and at ease. It's about slowing down and getting things done with minimal effort. Wu Wei does not mean doing nothing, it means taking things lightly, and easily, and playing loose. 

I've been thinking a lot lately about how to be more present, more in touch with and within my own physical body. Embodied. It sounds a little bit weird because it's not an idea you hear people talk about very much. Except for maybe athletes and yoga practitioners. It's a really valuable thing to cultivate. And that has been getting more true with each passing year.

A lot of mystics and meditators have long said that ideas are real, and they come from a real place. What if they are right? And what does that say about AI which are basically made out of ideas? 

Personally, I write all my own stuff, always have, always will. But I have to admit —it's already been hard enough to make it in this world as a writer, as the tsunami of AI slop becomes common, authors like myself are going to have an even harder time standing out, and keeping their heads above the slop.

Before smartphones, boredom was just a part of life — and it turns out, it might have been doing something important. This week we're exploring the lost art of idling: what happens when you stop filling every spare moment, and why the ability to do nothing in particular might be one of the most valuable skills you're not practicing. 

What even is hypnosis? A look at this poorly understood phenomena—and why the parts of the human experience that we least understand might be the most interesting.

The present moment has outpaced the imagination of sci fi writers. The future is here now! As things continue to accelerate it's always a good reminder to take time to slow down. (Maybe try some kava.)  iyntcb8Ywl6DViL0hV27

Returning home from a trip to another culture can feel pretty trippy if you do it right. I just got back from traveling in Mexico. There is a brief window after you return home from traveling when you enter your own culture and are able to see it with fresh eyes—things which are usually invisible because we are so used to them become visible. 

Some thoughts from the road on taking a vacation from the news for a few weeks. 

In today's show we talk with Alexander Technique teacher Micheal Ashcroft about how to get out of you own way

What is this show even about? Some thoughts on making a show that is not easy to pigeon hole. And, some thoughts how community and connection are a neccessary form of activism.

Digital Feierabend is the concept of having a set digital curfew for phone and screens and letting your evenings be analog. You should probably try it.

Terrence McKenna called it! The future is just going to get weirder, and weirder. Today's show is about how practicing being bored and doing boring stuff is the neccessary antidote to neverending novelty. 

The sports and games we play don’t just train our bodies — they shape our character. In this episode, I explore how different activities create different “vibes and tribes,” and how embodiment, repetition, and physical practice quietly shape who we are.

Why do some ways of “relaxing” leave us more exhausted than before? A look at how distraction fragments time, drains energy, and makes it harder to stay present.

This episode looks at how what we wear shapes our self-story, our presence, and the way we move through the world.

Sharing some surprisingly effective tips on how to over come procrastination, by using reverse psychology.

A spontaneous campfire song sing along with my friends Caleigh and Bill from the group The Birdseye. 

Ten tips on beating Seasonal Winter Blues, from a Northwest Native!

Some tips on whatto do if you see ICE in your neighborhood, and thoughts on building community.