Month: September 2024

Finding Purpose: Overcoming Creative Blockages

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Part 2: Life Changes and Adjustments

Introduction:

Hey everyone!

Tim here again, back with more thoughts on my experiences in the past few years, working through my own feelings about my hiatus, so you don’t have to feel alone about your own struggles. * insert hug * 

If you’re still with me after Part 1, congrats! You made it through the renovation nightmares, personal upheavals, and professional stagnation section of my comeback story. In this next post of the series, I’m going to dive into more detail of how my inner monologue evolved while I was away from timotheories, and why I believe this comeback tale can really help you if you ever experience a similar set of obstacles in your own creative journey – don’t call it a comeback you say? Well I was born in the 20th century, so I’m going to give dated references wherever I can, friendo.

Now let’s dive into what happened to my psyche specifically; when I stopped creating and started to question everything. And from my perspective, when I felt most like my purpose was diminished. You see, if I had a dime for every time I’ve had an existential crisis over this darkest timeline… well, I’d probably have enough to buy a week’s worth of coffee. Not fancy lattes, but a regular drip for sure, maybe even from Starbucks. Small victories, right?

Anyway, I’ve digressed enough, here’s where things get real. When I stopped creating, something inside me shifted, and not in the let’s get Zen and meditate kind of way. More like the I’m aimless and life feels unbearable kind of way. 

Yeah, it was no bueno.

The Night Shift:

In Part 1, I mentioned that I had stepped back from content creation to make space for wedding preparation, and eventually pushed it further aside through the rental property renovations, and I truly thought I’d feel relieved to have the focus for that project, like I’d finally have time to breathe. 

But surprise! Instead of feeling lighter, I inevitably felt more weighed down. 

After a few weeks I felt listless, for starters. But then the unresolved feelings began to compound, as my daily decisions often felt reactive and I had to push my way through challenges both physical et mental and force resolutions through,  which is not my preferred way of operating. For example, helping Mysticque navigate any emotional distress was difficult. And my disposition took a turn for the terrible – I became depressed. Which for those of you playing the same game at home, now it meant I always felt tired, was disinterested in my passions and prone to mood swings. 

So in the interest of using my interest in pop culture to highlight ideas, this time around, I’ll reference the M. Night Shyamalan Eastrail 177 trilogy (or as I prefer to call it, the Unbreakable trilogy) to divide up the sections of this post into adjustments I made and why they mattered. A little Split-Glass-Unbreakable cocktail, ah thank you. 

And before you jump on me, I fully realize this is not the correct order of the movies, but work with me here. Lets yes and this people.

Glass (New Routines):

This aptly titled section features all the bad habits I used to cope with in my time away from timotheories and the arts, and how fragile it really made me.

The food didn’t taste the same (seriously, why does pizza taste bland when you’re sad?), and the things I loved to do felt like chores. Which in turn made the chores even more difficult to complete, and always felt stretched thin. I was watching movies to pass the time rather than for enjoyment/fulfilment, and I needed to get through my pile of unplayed board games. Now to be sure, I will always be actively moving through my piles of pop culture even in the best of times, but the difference in this low point was how I handled things. I wasn’t just living anymore; I was surviving. And believe me when I say, that’s not a good place to be.

When creation left the picture, I tried to fill the gap. I bought more movies, music, and games than I could keep up with. I convinced myself that I wasn’t ready to jump back into creating because I “needed” to consume more media first. More board games, more classic films, more obscure music genres—because surely that would make me more knowledgeable, right? (Spoiler: it didn’t.)

And with that, I started becoming more demanding of my family’s time. I’d randomly ask my wife and son to join me in pop culture activities they didn’t even enjoy, just so I wouldn’t feel as alone in my funk. But the worst part? In many situations, I didn’t even enjoy it either. 

I missed my old routines, the rhythm I used to keep, but couldn’t quite figure out how to reclaim it. Transitioning to being a family man was hard, and COVID didn’t help one bit. It felt like the world shrank overnight, and all my frustrations were magnified by the confinement. 

This next part is where I get a little more vulnerable about routines and share a private story.

Almost a decade ago, I went through a horrific breakup that became the catalyst for timotheories in the first place. Which honestly, is a pretty long story and I’ve alluded to it in different ways in past posts, but for the take of keeping this post on track, and because I’d rather go into great detail on it in a program or book or something, I’ll state this old adage instead – those who don’t learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them.

