john t. unger studio

Fire Features at Wichita Waterwalk

2012-01-19T14:25:07-05:00

Photo Credit: Chris Rush

This photo of the King Isosceles Firebowl at WaterWalk Place in Wichita is stunning! Chris did a great job of shooting a night photo that still gives a sense of the landscape around the firebowl.

WaterWalk Place is a multi-use destination on the banks of the Arkansas River in the heart of the city's cultural, entertainment, government and business center. Featuring upscale shops, luxury living and premium business sites. Seasonal activities within the development include outdoor concerts, art fairs, charity benefits and holiday celebrations. The Waterwalk Commons features fountains, greenbelts, walking paths and two of my Sculptural Firebowls.

The pictures by Vanessa below give a nice sense of how the King Isosceles fits into the larger landscape. It was very kind of Vanessa to forward her pictures and the one by Chris.

Photo Credit: Vanessa Johnson

Waterwalk also has a Waves O' Fire Sculptural Firebowl installed, but I only have photos of the waves bowl taken during construction. If anyone in Wichita would be willing to send me updated photos of the Waves O' Fire, I'd be deeply grateful!

Photo Credit: Daniel Earnest

More S'mores at Frankford Hall

2012-01-08T14:41:16-05:00

Christina Celenza and Tyler Roy enjoy toasting s'mores on a recent date at Frankford Hall in Philadelphia.

The photo shoot, organized by Nick Silva and shot by Pete Hall, turned out great! I love the star-like lights in the trees in the first photo and Christina and Roy are such a cute couple in their photos.

This is a perfect example of what I love most about the internet— I put out a call on Twitter and Facebook looking for photos of Frankford Hall and several people responded. What makes it even better is hearing back from all of them that they had so much fun doing the shoots. I think I'll have to try organizing similar outings at some of the other restaurants that have my firebowls on display.

Sculptural Firebowls sell 1000s of s'mores for Philadelphia's Frankford Hall

2012-01-07T15:25:44-05:00

I don't usually post press releases to the blog, but this is such a good story I feel like it works.

Campfire cookouts come to the city as Philly beerhall puts the fun into functional art.

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Meade

Surprise success of snack sales could point the way to a new restaurant trend— Handcrafted firebowls from John T. Unger Studio are sparking increased food and beverage sales for Frankford Hall, a Philadelphia, PA, biergarten with a modern twist. The popular draw of a Big Bowl O' Zen Sculptural Firebowl inspired the restaurant to order a second firebowl, subsidized by food sales.

"My firebowls are popular with hotels and restaurants for their beauty and ambience as well as their functional warmth, durability and maintenance-free upkeep" said John T. Unger, owner of John T. Unger Studio, Mancelona, Mich. "By adding toasted treats to the menu, the folks at Frankford Hall have discovered a way to generate direct income from my firebowls."

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Meade

Frankford Hall, a property embodying the spirit of an open-air German biergarten set in an industrial structure was a fitting location for Unger's work. "Our space called for a fire pit and our designer, Richard A. Stokes loved the rustic and natural look of the Big Bowl 'O Zen," said Greg Root, general manager of Frankford Hall, one of the Starr Restaurants.

Once the Big Bowl 'O Zen was installed Root came upon an added benefit. He began selling the ingredients for a classic dessert, S'Mores at "a buck a pop." The idea not only took off, but Frankford Hall began selling thousands of the s'mores. "We were seeing such tremendous draw for the s'mores, we decided to add a second firebowl," said Root. Restaurant patrons enjoy the firebowls' warmth and social atmosphere while also creating a fun treat. The tradition and nostalgia of cooking over an open flame has almost universal appeal.

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Meade

"When homeowners purchase my firebowls, they begin a legacy to be be passed down to future generations. I love being able to foster family traditions and togetherness," said Unger. "Public installations in hotels or restaurants are also satisfying for me because thousands of people a year are able to see and enjoy my work. The ability of the artwork to generate additional revenues for hospitality venues is an exciting and attractive benefit."

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Meade

Twelve Tasy Recipes to Try on Your Firebowl

For the most part I've gone with simpler recipes in the list below and avoided fish and fowl for safety (you wouldn't want to undercook those). If you are a seafood fan, there are some promising recipes included in the list where I found most of these: 50 on a Stick: Recipes to grill your entire meal on skewers. If you find any recipes that you'd like to share, I'd love to hear about it!

About Frankford Hall: Frankford Hall embodies the spirit of an open-air German biergarten presented with a modern twist. Set in an industrial structure, the space creates a unique urban experience for those looking to enjoy a cold brew and brats of all kinds. With nine beers on tap, ten more in bottles and giant, warm pretzels, the true essence of Bavaria is represented at its best in this Fishtown fun spot. www.starr-restaurant.com

History of S'Mores: Per the Girl Scout Alumnae website, the S'more lacks a confirmed history. However, they relate that the first record of a s'more dates back to a 1927 recipe printed in a Girl Scout manual called Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts.

Best tweets of 2010

2011-01-01T17:49:00-05:00

Twitter is where I spend most of my time online. Other than email, it's the closest thing I have to any kind of journal of my ideas and activities. At the end of the year, I go back and re-read my entire Twitter stream for the year as a review. I use BackUpMyNet to archive all my tweets, which makes the process much easier. I find the review to be a really useful tool in taking stock of what has been done over the course of the year and planning the direction of the new year.

What I love best about Twitter is the constraint of trying to fit something worth saying into 140 characters… It reminds me of the precision and concision required when I wrote as a poet. I've experimented more this last year with "long form Twitter," using it as an outline for bigger thoughts in series, like building a geometric proof.

Twitter's largely my notebook for ideas. I get them down, see some feedback and save them for later development when I have the time to actually write or work the ideas into new projects. The brevity constraint forces me to take complex ideas down to the bare bones. Even if sometimes I have to build a partial or full skeleton to get the whole idea across. Twitter has changed the way I use language and the way I think… there's a constant editing loop now in my head that says "how can I make this simpler and shorter without leaving it open to misinterpretation."

Below are the "Best of" tweets from 2010. The ones which either made me laugh, made me think or just struck me as interesting on some level. Hope you enjoy them. I organized them chronologically (oldest to newest) since some were written as a series.

