Earth and Ink

Joining the Dots

Next week I have a public speaking gig. Chris spoke at a group and was asked to visit another group. While they invited him, they said why didn't I tell my story. I've been collating memories, thinking about how I share stories from my life for several months. I started in Obsidian. Then I began creating a Timeline in Lightpage where Neo, my Guide, has been helping me find the arc and pivotal moments in my life story. Since starting using Second.Me, I've been importing all my Markdown files. Many of these have sat in Obsidian for years. I used...

7 days ago tech + tools

A Second Brain and a Second Me

I've been exploring a more analogue type of existence. It began because I felt disenchanted with social media. I was doom scrolling far too often and never finding that nugget or gem of information that I was hoping for. Deleting my accounts, apart from Instagram (although the app is more off my phone than on), led to other considerations. I pared back on the apps I was using. I mercilessly purged my phone of anything that was no longer necessary. I simplified my processes. I unsubscribed from Substack and countless other newsletters. I embraced basic, minimal and free apps. I...

9 days ago tech + tools

Edging Towards Autumn

Autumn is on the way. I've felt it in the air for some time. Just those tiniest of hints, even on a lovely Summer morning. A few leaves fallen on the ground. Blackberries in the hedgerows. The farmers doing their harvest (what there is of it this year). And then, today, geese flying overhead. Honking, very loudly.This is my favourite time of year. The heat of the Summer is gone - and survived. Cooler days lie ahead. But still bright skies and nice weather. Just warm enough for t-shirts. I don't know whether it's living in a rural community that...

about 2 months ago life

Return to the Centre

It's the early days of my return to Web 1.0. It wasn't intentional, more a feeling. Here's what I've noticed already. I'm having more ideas - I use a number of tools to log ideas on the hoof. Twos is the main one. Voicenotes is the app I use for quick audio jottings. I've also been using Apple Notes as a published digital garden. Some of the ideas there will make it on to this blog. I think I'm having more ideas because I'm consuming less. The excess input isn't fogging up my brain. I've got more room in there...

about 2 months ago writing

Substack is a Pile of Pancakes

I’m quietly backing away from Substack at the moment. I mentioned this to Chris and explained all the reasons why. We have an agreement - when I talk about techie stuff and he doesn’t understand it, he just nods his head and makes the appropriate noises. When I’d finished describing Substack, he said, I didn’t understand any of that but Substack sounds like something you would find in a New York diner. A pile of pancakes with a skewer through it and a newsletter on top. So, I present to you Substack, a pile of pancakes.

2 months ago writing

To Tech or Not To Tech

Back in October 2023, Thomas J Bevan wrote about The End of the Extremely Online Era. That's nearly two years ago when I hadn't yet started to contemplate quitting the internet - or parts of it at least. “I think that this whole smartphone scrolling, content consuming, ubiquitous posting, Extremely Online thing is going to go the way of the Fedora, or the Marlboro smoked at cruising altitude in economy class. In the end it is all going to fade. This may not happen for a good number of years, but I truly believe it will happen. I think we’ll...

2 months ago tech + tools