Article Archive

Welcome to the article archive. Here's everything I've written here on the site [almost]. Articles over the years have covered an array of topics, but more recently are related to the psychology of performance and creative expertise. Articles are grouped under these categories.

☕️ So pull up a seat, pour yourself a coffee or two and enjoy a read.

2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015

2023 (23)

14/12/23 - Kicking & Screaming
03/12/23 - Here's The Problem
27/11/23 - Intelligence: You Either Have It, Or You Don't
14/11/23 - Cursed With A Brain
27/04/23 - Like A Church
26/04/23 - Less Is More?
25/04/23 - Get To Work
23/04/23 - Starving The Algorithm
13/04/23 - The Coffee Man…
11/04/23 - Join me on Notes
10/04/23 - The Machine
09/04/23 - Is Work Good For Us?
07/04/23 - Data vs Feelings
06/04/23 - Becoming Magnolia
29/03/23 - Does Anyone Really Love Anyone Else?
20/03/23 - A Metaphor For Life & Work
09/03/23 - The Pint
09/03/23 - Join the Sunday Letters chat
26/02/23 - A Monday to Friday Sort of Dying
29/01/23 - What It Takes To Survive
16/01/23 - Gimme Full Fat
08/01/23 - One Day Soon, You Won't Be Here
02/01/23 - Another Year Over, So What Now?

2022 (24)

09/12/22 - Icy Morning
08/12/22 - Sunday Letters Gift Ideas
07/12/22 - What do you want to achieve in your work?
04/12/22 - Never Enough Time
20/11/22 - 223 A US Air Force Pilot on The Meaning of Work
04/11/22 - Friday Book Club: Carol Dweck's Mindset
04/11/22 - Join The New Subscriber Chat
10/10/22 - Reality
07/10/22 - Wage Slavery & The Fundamental Problem with The Workplace
30/09/22 - It's Autumn, Thank God
20/09/22 - Sunday Letters Merchandise
13/09/22 - What do you think?
12/09/22 - Introduction To Peak Human Performance
07/09/22 - [Bonus] Beyond An Economy of Work & Spend
06/09/22 - 222 On The Merit of Doing Nothing
31/08/22 - [Bonus] Bukowski on Work
29/08/22 - You Abstract Working Mule of A Human
28/08/22 - 221 Peak Performer
26/08/22 - [Bonus] Implicit Bias In Children's Coaching
25/08/22 - 220 The Magic of Donald Thomas
21/08/22 - Talent: You Either Have It Or You Don't
18/08/22 - What work do you do?
17/08/22 - 219 Dr Jonathan Murphy on Free Speech, Psychology, Future of Work, AI, & Identity
14/08/22 - Sunday Letters: A Re-introduction

2021 (7)

05/12/21 - Annie Dillard on Time, Structure, Coffee, & Learning A Trade
28/11/21 - How To Be An Optimist
21/11/21 - Bertrand Russell on Happiness & Unhappiness
31/10/21 - Oíche Shamhna
24/10/21 - Longtermism: Something You Should Know About
03/10/21 - How To Turn Off A Humming Fridge
21/02/21 - Cyclical Time

2020 (64)