Everyone complains about lack of flying cars, but I don't see any of you BUILDING one. C'mon people, invent your own future! 2010-01-01 17:58:02

I just got ambushed by a paper bag in the dark. It made a lot of noise, but I fought my way out of it. 2010-01-06 05:42:16

Mountains are almost never as close as they look. 2010-01-12 20:06:03

There was a deer at the ATM in Alpine. I pulled up next to it + it just stared into the car like it was wondering if I'd feed it tasty money. 2010-01-13 03:55:31

Soapbox or sandbox? Are you developing ideas or just reiterating them? 2010-01-17 21:46:17

If you think something is impossible it's because you have some assumption that's limiting you. 2010-01-21 21:35:08

You gotta switch horses in a long race. 2010-01-25 03:23:45

First, people tell you "you'll never make a living as an artist." When you do, they tell you you've "sold out." 2010-01-25 16:47:37

Well, I figure the artists job is to: 1. make myths 2. kill myths. The starving artist is a myth that needs killing. 2010-01-25 18:10:27

You're going to die. So what. You get to live (as hard as you want) first. 2010-01-25 22:38:44

An artist should be more concerned with what they themselves say and how clearly it's conveyed, than what people say about them. 2010-01-26 18:29:07

Ideally, an artist is the best communicator on the planet… if we can't teach the value of art, who will? 2010-01-26 18:39:46

When you allow fear to control your language, you may lose access to truths. 2010-01-26 18:50:32

I do not require my truths to be mutually contradictory. 2010-01-26 18:52:52

Context + meaning do not HAVE to be original or empirical. They're just what ties thought together. 2010-01-28 20:11:30

Most of the world may be only in your head. It's outside your head too, but you can really only see the part inside your head. 2010-01-28 20:15:55

For a supposedly "content free" language, numbers are nothing but trouble. 2010-01-28 20:29:36

The nice thing about autobiography is you can write whatever the hell you want. (re: story of your life). 2010-01-30 01:55:00

Someone needs to invent a simplified braille alphabet for people to use when they're blind drunk. 2010-01-30 01:57:56

My life is all pretty much improv around a theme… I don't rewrite, but I edit or emphasize. 2010-01-30 02:32:12

Her: nope, you said you're not hungry… Me: You're putting words in my mouth where there should be ham! 2010-02-03 23:17:57

No one asks if dentistry, plumbing or sweeping is work or inspiration. They can be inspired, but like art they're mostly work. 2010-02-05 17:23:46

When an artist creates, there is always a desire for audience response. Sometimes a specific response, sometimes just attention… 2010-02-07 18:59:33

The more the artist is able to control or direct audience response, the more clearly they have communicated their vision. 2010-02-07 19:00:40

Even with art that is heavily open to interpretation, the artist makes a choice to allow that variability. 2010-02-07 19:01:38

It's easy to get caught up emotionally with words like art or design and their definitions. 2010-02-07 19:35:29

Defining words like art or design is only productive when thinking about their relation to your own work. 2010-02-07 19:36:19

Artists define themselves so strongly by their work that they get emotional about title. Get emotional about your work instead. 2010-02-07 19:38:24

I used to be less comfortable talking about myself as artist, preferring that people just look at the work itself and decide… But part of my art is now being who I am, as theater, as an extension of the artwork, as education, as example. 2010-02-07 20:32:36, 2010-02-07 20:33:26

You're gonna pay for things either way. The question is what currency you choose. Cash is often the cheapest. 2010-02-07 22:04:27

If you really believe "no pain, no gain" what's an acceptable ratio? 2010-02-09 04:23:00

They say "there's no accounting for taste," but I could see huge potential for taste accountants. 2010-02-09 21:47:44

Everybody wants to be a famous artist but nobody wants to die. 2010-02-14 00:48:59

For years as a poet, the musicality of speech was my big thing… rhythm is easy, but melody in plain speech requires effort. 2010-02-15 09:00:41

But if every time you speak to people, you're singing… well, they'll dance. They'll even dance with you. 2010-02-15 09:01:30

So much beauty is a form of economy. 2010-02-17 04:46:16

I'm a big fan of subtlety that smacks you in the face. ie: "DAMN, that's subtle!" 2010-02-21 20:06:45

If you stand still and clam, you learn little about balance. Only when tippy, can you learn to correct + control. 2010-02-24 03:55:23

Plan for contingencies, watch the road for all possible escape routes, be fluid. There's always a way, but often off the path. 2010-02-24 04:14:00

People really liked my clam typo it turns out. Friends: PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE MY TYPOS FOR WISDOM. They just sound zen. like zen does. 2010-02-24 04:24:45

If I'm ever a pirate, I'm gonna wear a nicotine patch over my eye. 2010-02-24 04:50:23

Wanting to *stay* famous hurts creativity more than wanting to *get* famous. 2010-02-24 06:15:06

Once you are famous, people want the same thing again and again. Doubt it? "FREEBIRD!!!!!!!!!" yeah, fame does that. 2010-02-24 06:28:59

If you spend half the week finding clients, and half doing the work, you still work all week. 2010-02-25 21:22:07

Is it weird that when people say "in an ideal world..." I assume it can still be done in this world? 2010-02-26 04:02:46

You can only manage so many connections, so many sales, so many fans. So cherry pick. Choose the very best customers. 2010-02-26 21:54:59

You won't make everyone happy no matter how you play it. Focus on the people who are happiest with what you do best. 2010-02-26 21:55:47

So many things are more interesting if you're interested in people, and what makes them tick. 2010-03-02 03:41:50

You might not be interested in business or marketing, but if you think of these as stories about people, they come alive. 2010-03-02 03:43:03

Most of us who are interested in people, are interested because they are mirrors of ourselves. And we're all interested in ourselves. 2010-03-02 03:44:35

I think people are the most fascinating creatures on earth. Mostly because they create unexpected stories. 2010-03-02 03:46:09

An artistic appeal to people's vanity or self-interest rarely fails. Especially if it is compassionate. 2010-03-02 04:05:30

Good habits are more powerful because they're habits than because they're good. Repetition builds reputation. 2010-03-02 04:46:51

Her: "Have you no shame?" Me, "Well, not inside the house, no." 2010-03-04 02:44:37

I find that the customers are always right, ONLY if you choose the right customers. 2010-03-25 15:41:52

There's no kids in the house, so for Easter I think we'll dye a bunch of white mice festive colors and let the kitties hunt for them. 2010-04-01 19:36:51

Opportunity is the most dangerous distraction you'll ever face. 2010-04-06 04:39:38

Nothing is foolproof if you're really a good fool. 2010-04-06 05:30:47

The easier something looks, the more likely it isn't easy. The harder it looks, the less likely it is. Try it + see. 2010-04-06 05:36:03

Don't put all your eggheads in one basket. 2010-04-11 00:06:22

Small biz often fails when it tries to scale up, big business can fail when it tries to be niche. Scale does matter. 2010-04-14 21:45:35

The idea that "everything's been done" is not particularly original, so it's not surprising that uncreative people repeat it. 2010-04-15 15:04:08

If you take no action because "It's all been done" that just makes it easier for me to find new ideas first. 2010-04-15 16:16:50

Those who are lazy find their greatest creative outlet in making excuses. 2010-04-15 16:20:15