I’ll say it again, but differently: when we don’t think about our failures and learn from them, they become our personal demons.

Upon reflection, in my hubris, I thought I could dodge an important life lesson, which I assumed I knew intimately. Being true to myself and my own needs to create were a necessary boundary, and part of the messiness that led to my 2014 breakup, was because I lost sight of my need to create, which is woven rather cruelly into the heartbreaking psychotic break my ex went through at the time. Again, I realize thats a bit of a bomb to drop, but I can come back to it another time. Just know that I already learned how important self care was, and that for me, a big part of was keeping creativity in my life.

So you see, these new routines during the dark timeline were really symptoms of bigger challenges. And fortunately I managed to come through the other side of it with some serious down-time and support from loved ones.

Split (Personal Growth):

You see, it wasn’t all bad times.

There was a silver lining, which I promise is where we round the corner now, and through the rest of the post as we move into the series. 

And why I’ve got my groove back.

This period gave me a lot of time to think about what really mattered to me and also created a metaphorical split of significance – between family time and finding ways to fill my purpose cup. I will expand upon the family time in the last section, but for now, let’s just say that art always finds a way to exist in my activities, however my personal relationships are going.

I also gave up this weird longstanding notion that I couldn’t handle watching much TV. I honestly don’t know where this came from, and why I got up on a restricted television consumption high horse, other than buckling down in my undergrad and then not shaking it off when I started working in a corporate setting.  I think for me, when I started having less free time, I was pickier about how I spent it. Movies seemed to be a better pop culture vehicle, because they were bite sized, since TV was like a buffet, and I had social groups, and interests, so TV viewing just simmered in the background between 2007-2020.

I would only watch one show at a time, and often go for stints without watching anything. Again a weird flex.

But during COVID, I was temporarily laid off for 3 months, and I also found myself twiddling my thumbs because most of my board games, art and movies were in storage. Hence a catalyst appeared. 

The luxury of time.

So, naturally, and carefully, I readjusted my perspective, using the safety net of Star Wars. I started with the Clone Wars TV series and eventually binge-watched a ton of other shows and yes, I made a list of even more I wanted to get to. It was great – I finally got through Parks and Recreation, Scrubs, Mad Men, Battlestar Galactica, and Star Wars Rebels, among other shows. 

On top of that, I did some learning too – I watched courses on project management and took a really great “how-to” course. It was centred on the concept of making video content as courses for a business. I found it incredibly inspiring and it gave me the very necessary kick in the pants to look at how to make timotheories workable. And when I did get back to work, I applied those new PMP skills and it made a difference in my project management job, allowing me to lead people and processes effectively.

I reconnected with art in other subtle but meaningful ways too. 

Yes I thought about how to make timotheories work as a business but in that exploration I also rediscovered/reinforced I need to create. We did homemade family Christmas gifts growing up, and that dropped off when I got married, but then I also had the good fortune to do that activity, just the three of us, in those insulated years. Not just for fun, but because it’s a core part of who I am, an artist. 

Now we come into the real aha moments, and honestly, these last two were huge for me. Which will also segue nicely into the third section. 

I had two friends on two separate occasions, gave me a creative outlet that I’ve carried onward the past 2 years.

Number one – I dipped my toes into podcasting care of one Mr. Chris Murphy. Just ahead of COVID shutdowns, he had been inspired to try his hand at podcasting. Which we both knew had stemmed from working together on YouTube videos for timotheories. But he ran with this and even gave me the courtesy of “producing” the show for timotheories and I got to join in on about 45% of the episodes. And guess what? I loved it. Turns out, talking into a microphone for hours is kind of my jam. Which healthy me already knew, and would’ve said, of course you should help; You already have make a hundred video podcasts, why not try your hand at an audio-only format.

But then he too had to dial back on the podcast, which sucked. But the spark was already there and luckily, gave me an aspiration to look towards when I felt ready start making content again in this summer of 2024.

Number two – another friend of mine, Stephen Mclean, who I’ve known since my undergrad, had expressed interest in working together on a creative project with me. And then during his birthday event in 2023, he had a really great idea. He wanted to tell a space opera story about the genesis of multiple species in a universe. For some wild reason, I latched quickly onto the idea that I should help him make a board game for this. We both agreed we should just make board games together.

It was a real lightbulb moment for me. I took my BFA background and years of hobby boardgaming. I also applied nearly two decades of marketing project management. This combination went directly into the very challenging and very rewarding experience of designing board games. And we haven’t looked back since. 