14/12/20 - Making For Its Own Sake Versus Making For Success
05/11/20 - Business or Vocation?
18/10/20 - The Pursuit of Happiness Part 3: Nine Factors That Impact Your Happiness
13/10/20 - More Time For What?
04/10/20 - The Pursuit of Happiness Part 2: The Focusing Illusion
01/10/20 - On Mortality
28/09/20 - The Fool
27/09/20 - The Pursuit of Happiness Part 1
20/09/20 - Have We Mistaken A Shiny Penny For The Sun?
13/09/20 - Scepticism: An Antidote To The Dangers of Groupthink
11/09/20 - How To Be Resilient
09/09/20 - Bide Your Time
06/09/20 - On Becoming The Performatist
04/09/20 - On The Edge of The World
27/08/20 - The More Real
24/08/20 - Too Much of A Good Thing
23/08/20 - Carl Rogers on The Resolution of Internal Conflict
16/08/20 - Whitehead: The Fallacy of Misplaced Concreteness
09/08/20 - Taking Score Too Soon
26/07/20 - On The Merits of Introversion
12/07/20 - On The Slavery of Work
07/06/20 - Building Resilience In Turbulent Times
01/06/20 - The Hidden Benefit In Boring
29/05/20 - Momentum: Help Or Hindrance?
24/05/20 - Creative Polymathy In The Life of The Everyday Genius
21/05/20 - What Is Randomness?
17/05/20 - A Word On Performance
15/05/20 - Be A Light Unto Oneself
12/05/20 - Work For Yourself
10/05/20 - The 7 Properties of Play
08/05/20 - It's Not Such A Big Deal
07/05/20 - When Sitting With A Problem…
05/05/20 - The Sword Upon Which You'll Fall
04/05/20 - There Is No Point In Work, Unless…
03/05/20 - Maslow: How To Resolve The Creative Dichotomy
29/04/20 - Move Closer To The Centre
27/04/20 - Try Many Things
26/04/20 - Is It Any of My Business?
24/04/20 - Build A New Skill
23/04/20 - A Return to Craft Based Work
22/04/20 - All of A Sudden You're There
19/04/20 - 7 Life Lessons From The Diary of a Stoic Philosopher
16/04/20 - Chomsky on Controlling Your Own Work
15/04/20 - How Quiet It Has Become
13/04/20 - Enjoying Work For Its Own Sake
12/04/20 - The Anti-Business Model
10/04/20 - The Making of Machines
09/04/20 - A Time To Fight
08/04/20 - To Be A Mule
07/04/20 - The Pursuit of The Eternally Elusive
06/04/20 - Hyper-Positivity And The Flourishing of Naivety
05/04/20 - What's The Future of Work?
03/04/20 - There Are No Shortcuts
02/04/20 - A Monday to Friday Sort of Dying
01/04/20 - The Arrogance of Fools
31/03/20 - Knuckle Down
30/03/20 - Leave The Door Open…
29/03/20 - Georgia O'Keeffe on Daily Work, Happiness & Success
27/03/20 - The Value In Doing Nothing
26/03/20 - It Gets Better
22/03/20 - Coronavirus: The Human Game Has Irrevocably Changed
18/03/20 - Things You Can Do In A Crisis
14/03/20 - How To Create A Genius
12/03/20 - How Do You Really Feel About Work?

2019 (14)

19/10/19 - Darkness Descends
08/09/19 - The Courage To Go Where There Is No One
14/07/19 - Maslow's 16 Aspects of Peak Experience
04/07/19 - The Illusion of Free Will
23/06/19 - Why Do We Work Jobs We Hate?
02/06/19 - What's The Meaning Of Life?
19/05/19 - How To Make Rational Decisions
13/05/19 - Analogical Thinking: A Method For Solving Problems
06/05/19 - The 22 Self Disciplines of Buckminster Fuller
03/02/19 - Going Narrow And Deep
30/01/19 - Creativity Happens When…
27/01/19 - Sunday Letters: New Format
13/01/19 - Letting It Happen
07/01/19 - Too Much Data

2018 (49)