All the winners bite off more than they can chew, which is why I don't look round the table at awards dinners. 2010-04-15 18:39:08

The world is not a blank canvas, but that doesn't mean that you can't turn it into whatever art you desire. 2010-04-21 18:17:54

I was asked why I don't have more art "poor people can afford." Answer: I used to, but I got tired of being poor myself. 2010-04-27 19:55:26

I like it when people pay attention. I like it even better when they pay me, because money is the best kind of attention. 2010-04-29 00:19:28

Um, sleep? I'm generally unfamiliar with it. I hear it's like some kind of powerful sedative. 2010-04-30 06:08:01

In the long run, it's faster to be well read than inventive. You CAN invent the wheel, but you don't have to most of the time. 2010-05-06 06:45:42

Fear is the greatest barrier to creativity. Fear is the No. 1 reason people choose to do "the same old shit." 2010-05-07 15:04:08

Most people are more afraid of failing or being humiliated than they are of death. But that's probably because they don't really believe they're gonna die until it happens. 2010-05-07 16:36:21 2010-05-07 16:36:53

when I get a second wind, it's typically an F5 tornado. Which is not always convenient. 2010-05-13 06:42:55

What I love about scrap yards is it's like shopping the apocalypse. All kinds of cool abandoned treasures! 2010-05-23 00:04:36

How the world began, or how it ends, matters far less than what you do while you're in it. The equator is more vibrant than the poles. 2010-05-23 10:06:13

The art tells me what happened to me, the CV tells me what happened to the art. 2010-05-26 18:04:53

The thing about being self-employed— I have YEARS of vacation time saved up! 2010-05-29 21:08:04

Pro tip: when writing love notes, put them in the font he or she loves most. 2010-05-30 19:14:15

Me "Why does every single container in the house eventually have drywall screws in it?" Her "I guess they call them screws for a reason." 2010-05-30 21:36:52

The best thing about being a leader is that, from the front of the crowd, it is easy to quickly get the fuck out of the way. 2010-05-30 23:35:49

Knowing WHEN to get out of the way is what trips leaders up and is the leading cause of social pileups. 2010-05-30 23:36:37

My art brings new life to dead things. My art is like frickin' ZOMBIES! (But it *probably* won't eat your brains. Probably.) 2010-06-01 04:23:01

When I'm dead, I'm gonna hit snooze for the first millenium or so. 2010-06-02 07:12:41

If the devil is in the details, can I sell my soul not to be troubled by details? 2010-06-02 10:49:06

Coffee is water without the BORING. 2010-06-05 07:52:05

I used to test myself with danger, adversity + craziness. Now I test myself with luck, opportunity + strategy. Same game, better results. 2010-06-15 09:21:40

Honestly, I wish my work were more suited to doing editions… As a sculptor, even if I recreate a work it's always done by hand. No two pieces are ever exactly alike. The only "savings" for me in a series are solving problems over time to work a *bit* faster. So the tenth time I do something, it's just as much work, but less time is spent staring at it and thinking about how to do it. I save time on the engineering when I make multiples, but not on the creativity or fabrication. 2010-06-16 17:23:30 2010-06-16 17:25:05 2010-06-16 17:25:50 2010-06-16 17:27:13

So the thing is… people have become obsessed with avoiding danger these days. Problem is, danger is hard to avoid. The world is just chock full of danger! It's our approach to it that gets us in trouble. People have forgotten that danger should be fun. If the world is already full of danger, doesn't it make more sense to BE danger than to hide from it? That's one reason I make sharp art. As Taelen Thomas once wrote: "I have thrown caution to the winds so many times/ the wind is almost full of caution." You never get bored when you take those words to heart and live them. Trust me. I've done it. It was a good time. Every life threatening situation I've *not* died in I was saved by skills I developed being entirely foolhardy. It's practice. 2010-06-19 22:08:28 2010-06-19 22:09:36 2010-06-19 22:10:49 2010-06-19 22:11:25 2010-06-19 22:11:53 2010-06-19 22:16:30

The more time you spend creating, the less time you have to consume. But for great art, you need to balance these poles. 2010-06-25 05:50:33

If the world ends on your watch, it's because somewhere in your heart, you wanted it to. 2010-06-27 02:40:10

If you don't want me to yank your chain, take off your chains. 2010-06-27 23:35:23

I am so gonna start a band called "Amplified Mimes." If you hold your ear up to this tweet you can hear my first single. 2010-07-08 17:03:57

Why the hell isn't there more mime karaoke? That would rawk. 2010-07-08 17:20:48

I think they use robots for mime sweeping in SF. That's what I've heard anyway. 2010-07-08 18:39:51

I don't care too much about keeping track of trends because I pretty much just do my own thing anyway. 2010-07-19 03:04:44

Protip: If you don't like the #economy make your own. 2010-07-21 02:31:25

THE economy is probably not within your control. YOUR economy probably is. If not, Hack the damn thing. 2010-07-21 04:25:57

Solving external problems are never the first step to creating the life you want. Focus on the internal changes you can make. 2010-07-21 04:26:59

Decadence is in the details. 2010-07-21 04:49:24

Art opens doors to engineering because it often tries to do new things. That tends to be my favorite part of the gig. 2010-07-23 04:30:39

What most sales pitches are missing is a sense of play. Fun sells. If you can't make it fun, why would an audience care? 2010-07-23 04:59:09

I'm not a big fan of live theater that doesn't bring the audience directly onto the stage… We know *our* lines. I like to hear theirs. 2010-07-24 04:32:33

I can't think of any better practice for an artist or entrepreneur than standing on the street selling to strangers. It will kill your fears. 2010-07-24 04:39:59

My favorite game is asking total strangers random questions. The weirder the question, the better the answers. 2010-07-25 05:01:21

You have to mean it and you have to listen… but no one pays attention to most people, so if you really care, they open up. 2010-07-25 05:02:26

I bet there would be better design if more designers played the random questions to strangers game. Seriously. 2010-07-25 05:04:17

No matter what I'm working on, my core skill is problem solving. So I like to hear about the problems people have in any field. 2010-07-25 05:05:39

I want to give full obsessive attention to everything I do, but there aren't quite enough hours in the day for that. 2010-07-27 04:22:36

I think that's what they were getting at when they invented "tomorrow" though. Solve one thing today, get the rest the next. 2010-07-27 04:23:30

No point in being the first one to the end of the world. 2010-07-29 22:29:12

Importing wisdom is one thing, but exporting it is another. 2010-07-31 02:27:05

Making money when you don't need to is like the difference between hunting for food and hunting for sport. 2010-08-01 06:37:14

OH "That threw a real monkey ranch into my plans." SEE how much better?! 2010-08-05 03:22:51

