Writing this blog has been an interesting balance between public and personal life. I think the best blogs are those that decide one way or another. In other words, some focus on thoughts and ideas of a primarily public nature (with a few coming-out-of-the-closet stories), of interest to some portion of the general public. Others focus on the daily happenings of private life — interesting for friends and family, but terribly dull for strangers. With this in mind, I’ve decided to re-focus this blog away from personal posts. For things of that nature, Facebook seems a more appropriate setting, and …

I am writing this now in a website called Dr. Wicked’s Writing Lab, which encourages users to type fast or be subjected to a flashing screen and insistent noises. The point is to force you to stop thinking and start writing, and so far, it seems to work. I end up typing so fast that the reminders are hardly necessary. It’s an experience that makes me wonder about the nature of creativity. When I mention that I work in architecture, people respond, “Oh, you must be very creative,” to which I usually admit, “I’m really not.” In fact, most adults, …