24/12/18 - Creative Isolation
07/10/18 - What Is An Artist?
30/09/18 - How To Create Order From Chaos
23/09/18 - The Creative Self: Who Is Doing The Making?
16/09/18 - The Paradox of Work
09/09/18 - The Artist's Manifesto Book Launch Date
02/09/18 - Time To Quit
26/08/18 - Saying Sorry: When Nothing Is Gained From Apologies
19/08/18 - Artistic Temperament And The Challenge Working With Others
12/08/18 - Does It Make You Happy?
30/07/18 - Eddie Doherty, Handweaver
22/07/18 - Success Hacks: The Folly In Following Shortcuts
15/07/18 - What To Do When Creative Ideas Overwhelm
08/07/18 - Engineering Consent, Eating Paleo & The New Studio
24/06/18 - State of Flow & Expert Performance
17/06/18 - The Timeless Creative Mind
27/05/18 - Fuck: Linguistic Taboo Or Legitimate Expression?
20/05/18 - The Power Of Deliberate Practice
07/05/18 - The Writer's Giveaway: Over $1,900 In Prizes To Be Won
15/04/18 - Spontaneous Laughter
14/04/18 - The Hello Tree
08/04/18 - Finding Time For Self In The Elaborate Game
25/03/18 - In Defense Of The Unambitious
18/03/18 - Effects Of Stress On Creativity
04/03/18 - Are You Doing It For The Money?
25/02/18 - Challenging Authority: The Creative Imperative
24/02/18 - The New Religion & The Righteous Menace
23/02/18 - The Mere Exposure Effect: Do We Have Control Over Our Descisions?
21/02/18 - Mentorship And Advice: Is there A Difference?
20/02/18 - Reversing The Momentum
19/02/18 - The Artist's Duty
18/02/18 - The Merit In Playing The Long Game
17/02/18 - How To Be More Productive: Stuff I'm Testing
16/02/18 - Why The Butcher Shop Closed
15/02/18 - How To Boost Creativity: 10 Creativity Books You Should Read
14/02/18 - The Inadequacy Of The Words
13/02/18 - How Much Should I Charge For My Creative Work?
12/02/18 - Exchanging Art For Cash
11/02/18 - The Wisdom Of A Practical Man
10/02/18 - Creatures Of Habit
09/02/18 - How To Launch A Book: Fucked If I Know…
08/02/18 - Is It Worth The Sacrifice?
07/02/18 - My Biggest Challenge
04/02/18 - LinkedIn Book Marketing Overview
28/01/18 - Preface: The Artist's Manifesto
21/01/18 - Why I'm Writing Sunday Letters
14/01/18 - The Legend of The Altar Stone [Audio]
08/01/18 - January Book News For Patrons
07/01/18 - Imelda May Portrait: An Inside Look

2017 (100)