I think they should have pole dancing at the Buck Pole in Mancelona. Since all the hunters are wearing orange, maybe they could strike a co-branding deal with Hooters? 2010-08-07 23:18:59 2010-08-07 23:20:55

Time is not a renewable resource. 2010-08-09 21:16:57

I think the most valuable thing to learn from art history may be the things that DON'T change— how to see, how to think, how to work. 2010-08-17 05:40:11

Also, how to live a life that is suited for people to tell tales about. What stories inspire others? 2010-08-17 05:41:56

Whether accidental or absolutely purposeful, people become legends for a reason. Learn from your heroes how to BE a hero. 2010-08-17 05:43:15

It pays to study technique, to study how they cope with success (which is harder than failure, usually). How to live large. 2010-08-17 05:44:18

Artists: You get exposure for paid gigs just as much as for unpaid. BUT you get exposure to people who expect to pay. Do the math. 2010-08-17 18:02:37

Conventional wisdom tells us we should only try to be known as an expert in one thing, lest we dilute the brand. I guess I'm an expert in telling conventional wisdom to go fuck itself. 2010-08-23 16:33:03 2010-08-23 16:33:33

One reason I got into art is because it can be discussed critically and intelligently, yet still resists definition. 2010-09-03 18:01:19

Like the weekend that a recently disillusioned anthropologist asked me how I define Coyote the trickster god… 2010-09-03 17:44:49

I spent the whole weekend *demonstrating* the trickster, but never defining. In the end, that answered her question. 2010-09-03 17:45:42

Art education is as much about avoiding the accidental copy as it is about knowing how to make art. 2010-09-06 05:45:56

I spent an hour on the phone today with Kevin Chung in the FedEx eCommerce dept. Really fascinating call about global markets + logistics. 2010-09-08 22:26:14

My experiences selling online + talking with key figures at software, ecommerce + shipping companies is such an awesome education… 2010-09-08 22:27:50

I love learning and thinking about how commerce, communication, logistics and networks impact and effect culture. 2010-09-08 22:29:16

My day job as artist + thinker is sometimes like getting an accelerated degree in humanities, history, geopolitics, engineering all at once 2010-09-08 22:30:59

Except that instead of taking out student loans, I'm getting paid. Instead of lectures + books, I get to talk to the people making the world 2010-09-08 22:31:58

How about if we just start printing books + flags on flame-retardant material? I think I'll laser my book on stainless steel. 2010-09-10 04:58:12

Know when to be a badass and when to be gentle. 2010-09-10 23:43:17

Maybe I've been reading too many Punisher comics, but I suddenly want to inscribe my gates with the phrase "front towards enemy" like a land mine. 2010-09-18 17:43:07

Thanks all for the replies about my eye. It will be ok, just smarts a bit. You know what they say… "A picture is worth 1000 eyes." 2010-09-20 22:06:36

One of my favorite descriptions of how I work: "I see lots of things that nobody else sees. Some of them are even real!" 2010-09-20 22:19:40

I was thinking about how differently people interpret art (or the world) + it occurred to me that *everyone* sees things others don't. 2010-09-20 22:20:53

The only real difference is that an artist can turn seeing things into an actual paying gig. 2010-09-20 22:21:20

Rules are just like jokes but without the sense of humor. 2010-09-21 02:39:12

Defeating forces of nature is good practice. Maybe even "best practice." And more fun than going to the gym. 2010-09-21 06:31:43

When you have a vision, it makes more sense to make it true than to try to influence others. They have their own vision. They should. 2010-09-22 03:37:47

truth suffers not a monopolist. 2010-09-26 18:00:44

What I really need is a variety of real terror-inducing alarm clocks. When I say alarm clock, I mean ALARM. Otherwise, I'm hitting snooze. 2010-09-29 04:25:16

OH: "It's not the only thing we talk about in the house— It's just the only thing we talk about that I actually pay attention to." 2010-09-29 05:14:31

I make all major life decisions based mostly on whether they'd make a good screenplay. 2010-09-29 20:21:25

When I started making art, I had very few tools. A tack hammer, a knife, tin snips, a butane torch, a rock and scissors. That was it. 2010-10-05 16:46:14

I just cracked up realizing I once made a piece of art using only rock, paper and scissors. Awesome. 2010-10-05 16:46:57

My life tends towards a state of accidental poetry. 2010-10-05 16:47:26

The poetry is accidental, but designing a life to uncover it is pure intention. 2010-10-05 17:49:21

Ever notice most rules start with the word "no?" 2010-10-13 00:38:32

What people like to refer to as "the real world" is only the thinnest of veneers. There is so much more than anything any of us has seen. 2010-10-13 03:36:55

Study the *mechanics* of manifesting your dreams. Who went before you? How did they get there? 2010-10-13 03:42:07

If you are truly blazing a brand new path, then study others who blazed new trails. Pioneers have much in common. 2010-10-13 03:50:49

I was trying to think of what kind of recycled art I could make of phone books and I thought of doing a giant paper mache phone. 2010-10-14 16:07:22

Then I thought— why not make it a pinata and deliver it to the phone book company. A pinata filled with scorpions! 2010-10-14 16:07:55

Someone just butt dialed me and now I know exactly what their pocket sounds like. Whoa, TMI. 2010-10-14 23:55:35

I want to build a foam rubber model of Tokyo and rent people Godzilla costumes to romp around in the model. 2010-10-15 20:52:42

Nietzsche said: "What does not kill me, makes me stronger." I say: "What events I learn from, make me smarter." 2010-10-22 05:02:21

I mean, seriously, no matter how creative you are, could you invent something as complex as the world we live in? Exactly. Best toy ever! 2010-10-22 06:00:16

I love throwing bricks at inertia. 2010-10-22 06:25:51

When people pick fights, I like to point and laugh, *then* walk away. 2010-10-22 15:23:57

If you want to do the impossible, skepticism will serve you better than faith. 2010-10-28 07:01:39

One of the hardest parts of sourcing recycled materials for art can be explaining what you want and why you want it. 2010-10-28 17:29:26

By definition, you're rarely using things for the intended purpose. So there's always the "This is gonna sound like a weird question" intro… 2010-10-28 17:30:55

A high margin of error in processing signal can be a useful creative tool. 2010-11-01 07:22:56

Grand vision is nothing with the ability to see and attend to details. 2010-11-01 11:01:40

I don't really look to politics for solution but I DO judge them on whether I think their stories are healthy culture. 2010-11-01 14:11:16

Fiction and myth needs writers and models. 2010-11-01 14:28:48

Voting is a form of standardized national intelligence testing. 2010-11-03 05:38:31

Politics is like dating except with politics you almost always get fucked and you almost never have a one night stand. 2010-11-03 05:41:07

What would happen if ballots were essay questions instead of multiple choice? 2010-11-03 05:55:27