It might sound obvious to people who know me really well, that I would do this. But let me tell you something, like the weird stigma about TV watching I got over, for the longest time I had it in my head that I wasn’t a designer either, so I couldn’t design games. I had a fine art degree, and never the two should meet. What a crock of shit negative reinforcement bullshit I had convinced myself of.

So yay, for my friends. The real ones, the ones who believe in me and prop me up because they know I’ll do the same in a hearbeat.

Unbreakable (Support System):

Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give credit to my foundation. The family who kept me grounded during this time. 

My wife and son were there for me, day in and day out. Miguel, who has recently turned 16 a few months ago, was my friend through all of this, and I’m very proud of the man he is slowly turning into. 

And Mysticque? Well Mysticque always pushes me ahead, and challenges me to think of things from a very grounded and real world view. She is the salt of the earth, and I feel incredibly blessed every day to say she is my partner for life. She believes in my ambitions, she supports my ideas, and sometimes she even likes the same things I do (which doesn’t always happen in marriage it seems), but most importantly, she is my safe place. She’s my ride or die, plain and simple.

As for my friends, that’s pretty clear too. My friends are my family too, and always have been.

 I don’t get to see all of them as much as I would like and wisdom has taught me how to read a true friend from a fair weather one, but they’re the kind of people who would show up if I ever sounded the horn of Gondor.

And my first family, the ones that I grew up with. Well, let’s just say this.

That while the distance has grown in ways I never anticipated, it’s been the best thing for me. I’ve grown into someone I’m proud of, and we don’t need to see eye to eye to wish the best for each other. Boundaries are important for healthy relationships, and I wish the best for everyone truly, and hope they are living their best lives too.

And while finding mentors has always been important to me, I’m glad to finally realize it’s ok to not find in clearly defined personal and professional relationships, a mentor can come through a book or a podcast, what matters is that you learned something valuable from someone who has progressed through the point where you are still learning.

Oh, and a fun fact: I discovered that I actually like cats. 

Not because I wanted them, mind you. No, this was all thanks to the musings of our son, who was convinced he was a cat whisperer. And he pleaded for a cat for many years. My wife in a very practical way wanted to get him a pet since seeing friends and making new ones was hard at the time (2021), so eventually I caved and a tuxedo cat became part of our family. And then when we finally moved to the forever home in the summer of 2022, she coerced me a second time to get another tuxedo cat, since the first had somehow become my little buddy instead of his. 

Now we’ve got two, and in the greatest of ironies, they both follow me around the house at all times of day. Take that for what its worth (LOL). And yeah, a little personal growth and peace there too.

Conclusion – theories summarized:

We did it folks, that’s Part 2. If you’ve made it this far, I owe you a high-five or at least a virtual fist bump. My journey’s still ongoing, but I’m getting there—step by step, day by day.

I learned that routines are an integral part of my life, but more importantly to keep searching for creative outlets, even when I have to focus on other things in a season of my life. That creativity really does give opportunities to us if we are willing to look for them, and that its important to share yourself with those who celebrate and cherish the good things within us. 

And also cats. Cats aren’t the aloof and independent animals we see on TV, they can be the most affectionate and encouraging of pets.

The Night Shift came to me through new routines, personal growth and a healthy support system. 

I sincerely hope this post had an impact on you today, but let me know what you think – do you struggle with juggling your every day responsibilities with your creative interests? How do you navigate that space? As always, hit me up on socials and drop a comment if anything here resonated with you. I love hearing your thoughts, and hey, maybe together we can figure out how this whole life thing works for creatives.

I’ve also shared a link to episode 2 of the Confer Culture reboot – State of the MCU. In this one, Chris and I discuss how Marvel is doing as of July 2024, and we even carve out time for a spoiler heavy review of Deadpool & Wolverine.

Thanks for sticking it out, do creative things for yourself – I’ll see you in Part 3 where we navigate some challenges, that came up in this journey.

Tim!

From Renovation Chaos to Creative Clarity: My Comeback Story

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Part I: The Hiatus (OR More Affectionately, I Hate This)

Introduction:

Hey everyone, it’s Tim. Remember me? 

Yes it’s been a minute or 3,153,600ish of them, give or take 4320 minutes, but who’s counting right? And come on, that shouldn’t matter, because I’m back and with a new lease on life!

