August 18, 2026

Batteries not included

I own a few cameras: some fancy digital ones and some less fancy film ones. But only one of them doesn’t require batteries. It’s glorious. No charging. No risk of running out of power. It will still take photos in a day, week, or month long blackout.

My pencil will still write on paper. My sharpener will still sharpen the pencil. My brush can still makes marks on a canvas. My stick can still cut grooves into dirt.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget how little we need to an express an idea or feeling. In a world that’s designed for hyper-optimisation and hellbent on convincing us we need another specific tool or technology, it’s worth remembering that a stick and some dirt can do the job just fine.

Other observations
September 8, 2026

No shortcuts

You may be able to find a tool or technique to make a process or drawing more efficient. A digital camera show the photographer the result of their work quicker than a film camera, but it doesn’t make the photo better or the photographer more competent. One still needs to understand tone, colour and composition… Continue reading No shortcuts

August 25, 2026

The purpose of a purpose

Why do we do anything? What’s the point of it all? Why bother making art or sharing it with the world?

View all