What I'll never understand: Artists who accept a 30-50% cut for galleries but whine about 2-3% fees for credit card sales. Do the math, guys. 2010-11-11 19:10:37

Call now: smooth operators are standing by. 2010-11-13 22:06:30

Standing still can be part of a dance. Standing still is also rhythm. 2010-11-14 19:13:30

All open spaces tend towards a market. What people sell there is always contextual. 2010-11-14 19:27:29

Nowhere is the definition between art + design more clear than artist's websites. Navigation is not the place to be creative. 2010-11-15 19:57:10

If I had to get my wisdom teeth out on a budget, I'd do it by chewing Jolly Rancher candies. 2010-11-15 20:00:06

Human testing is the province of mad scientists and good designers. 2010-11-22 23:52:58

Idea for the #TSA. Have everyone walk through a bomb-proof corridor that uses every remote detonation signal possible. One at a time. 2010-11-23 09:08:12

I don't really care if the #TSA touches my junk, but I'm not paying the psych bills for their later feelings of inadequacy. 2010-11-26 22:30:53

I really like math, at least in theory. 2010-11-30 05:18:34

I love science and math for being equally responsible for some of the most beautiful *and* the most awkward words in our language. 2010-11-30 05:20:36

I wish more laws were called things like "Law of the unconscious statistician." THAT is a great name for a law. 2010-11-30 05:53:42

I am juggling so many projects that you can hardly see the sky for the balls in the air. 2010-12-02 04:07:23

Automation of the mundane is modern living. 2010-12-02 06:25:52

Don't live in a hand-me-down world. Make your own. Make a handmade world. 2010-12-04 03:13:41

The best and worst parts of designing a sales page for your art are the 1000's of minute little tweaks to find the optimum display of info. 2010-12-05 07:16:37

When a project matters to me, I tend to obsess over even the most nanodetails. (I don't really do projects that don't matter to me). 2010-12-05 07:18:13

Design should be known as the "Death of a Thousand Tweaks." 2010-12-05 07:32:02

I suppose editing is the "Death of a Thousand Cuts." 2010-12-05 07:32:30

The world is full of needless + meaningless complexity. Sometimes that results in new life, or art, or weather… 2010-12-06 08:00:57

But mostly it's just noise and confusion. And the art is in trying to simplify and add meaning. 2010-12-06 08:01:37

The rest of this tweet is intentionally left blank. 2010-12-12 21:27:44 -0600

The choir can't sing during the sermon… think about that when you're preaching to the choir. 2010-12-15 01:52:01 -0600

Was Thomas Kinkade's career founded on a typo? Should have read, "Painter Lite®." 2010-12-20 22:00:59 -0600

I used to tell people that my recycled art would match their sofa if they just left the sofa outside for a few weeks. 2010-12-20 22:20:11 -0600

I'm thinking about "Cascading Customer Service." I couldn't have made this happen without great customer service from the freight co. also. 2010-12-24 12:45:13 -0600

The world is broken. I like trying to fix parts of it. 2010-12-27 13:10:48 -0600

A truly good sentence carries the weight of a paragraph. 2010-12-30 09:51:40 -0600

New firebowl designs coming soon

2010-11-22T17:23:55-05:00

I'm working behind the scenes right now on a redesign for the whole site that I hope to have live soon. The design and coding is by Men with Pens, and it's easily one of the best designs I've ever seen. I'm excited because the new design brings all the most important information above the fold and makes it easier to navigate the site… but it's also just beautiful. While working out the last details on the design, I'm also editing video for all the firebowls, pulling together new photos and copy and updating prices.

I've been holding off adding new work until the site is ready to relaunch, but here's a sneak preview of four new firebowl designs that will be available soon.

The Fireball

Weighing in at almost 300 pounds, the Fireball is a dramatic piece, even in its simplicity. The design is one that I've thought about for years, but when I finally put one together I was shocked at how gorgeous it is.

The Firefly

The Firefly utilizes the negative space of the King Isosceles to shield the fire from the wind and to create an inviting space to gaze in at the fire. Photos don't quite do justice to the way the view of the fire shifts as you move around the bowl.

The Meridian

The Meridian is inspired in part by the hanging modern fireplaces of the Sixties… I love the way that the crescent form of this bowl changes from different angles, just as the cycles of the moon shift. The canted bowl protects the fire from wind and radiates heat to warm your upper body.

The Big Bowl O' Canada

I've been shipping more and more bowls to Canada this year and to celebrate our neighbors to the north I've created the Big Bowl O' Canada. I had a request for a custom Great Bowl O' Fire that incorporated a stylized maple leaf as one of the flame designs and the idea of doing an all maple leaf design appealed to me.

BottleCap Fish Mosaic No. 50

2010-06-02T00:49:50-04:00

Click the image to enlarge.

This was a commissioned piece and is one of my favorites I've ever done. The breast fin is an antique spatula I've been saving for at least five years just for this purpose. The other fins are cut from a tin shovel for fireplaces (the corrugated edges were perfect for the dorsal fin). The tail is a flattened rake. Caps are Bell's Oberon and Heineken.

I've been wanting to use the Oberon caps for a long time… they're a gorgeous color and I like the yellow sun design. Be sure to look at them close up by clicking "all sizes" and selecting the original size. One of the things that's coolest about making these is the always unexpected way that the caps look once they've been set close. It's always so much more vibrant than the way they look scattered.

Fountain with Great Bowl O' Fire firebowl

2010-02-10T17:06:56-05:00

This stone and glass fountain in San Clemente, CA shows that you can have it all… a stunning water feature crowned by live fire. Day or night, fire brings a lively focus to this water feature, combining two of the most primal elements. Even I was amazed when I saw the photos of the finished project. When David first showed me the drawings for his project I was excited and pleased to help make this dream a reality. I can't wait to do more projects like this one!

Help 2 Succeed Blogtalkradio Interview

2010-01-28T00:13:06-05:00

First, they say "you'll never make a living as an artist." When you do, they say you've "sold out."

Sharon Beth interviews me about tips for artists to succeed, how to price art and calculate overhead, how to handle rejection or people who tell you you won't succeed, how to find your market and other ideas.

Best Tweets of 2009

2010-01-04T15:40:23-05:00

I spent New Year's day going back and re-reading all the tweets I wrote in 2009, from top to bottom. It was kind of an interesting way to review the year and see where I'd been and what I'd been thinking about. There were so many big events this year that a lot of the comparatively smaller events and ideas had been completely lost in the shuffle (or would have been, if not for Twitter). I use BackUpMyNet to archive all my tweets, which made the whole process much easier. I can view everything on one page there, rather than constantly having to hit the "more" button on Twitter. I'll definitely make this an annual review, I think… I can't think of any other medium (email, journals, letters, etc.) that could realistically be reviewed at end of year. Looking at the whole year through Twitter definitely gave me some strong ideas about what I do and don't want to focus on in 2010.