For those of you who’ve read my content before, you’ll remember that the tone I go for is a combination of humour and heart, with a dash of humility. So in the spirit of my previous blog posts from years ago, and like so many artists before me, I wanted to take some time to justify explain why I took a break from creating timotheories content before I got back into making it with regularity again. 

For starters, it wasn’t ever supposed to be a permanent stop, just a pause. Back in September 2017, I bought a bi-level house with the intention of renovating it into a two-unit rental property. A few months later, in November of that year, my girlfriend and I got engaged. 

My genius plan looked like this. 

  1. buy the house, renovate it, rent both units
  2. propose to the girl, marry the girl
  3. sell her townhouse, buy a primary home together, grow our family
  4. look for a new job, secure new job, quit old job
  5. focus on building timotheories and related properties
  6. …
  7. profit

Steps 1 and 2 were going to happen concurrently, but as you’ll read below (LOL) that never happened. And like a great sweeping cliche, slowly, my focus shifted away from content creation, and by June 2018, I had fully stopped. 

I know what you’re thinking, this sounds like a you problem, and yes, this hiatus was never intended to be a black spot on my creative bingo card, but life has a way of steering us off course, and I found myself grappling with a series of events that demanded my undivided attention and energy. 

Luckily for you, I’m pretty confident this story will serve you, so be my guest, and let my pain and experience be fuel for you, wherever you are in your creative journey; you relate to it or better still, you learn from it. 

And now it’s time for me to expand. Fortunately, I’ve neatly broken things up into three parts, the triforce of experience, if you will. 

Personal, Professional and Emotional forces.

The Triforce of Personal Reasons:

The first plan was straightforward: get the permits approved, hire a contractor, attend my younger brother’s wedding in August 2018, get married in November, and start renovating the house in 2019. 

But life happened, and the contractor I hired delayed the renovations, doing very little work, before I had to inevitably fire him in May 2019. 

For context, I needed him to do many many things (separating the units, creating a proper back entrance upstairs, a subpanel, a new utility room for the basement, lighting the basement, a basement kitchen, etc.) Naively I believe that what I was promised would happen – that the whole project would take 6 months max. And in the time he worked on it, nothing stayed within costs or time or quality. So he had a triforce too, a triforce of mediocre general contracting. But he completed about 15-20% of the work in that time, so I guess I can give him that? But $2000 to paint a 250 sqft kitchen, seemed a little bonkers. You’d think that was the straw that broke the camels back… but it wasn’t.

After a few more problems, we parted ways, and then my dad and I took over to finish construction, hiring sub-trades wherever it was needed to complete the permitted work. Looking back now, there is no way it would have been done within six months, but because of these delays and incredibly awful timing, it dragged on for nearly three years, finally finishing in November 2021. And you’d think that was the only real challenge, and so obviously, I could have kept writing, and like, just suck it up. But in fact, it took another six months to handle the paperwork of what we would accept in a contract, how to find renters, vet them, and then eventually secure our first renter by July 2022.

So that all sounds pretty straightforward right? Ok move on already Tim, tell us how this helps us and stop complaining.

Sure, but I think I need to spend a few sentences elaborating on why the renovation to convert that bilevel house into two units tested me to my limits.

What started as an exciting venture quickly turned into a daunting ordeal. 

Yes, the contractor we initially hired delayed the renovations, barely making progress before I had to make the tough decision to fire him in May 2019. And I explained that part already. What I didn’t explain very well was that, we had to re-do the basement renos the contractor started – when it came to the basement, the technical expertise went out the window. He ripped up the lighting, opened walls, and just left construction debris literally everywhere, but that wasn’t the worst part.

Anyone with any experience getting city permits approved, will tell you, there can be odd bylaws to navigate, but me, a marketer by day and an artist by night, could see that I wasn’t going to get approved for shoddy work on fire safety.  

The contractor literally threw pieces of drywall up to creating the looking of ceiling for the utility room, overtop of the ducts, not securing anything with screws, taping mud or a plan, and said, “this should pass.” 

Looking back, I sometimes wonder if he threw his common sense up there too. 

So yes, I fired his ass. And I’m fortunate my dad is a retired journeyman carpenter, because after that point I needed help to take out the wall for the existing laundry room, remove the ducts, put up the drywall correctly, close up the wall, and finish framing the walls in the room, so it could become a kitchen.

Then many, many other things needed to be done, but I can write a whole series of blog posts on that process, and it to be honest, it doesn’t serve the story or you, so we’ll cap it there.

