This was my 2020.
Category Archive: About
Interview with Chris Miles of Money Ripples Podcast
I had a great discussion with Chris about Big Enough and designing a business around more than income. Listen below or on this page.
Podcast Interview with Mitch Joel – Six Pixels of Separation
Before this interview, I had never had a discussion with Mitch, but we've been connected online for over thirteen years. It was so awesome to finally be able to talk with him. This interview is interesting because it goes into the early stages of Common Craft videos,...
The Entrepreneurial Imperative
Though it might not be obvious, we live in a world of imperatives. These are not laws, regulations, or other legally-binding rules, but expectations made by culture. We are bound by what others believe is the right path in a given situation. They are norms that, when...
R.I.P. Yahoo Groups
Yahoo recently shared the news that, after 20 years, Yahoo! Groups is shutting down. It's no big surprise, but seeing this news took me back to the early days of online communities and my job as an online community manager. In 1999, I was fascinated with online...
The Smell of Crabbing in the Salish Sea ๐๐
One of the challenges of crabbing in the Salish Sea is dealing with the bait, which can sometimes get very ripe. In this case, the bait attracted our dogs, who shared the love.
Cedar, Big Enough, and Boats ๐ฒ๐๐ค
A snapshot of summer 2020 when we were staining cedar for the house, preparing to publish a book, and spending a lot of time on the Salish Sea.
Who is Common Craft?
It makes my day when I receive an email from someone who says something like, โIโve been a fan since the first video!โ Itโs hard to believe that was in 2007, over 13 years ago. At the time, we were new and different. Our style of videos attracted attention just...
Inside the COVID Bubble ๐
A report from May of 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic had forced shutdowns of most of the US, including Orcas Island.
City Life Versus Island Life ๐โป๏ธ
Moving from Seattle to an island was a shock for a lot of reasons. One of the most interesting was learning to be more self-sufficient than we ever have.
A Dispatch from the Covid Quarantine ๐ฆ
In the spring of 2020, we were quarantined because of Covid-19. This was our experience early in the pandemic.
In an Instant, She Was Gone ๐ฒ๐ฆฎ๐ฒ
On a windy afternoon, our dog disappeared into the woods hunting for deer. This is what happened and how it felt.
The Moment Everything Changed at Common Craft โก๏ธ
In 2007, our lives changed thanks to publishing a series of animated videos that became known at the first “explainer” videos of the YouTube era.
Stepping Away from the Seattle Bustle
Now that we’ve moved and my life has changed in fundamental ways, I can’t help but see that there is beauty in stepping off the treadmill of city life and professional expectations and reevaluating what success means to me.
Surprisingly Interesting in 2020 ๐
The post below was sent as an issue of my newsletter, Ready for Rain. When I was home with my parents for Christmas, an idea started to percolate. Over the last year, my momโs health prevented her from checking email regularly and she wasnโt able to keep up with my...
Ready for Rain Year in Review ๐
Ready for Rain at one year. A review of the events in 2019, as shared in the newsletter.
Gettin’ Hygge With Indoor Living ๐ง๐ฅ๐ท
The Danish people, among the happiest in the world, have a term for the feeling of indoor coziness in the winter: Hygge. We are trying our best to create that feeling here on Orcas Island.
Making Media for Ready for Rain Newsletter ๐น ๐
Ready for Rain is, in part, a media experiment. I love making media and use the newsletter as an opportunity to create videos, gifs, and more. This is a look at my tools and processes.
Your Questions About The House Project, Answered โฌ๏ธ
A few notes on the house project and our plans, as is was coming together in 2019.
Why Orcas Island? Why now? ๐ฒ๐ฅ๐ฆ
When we decided to leave Seattle and move to Orcas Island, it made sense to us, but people always asked why. This is my explanation.