Below are the "Best of" tweets from 2009. The ones which either made me laugh, made me think or just struck me as interesting on some level. Hope you enjoy them. I organized them chronologically (oldest to newest) since some required two or three parts.

When people say "I'm bored" replace the word bored with boring. Thu Jan 01 05:50:27 +0000 2009
I'd like to create a font called mimeo that only displays/prints in purple. Thu Jan 01 17:31:03 +0000 2009
How to get things done: make choices. live with the results or start over. Sun Jan 11 00:42:48 +0000 2009
If you're not dead you can do whatever the fuck you want. If you are dead, you probably don't need to worry about it. So do stuff. Sun Jan 11 00:56:25 +0000 2009
Her: "what's good for the goose is good for the gander" Me: "But I'm a chicken." Sun Jan 11 18:53:09 +0000 2009
Accidental beauty IS my metier. Fri Jan 16 19:23:30 +0000 2009
"You know, deep people are just as full of shit as Shallow people." - @MarcieVargas. I always knew that, but it's nice to hear it just said. Sat Jan 17 00:00:38 +0000 2009
Ownership is bondage. Bondage can be nice, but you need a safe word. Mine is "mortgage default." Mon Jan 19 20:51:33 +0000 2009
Scorpions apparently fluoresce under UV light. So, I'm picturing a black light for the yard and picking them off with my BB pistol. Tue Jan 20 23:06:47 +0000 2009
There's little more satisfying than using evil powers in the service of good and justice. Sat Jan 31 03:10:24 +0000 2009
@PaulGrahamRaven LOVE your typo "make a pint of." So many points are made over pints that it makes perfect sense to say it that way. Mon Feb 02 02:35:03 +0000 2009
You're not a bad person, you just have bad aim! Fri Feb 06 17:59:29 +0000 2009
You know how cats are mostly evil but sometimes affectionate? It's because the friction of petting them recharges their evil batteries. Fri Feb 13 01:01:14 +0000 2009
Just realized how much life has changed since I was a poet. When @neilhimself mentioned a friend's script, I first thought code not writing. Mon Feb 16 20:24:42 +0000 2009
I am always surprised when people are surprised when I do things. Fri Feb 20 03:41:31 +0000 2009
Why can't I have an air horn that also sprays mace? There are applications… Thu Mar 05 02:58:36 +0000 2009
Was trying to say Russian Constructivism and it came out "constructivision." That's my new movement, I guess, Constructivision. Sun Mar 08 17:18:37 +0000 2009
Just invented phrase "attention spam" only to google it and see that I'm way late for that. Sometimes google takes the fun out of neologism. Sun Mar 08 17:30:37 +0000 2009
Cooter holland, Keizer Wilson, marie lepanto... All the exits in arkansas sound like porn star names Wed Mar 11 07:19:07 +0000 2009
If I wanted to think about it, I'd do it myself. Sat Mar 14 01:24:57 +0000 2009
OH If I can't laugh at me, I can't laugh at you @gapingvoid Sat Mar 14 23:10:21 +0000 2009
I didn't need to know that… So I shared it with you! Wed Mar 18 01:51:48 +0000 2009
When people ask why the end of my left thumb is missing, I tell them I lost it in the 1st dot com crash. true story, abbreviated for clarity Wed Mar 18 04:03:02 +0000 2009
Be your own hero. Sat Mar 21 22:46:26 +0000 2009
I wonder if anyone ever successfully backs away from the ledge once they've lived at the edges of civilization? Sun Mar 22 16:05:23 +0000 2009
Converting knowlege to instinct is like the muscle memory that comes from physical practise in craft or sports. Sun Mar 22 17:00:24 +0000 2009
It's important to do the detailed research first, to gain an understanding of the underlying structures and patterns. Sun Mar 22 17:05:36 +0000 2009
This chain of thought came from knowing that all the trees in KS + OK were planted, not native, just by looking at them. Pattern was off. Sun Mar 22 17:09:38 +0000 2009
So I can't always tell you WHY I know what I know, but that's why I'm in arts not academia. My goal is to change, subvert or exploit pattern Sun Mar 22 17:29:03 +0000 2009
When most artists say they are "on fire" they mean inspired. When metalworkers say it, we mean that we are ON FIRE! Tue Mar 24 21:12:26 +0000 2009
I wish more people could force an equation between doable and enjoyable. As in: I enjoy what I do and do what I enjoy. Wed Mar 25 04:32:38 +0000 2009
I just think it's interesting that anti-smoking intolerance has reached a point where people leave the INTERNET if you light a smoke. funny. Fri Apr 03 00:10:09 +0000 2009
Me: so I get write off the full cost of the building instead of amortizing because I didn't put it up. WTF? Her: it's a tax shelter! Sat Apr 04 22:45:38 +0000 2009
@gapingvoid RE: art. Theory is a shortcut. It can help you cut to the chase when you're looking to break new ground. Wed Apr 08 05:02:44 +0000 2009
Miracles are easy. It's the day to day living that can get hard. Thu Apr 09 05:49:15 +0000 2009
Translate the eternal into the contemporary. Sun Apr 12 23:47:52 +0000 2009
@lisacall The number of times I could have died as a kid is roughly = to the times I didn't die as an adult, thanks to practice back then. Mon Apr 13 18:33:15 +0000 2009
@jonathanmead Most strengths + weakness are context-dependent. For instance, it's bad to talk loudly in a theatre. Unless you're on stage. Wed Apr 15 23:00:47 +0000 2009
@apelad I think that the mineral name amirite should be reserved for the philosopher's stone. Sun Apr 19 03:11:56 +0000 2009
personal theory: the less you want to talk about something in a relationship, the more important it probably is to do so. Sun Apr 19 22:12:46 +0000 2009
There's typecasting and then there's archetypecasting. Mon Apr 27 21:18:49 +0000 2009
You know what worries me about twitter? That we'll exhaust every pun in the English language at an accelerated rate and have no new jokes. Tue Apr 28 16:22:26 +0000 2009
The internet may well be my primary medium, despite all the physical art I make. Thu Apr 30 03:38:14 +0000 2009
Amused by the idea of trying to stuff an actual ghost down a Disposall. Thu Apr 30 09:16:52 +0000 2009
The weak keep unfollowing me. Fortunately, so many more of you are brave and strong. Sat May 02 18:14:57 +0000 2009
If you choose the right customers, only THEN is the customer always right. Sun May 03 16:54:24 +0000 2009
Just had an insight while explaining Twitter to a newbie: Twitter replies are peer-reviewed conversation. Mon May 04 18:45:12 +0000 2009
The common denominator of human nature is the desire to transcend human nature. Tue May 05 03:45:30 +0000 2009