Long story short, the house renovation was more than just a physical challenge; it was a mental and emotional marathon. Every delay, every setback, chipped away at my confidence and enthusiasm. It wasn’t just about renovating a house anymore; it was about proving to myself that I could overcome these obstacles. The bureaucratic permit red tape, the financial strain, and the constant pressure to meet deadlines were overwhelming. I had financial obligations paying off a house all by myself in addition to completing the renos, and there were countless days when I questioned whether I had made a huge mistake, whether this dream was worth the toll it was taking on my mental health and personal life. They were some dark times.

But lets ignore the dark timeline for now, and fast forward ahead to the point with that first renter secured – we were now half way to filling the two unit property. In June 2022, and with some income finally coming in, we listed our townhouse, because I was confident we could now both afford to pay into a mortgage on our primary residence, and quickly (read: luckily) we found a buyer in the middle of a sellers market, forcing us to search quickly to find a new home ourselves by the end of August 2022. 

And we succeeded. Yay.

And that was it. It’s September of 2022 and I’m finally writing a blog post, immediately upon settling into the house. Back to timotheories, back to purpose. 

Kidding, life had more plans for us. Fast forward another 24 months Tim, you rube. 

Realistically, the past 2 years have been about getting our new house and finances in order. Despite these challenges, we secured a second renter for our rental property by February 2023 and managed to handle rising costs on everything (thanks inflation) in part because we both secured new jobs by the end of 2023. For me it really was life changing money, because I got a pay increase that allowed me to stop the “credit card debt to stay afloat” strategy – so yeah, that was smart of me to leave a financially draining gig.

In short, the stress of buying and selling properties, coupled with the ongoing renovations, was immense. However, we managed to navigate this tumultuous period, and the last 18 months have been focused on settling into our new house and making it a home.

Throughout this period, financial stability was a constant concern. The renovation project to get a passive investment property significantly strained our finances. Missteps, like ordering kitchen cabinets too early and then cutting them to meet code OR dealing with unexpected utility code requirements, stretched our budget and patience to their limits. We had to take out lines of credit, putting a dent in our savings and initial investment. 

But as I mentioned, despite these financial hurdles, we managed to secure a second renter for our rental property by February 2023, and by the end of 2023, we found new jobs that helped us handle the rising costs. And really, really, I need to write a post about the significance of a good solid job as a creative.

Now, would I go through it again? With Mysticque for sure, she is my wife/life, but I honestly don’t think many other women I’d dated before her, could’ve rose to the challenge.

The Triforce of Professional Reasons:

This next piece of my triforce didn’t hit me quite as hard in terms of ideas to write about – its just math, as I like to say in my board game group. Also, it’s pretty clear to me, and hopefully to you too after reading it over, why I needed a change here. 

Professionally, I had stayed with the same company for nearly 17 years, and I was feeling stuck. Yay, another cliche. 

I justified staying with one company, for financial stability, to support our couple goals of buying and renovating properties to turn into rentals. Go mtk properties, go! However, I hadn’t moved into a new position a full 4 years by the time all rental activity was said and done. Even if I had started looking right way, I was already 2 years in, so why the hesitation, I kept asking myself.

I knew better than this, there have been many people wiser than I who have stated that if you must work for someone else, you have to keep up with costs of living, so get yourself promoted or move on, and I was 2 years ripe. I don’t hold to this idea precisely, but theres truth in it. Know your worth.

Ironically, staying with this company was not even giving me financial stability anymore because my earnings weren’t keeping up with my aspirations, let alone having a family. But more insidiously, this supposed job safety net I convinced myself I had, prevented me from fully taking care of myself. I was worrying about money all the time, I wasn’t exercising, I wasn’t taking care of my mental health or my spirit.

A small anecdote, to further drive the point home: My wife reminds me often and often unintentionally, of the endless home projects we need to tackle, which makes it difficult to find energy for my creative passions.  

The monotony of my professional life in pre 2024 contrasted sharply with the chaos and demands of my personal life, creating a weird sense of imbalance that left me feeling unfulfilled. But I just said to myself repeatedly, its fine, its only for the time being, and then I proceeded to become a walking contradiction – I would get irritated constantly because things weren’t moving along fast enough with the renovations, the house search, the job search, etc, etc.

My job, while stable (purely in routine), became a source of frustration. Staying in the same company for almost two decades created a sense of stagnation. While avoiding the risk of a new job seemed like it was essential for supporting our renovation projects and other financial goals, it came at a personal cost. The safety net that my job provided also acted as a cage, preventing me from fully exploring my creative passions and taking care of myself.