@mrjackolson Everyone wants to be more than they are… a lover, a hero, a star, a force of nature, a god, a better rodeo rider, invincible. Tue May 05 03:52:36 +0000 2009
Commuting against traffic, counter to the conventional flow, leaves the road clear ahead and speed traps pointed away from us. Tue May 05 03:56:02 +0000 2009
It may not be going too far to say that in some very fundamental ways, you are what you speak. Tue May 05 03:57:21 +0000 2009
There is no "no." Tue May 05 03:59:49 +0000 2009
Plans are fictions. Tue May 05 04:00:04 +0000 2009
“The Way that can be spoken is not the Way.”—Lao Tzu “If you have to ask, you’ll never know.”—Duke Ellington “Whatever.”—anonymous Tue May 05 04:01:09 +0000 2009
Hey, just had a thought. We have a "social contract" right? What's the "social media contract?" Discuss. I'll check back later. Tue May 05 04:30:24 +0000 2009
My pacifist tendencies are tempered with anarchy + apocalypse, which is *exactly* why I'm oddly skilled at diplomacy. Tue May 05 05:24:51 +0000 2009
If your life isn't making you happy, then no matter how hard it is to change, it's much harder to stay the same. Tue May 05 23:04:11 +0000 2009
Norse Mythology eventually died out because many are cold but few are frozen. Thu May 07 00:32:08 +0000 2009
Knowing your mountains can sometimes keep you from getting lost! Sat May 09 19:01:50 +0000 2009
Safety, security is a lie. Ain't no such thing. The world plays rough, for keeps, + believing in safety is the first step to dying horribly. Sun May 10 06:48:23 +0000 2009
I'm always more comfortable in a precarious situation. Wed May 13 01:05:59 +0000 2009
Nothing in the middle matters. Thu May 14 04:14:29 +0000 2009
I think nature's a great idea, but just not in *my* backyard. Fri May 22 15:59:01 +0000 2009
The words we use at home are usually 4 letters or 5+ syllables. On twitter, I use fewer syllables. 'cause, you know, character count. Thu May 28 05:23:44 +0000 2009
@AdamKingStudio I've been making it up as I go along for ages… I just try to repeat the successes and scrap the mistakes. Fri May 29 04:10:30 +0000 2009
@AdamKingStudio Assuming I can figure out which parts work and which don't (which is a big assumption + you know what they say about those). Fri May 29 04:11:26 +0000 2009
When we get to Texas, I want to raise cattle… from the dead. Fri May 29 06:22:06 +0000 2009
I try really hard to make people happy. Starting with myself. Fri May 29 07:28:00 +0000 2009
What's weird about time is how it never takes time off. It just keeps incrementally accruing. That kind of consistency is unnatural. Fri May 29 07:34:04 +0000 2009
Yay! I just coined the word Prophylactweet for safe twitter practices! Sat May 30 00:56:16 +0000 2009
I accomplished my lofty, unreasonable + impossible goals today. My goals tonight are much simpler, darker and attainable. Thu Jun 04 03:28:49 +0000 2009
I was asked why I don't have more art "poor people can afford." Answer: I used to, but I got tired of being poor myself. Fri Jun 05 05:22:10 +0000 2009
If time really is the fourth dimension, then I must be entirely 3 dimensional. Time plays no determinate role in my existence. Tue Jun 09 01:55:15 +0000 2009
Impossibility is an illusion. Wed Jun 10 17:04:10 +0000 2009
@annaleekeefer The world ends every second. It begins again every second. It's always ending and beginning again. No big deal at all. Sat Jun 13 16:08:39 +0000 2009
when the world is stacked against you, it is your duty to tip the motherfucker over. Sat Jun 13 17:00:05 +0000 2009
Wisdom without profanity is shit. Sat Jun 13 18:19:08 +0000 2009
@austinkleon Best Jott typo ever was "Funky. Boom. Nothing to see, no astronaut by the side of the road." Mon Jun 22 21:28:26 +0000 2009
All day it was "hot and sticky and intolerable." Put a little liquor in me, and now suddenly it's "tropical." Funny how that works. Thu Jun 25 00:06:09 +0000 2009
I do not require all my truths to be mutually contradictory. Fri Jun 26 17:21:38 +0000 2009
Fear is thinking you have an answer when you haven't really done anything to get one. Fri Jun 26 17:26:32 +0000 2009
Life *is* pointless, but so what? Fri Jun 26 17:27:29 +0000 2009
We take a story and we tell it wrong until it makes us happy. #creativeprocess Fri Jun 26 17:27:58 +0000 2009
The only good morning is a dead morning. Tue Jun 30 15:47:53 +0000 2009
I have natural defenses against all disasters. I defeat them with miracles. Thu Jul 02 03:59:25 +0000 2009
Miracles are the unlikely results of hard work, cleverness and perspective which allow me to defeat disaster on exponential levels. Thu Jul 02 04:00:49 +0000 2009
It would be fun to add dots to the painted stripes on Highways so that the roads all told stories in Morse code. Sun Jul 05 17:26:11 +0000 2009
I am washing the taste of lamp oil out of my mouth by drinking absinthe from the bottle. This is best practices for firebreathing. Fri Jul 17 01:25:00 +0000 2009
I believe in ghosts and Gods but refuse to take them any more seriously than other parts of nature. Sat Jul 18 22:20:32 +0000 2009
They're just fancy animals, man. Tricky fancy animals. Sat Jul 18 22:22:15 +0000 2009
Anything I say after midnight eastern time should be taken with a rim of salt. Sun Jul 26 04:07:20 +0000 2009
Contributing to the culture I consume would feel like paying the bills, except I like doing my part. Actually, I like paying the bills too. Mon Jul 27 08:43:18 +0000 2009
It's a nice feeling not to be in debt. Culturally even more than monetarily. Mon Jul 27 08:43:48 +0000 2009
If you give a bureaucrat the opportunity to practice their craft, they will. Tue Jul 28 21:50:48 +0000 2009
.@whatsnext You've just given me a great idea! A computer virus that disables only the exclamation point key and the caps lock key. Tue Aug 04 22:15:24 +0000 2009
Acceleration accelerates. Accretion accretes. Wed Aug 05 04:54:23 +0000 2009
.@WoodworthArt One of my core business philosophies is that the only things worth pursuing are the ones that benefit everyone in some way. Thu Aug 06 20:02:42 +0000 2009
Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder. Sat Aug 08 06:16:46 +0000 2009
Just because it kinda makes sense doesn't mean it means anything. Tue Aug 11 03:52:27 +0000 2009
Note to self: You could TOTALLY encode messages into most techno music using Morse Code. Fri Aug 14 21:59:01 +0000 2009
Adversity was long my metier, and my method was victory. Fri Aug 21 00:41:45 +0000 2009
When people tell you that you should be afraid of something, tell them to fuck off. They're almost certainly lying or about to lie. Fri Sep 04 21:58:22 +0000 2009