And because hindsight is a cruel one, I probably could have changed jobs in the time it took to finish the renovations, easily.

The Triforce of Emotions:

Ho boy, emotions. A word that a younger me would have shied away from at any opportunity. When I was a kid,  I had convinced myself that people didn’t see my emotions, and that may have had something to do with how I responded to my environment as a boy, and so a lot of the time I didn’t claim to have any real feelings. Because it was easier to say that, then admit I really cared about a lot of things. I just didn’t have great strategies at processing and sharing my feelings.

I know now, going into my fourth decade, that I feel things deeply, a lot of times more than most know. I might not share those feelings unless prompted to do so, but I really do care a lot, I get a lot of happiness out of helping others grow in their creativity.

So it bothers me to write this next part out.

Initially, pausing timotheories was a relief. It freed me from the stress of maintaining a rigorous and self-imposed content schedule. But as time went on, the anxieties and mental health issues I hoped to avoid only grew worse. I let go of healthy habits, gaining weight, growing listless, and losing my sense of purpose. I became reactive, rather than proactive, in my life decisions. The reason d’etre that once fueled me seemed to dim, replaced by a sense of emptiness and disconnection.

Some might write that off as too emotional of a thought, or emo as the kids used to say. But I really don’t care if my emotions bother people – they bring out some of the best parts of me, and even when our emotions are a lot to process, we learn from them. Which is why this next part is important to share.

The initial relief I felt when I paused timotheories was fleeting. I hoped to find peace and balance. Instead, the lack of a creative outlet only exacerbated my anxieties and mental health issues. The weight of unfinished projects and unmet expectations grew heavier, and this is the real reason I found myself slipping into unhealthy habits. Being creative fuels me, it drives me forward and gives me strength. I have a lot of ideas constantly pouring through me and not expressing them doesn’t shut it off. It still produces a creative result – the difference is that I’m not controlling the flow, it seeps out instead, much like a teenager coursing with hormones. 

I’ve written before about the significance of discipline, but I think we often unconsciously dismiss the root of why discipline matters. Sure it improves the activity or skillfulness in execution, but more importantly, it refines us as a human, molding our identity into something more than what natural talent affords. 

I’m paraphrasing Bruce Lee here, but any master of any discipline would agree with the sentiment to fear the person who has practiced one kick ten thousand times over the person who has tried ten thousand different kicks once.

When you give your ideas purpose and focus them on habits that matter, your life improves, and for me I have to give due attention to those creative callings, which need habits. I sincerely hope this is the last time I have to relearn that lesson.

Conclusion – theories summarized:

Now that I’ve just set a personal record for a blog post length, on what has been the longest re-introduction posts I’ve ever done, I hope it’s a one and done situation. 

A sincere thank you for reading through what I’ve shared so far of this story; it really does mean a lot, and it will go a long way to hear that you follow along as I continue this series. Please comment below if you made it to the end!

Now astute reader, you might have noticed this was a Part I, there are definitely a few more parts coming, but I’ll try and time them to once a week while I get the momentum back. I used to do this little creative flourish at the end of my posts that I called “theories summarized.” I want to keep doing that, and I will make a more concerted effort to drive a point home going forward. I mention this, because this conclusion is going to run a tad longer than past ones.

So… Part I was a bit of back story on what I’ve been up to – despite the renovation setbacks, the delays in professional and personal goals, and then including health issues, family struggles, and personal losses, I kept pushing forward. Reflecting on these past years, I realize that creativity is essential to my well-being, it forms the completed triforce of meaning for me, and I’m ready to embrace it once again. See what I did there? I fit it all together, like a glove. 

If you want to read more about this story and learn about the adjustments I made while I worked through things in anticipation of my return to content making, please check back in a couple of days from the date of this posts publish date, because I do have Part II coming. Which will time very nicely with the release of the next weekly Confer Culture podcast.

Confer Culture you say? Yes that’s right, I am back to podcasting baybee, and will eventually add video to the mix in the forseeable future, but to start things a bit slower, I’ll be cohosting with my bestest mensch Chris Murphy on his brainchild Confer Culture.

Chris also took a bit of a hiatus from podcasting too. Episode I of the reboot is already up and we talk about all the things art and pop culture. Episode is titled Confer Culture ‘24.

So with all that shared, I’m done creative cuties, glad to be back. 

Tim!