A disaster avoided is good. A disaster surpassed is greater. To turn a disaster to serve one's own goals and will is best. Sat Sep 12 21:54:02 +0000 2009
Will is more important than nature or nurture. Having tried all three. Mon Sep 14 04:15:44 +0000 2009
I'm a force of nature myself, so me against the weather would be a fair fight. Except that I plan to cheat. Tue Sep 22 03:14:20 +0000 2009
When your enemies inspire you to greatness, all have done their job. Tue Sep 22 03:46:10 +0000 2009
The problem with Trickster gods and spirits? They show up. They are a VERY hands-on bunch. Tue Sep 22 04:07:06 +0000 2009
Reason can never truly subvert desire, because we do not "have desire," desire has us. Usually by the balls. Sun Sep 27 15:42:55 +0000 2009
The fact of the matter is that we are living in a furiously somnolent world. Sun Sep 27 16:02:35 +0000 2009
Making myths is not much different from starting rumors. Sun Sep 27 16:16:23 +0000 2009
Often, a thing becomes true regardless of veracity, just because it makes so much sense or successfully stirs the social libido. Sun Sep 27 16:16:28 +0000 2009
Headlines that inspire fear get attention, but do no one any real good. Tue Sep 29 03:42:05 +0000 2009
People who seek to inspire panic really need a strong punch in the mouth. It's a low art, and deserves hefty criticism. Tue Sep 29 03:47:00 +0000 2009
The other day I described an actress as a "commodity blonde." I'm surprised that isn't a term of art in casting. Wed Sep 30 04:02:35 +0000 2009
I could make really cool TV dinner trays from the face of old cathode ray tubes. Except for the bit where they tend to explode… Wed Sep 30 04:07:42 +0000 2009
Money is a blunt instrument. So is a hammer. You can build a LOT of shit with a hammer. Wed Sep 30 04:15:03 +0000 2009
The best form of capital is respect from your peers. And there ain't no shortcut to earn it. Sat Oct 03 07:10:32 +0000 2009
.@Buffalokid I think of creating art much more as rock n' roll than meditation. The physical part is dance, the mental part is poetry. Mon Oct 05 04:33:41 +0000 2009
Good design takes so frickin' long. I wish I could design as fast as I can build. Building shit is the EASY part. Mon Oct 05 06:40:02 +0000 2009
OH "Saint Hyperbole— Yeah, he's the saint of Evvvverything." Tue Oct 06 01:14:12 +0000 2009
PSA: martinis made with everclear should be savored not slammed. (from here on in, I'm not correcting my typos). Tue Oct 06 05:22:27 +0000 2009
Sometimes i feel weird tweeting aphorisms. Then I remember I set out to be a holy fool and it's just part of the gig. Tue Oct 06 05:34:00 +0000 2009
If burning coal wipes out the planet, then the dinosaurs win. Well, kind of. Sat Oct 10 05:19:45 +0000 2009
I made a pact with mythic narrative early on: I'd live large, live reasonably long and in turn I would never be bored. Tue Oct 13 15:41:26 +0000 2009
.@corewarrior The fearful inner artist who would succeed adopts the mantra "fuck you" and carries it into battle with a smile. Mon Oct 19 22:51:25 +0000 2009
I didn't get much encouragement, until I didn't need it so much anymore. Back then I had to make it myself. I appreciate it now though. Mon Oct 19 22:53:08 +0000 2009
Remember: Fear will fuck you every time. But it's better to beat it than avoid it, because avoidance is a form of fear. Tue Oct 20 04:04:00 +0000 2009
There are three things required to make art: time, space and materials. You need all three. No two of them will work on their own. Sat Oct 24 05:36:56 +0000 2009
I grew up reading heroic literature. That was my aspiration, to live as my heroes had lived. Many people counseled against this idea. Wed Nov 11 05:19:03 +0000 2009
I was always like "what? Bruce Wayne has no powers, just money and determination + he could do it without the money. Look at Woody Guthry." Wed Nov 11 05:21:56 +0000 2009
What makes a hero, or a folk hero, is that they are always about something bigger than themselves. I believe in that. You act for others. Wed Nov 11 05:24:08 +0000 2009
A hero, no matter how much they appreciate attention, always works for the public good and for others. Bottom line. Wed Nov 11 05:31:46 +0000 2009
The world is my laboratory. Experimentation is my life. Tue Nov 17 18:23:33 +0000 2009
Cats are made of irony. Sun Nov 29 16:14:45 +0000 2009
We have pills for people who suffer iron deficiency. Why aren't there pills for irony deficiency? Sun Nov 29 16:16:52 +0000 2009
@mrjackolson it makes a distinctive staticky noise when it dies. We should all do that, now that I think of it. Sat Dec 12 09:05:25 +0000 2009
"There's a time for reciting poems and a time for fists" Marcie quoted. "Who tweeted that, @RobertBruce?" I ask. It's from a book, she says. Wed Dec 23 21:17:01 +0000 2009
Which is when I realized that I assume all sentences under 140 characters must come from Twitter. Damn. Wed Dec 23 21:17:31 +0000 2009
It's been so long since anyone quoted something short from a book that I almost forgot you could do that. Wed Dec 23 21:19:15 +0000 2009
I wish DVDs were like cereal boxes… when it says "security device enclosed" I always hope for a free taser or can of mace. Fri Jan 01 02:08:47 +0000 2010
OH: I suppose that would be fair, but how does that make it relevant? Fri Jan 01 04:05:26 +0000 2010

Interviews with Lissa Boles of truecallings.net

2009-12-28T21:30:41-05:00

The following interviews were recorded with Lissa Boles, who with her husband Randy, provides coaching and workshops on actually living your dream. Lissa was impressed with my interview with Chris Guillebeau at The Art of Non-Conformity blog and the post It's only life or death. It's always only life or death. She emailed to ask if I'd be interested in doing an interview for her podcast about turning disaster into opportunity.

We were both so happy with the way the call went that we've agreed to do a series of talks based on related ideas that came up in the first call. Lissa asks really great questions, which makes it easy to share some of the ideas and lessons I've come up with over the years.

The fun thing about the calls is that there are a lot of stories that come up by way of example that I would probably never blog about… I'm hoping to use the transcripts from the talks as the rough draft of a book in the future.

Interview No. 1: Turning disasters into opportunities

Interview1-JohnUnger11-24-09

Interview No. 2: How to train for disaster, Heroes and how to be one

Interview2JohnUnger12-18-09