24/12/17 - Sunday Letters Christmas Eve
17/12/17 - Twelve Months Writing: A 2017 Review
10/12/17 - Parent Child Relationship: What Is Its True Purpose?
03/12/17 - Have You Ever Failed?
01/12/17 - There Is No Time
26/11/17 - The Death Of The Local Shopkeeper
19/11/17 - What Are You Making?
05/11/17 - Lazy Sunday Morning Thoughts On Slow Paced Life
29/10/17 - What Happens When We Die?
21/10/17 - The Art Of Playing The Game
15/10/17 - Work & The Advance Of Artificial Intelligence
08/10/17 - The Wu Wei Principle Of Mastery
25/09/17 - Welcome To Patron Only Content
24/09/17 - Kill Your Fucking Heroes!
17/09/17 - Still Striving For Success? Consider This Instead
10/09/17 - Where Do Thoughts Come From?
04/09/17 - Conor McGregor Photorealistic Charcoal Drawing
03/09/17 - Patterns Of Behaviour: Why We Do What We Do
27/08/17 - You're Wasting Your Time, Why Don't You Just Give Up
20/08/17 - How To Ensure Our Children's Success
15/08/17 - Nobody Listening? Here's What You Need To Do
13/08/17 - When To Give Up: Winners Never Quit, Or Do They?
10/08/17 - Psychology Of Habit: 3 Maxims Of Habit Formation From William James
09/08/17 - Voices In Your Head: Is There A Link Between Creativity & Mental Illness?
06/08/17 - Everyone Is An Artist: The Dumb Facebook Comment Got Me Fired Up!
03/08/17 - Creative Play: It's Not Just About Fun You Know!
30/07/17 - The Creative Process: Together We Create
25/07/17 - What Is Self Efficacy? (& Why It's Vital To Creative Success)
23/07/17 - What Do You Really Want?
19/07/17 - How To Overcome Writer's Block: 52 Ways To Access Creativity
18/07/17 - Know Your Audience: Why You Need To Give People What They Want
17/07/17 - SEO For Artists: How To Use On Page SEO To Get Found Online
16/07/17 - The Beauty In Old Things
15/07/17 - Why Guinness Doesn't Travel
14/07/17 - The Flaw With Bigger Is Better Mentality
11/07/17 - The Power Of Rhythm And Momentum
09/07/17 - Purposeful Accident: The Benefits In Planning Nothing
03/07/17 - How To Develop The Creative Mindset
01/07/17 - Creativity And Business: Can They Coexist?
25/06/17 - Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Right
18/06/17 - Why The Construction Industry Is A Toxic Place To Work
17/06/17 - How To Improve Creativity: A Single Simple Solution
16/06/17 - What Is Creativity?
15/06/17 - Go With The Flow Vs. Make It Happen, Which Is It?
13/06/17 - Why Hard Selling Is Bad Business & What To Do Instead
11/06/17 - Physicist Julian Barbour: “We've Reached The End of Time”
10/06/17 - The Complexity In Simple Tasks
09/06/17 - A Writing Daily Routine
05/06/17 - Why You Need To Quit Your Job And Grow Tomatoes Instead
04/06/17 - When Death Comes
04/06/17 - The Washerwoman
03/06/17 - The Solopreneur: 16 Reasons Why You Need To Do Your Own Thing
01/06/17 - The Sky Is On Fire
31/05/17 - The Joy of Having Nothing To Do
30/05/17 - The Unemployable Generation
28/05/17 - Are You Killing Your Children's Creativity?
26/05/17 - Mick's Small Business Is Failing, Here's What I Told Him
25/05/17 - When Irrational Fear Of Things Stops The Creative Dead
23/05/17 - Is A Round Of Applause & A Cheque Selling Out?
22/05/17 - How Did I End Up Here?
21/05/17 - Reaction To The Artist's Manifesto Plus All The Juice From Last Week
20/05/17 - What Is The Key To Happiness?
19/05/17 - Do We Have Free Will?
18/05/17 - 3 Cornerstone Traits Of The Successful Full Time Writer
17/05/17 - Becoming An Expert: The Greatest Challenge To Creativity
16/05/17 - Self Identity: The Inner Conflict Of I Versus Me
15/05/17 - The Secret To Mastery: It's Simpler Than You Think
14/05/17 - The Artist's Manifesto
12/05/17 - May Recommended Reading: The Alchemist, Upstream, Omen II
11/05/17 - The Story Of Anne Doyle's House
09/05/17 - Did They Say You're Daydreaming Too Much? Read This
08/05/17 - Are You Feeling A Lack Of Time? Here's Why
07/05/17 - Stupid Economics! Plus All The Juice From Last Week
06/05/17 - There Are No Mistakes In Creative Endeavour, Here's Why
05/05/17 - (R) Where Do We Come From? Chapter 1: The Illusion of Time
04/05/17 - (R) Is Time Real? A Foreword: The Illusion Of Time Book
03/05/17 - Memory Blocking: Why You Can't Find Shit You Lost
01/05/17 - The Artist Inside And Our Inherent Need To Create
01/05/17 - Does Time Exist?
30/04/17 - The Challenge Of Making Commitments & Keeping Them
29/04/17 - How To Spread Ideas That Matter: Edictum Personalem Mei
28/04/17 - Daily Ritual & The Art Of Getting Your Shit Together
27/04/17 - Testicular Fortitude: 7 Ways To Develop Mental Strength
26/04/17 - How To Beat Your Competition: What Creative People Need To Know
25/04/17 - Why It's Better To Stay In Bed
24/04/17 - 50 Examples Of Ordinary Everyday Madness
23/04/17 - We Are On A Rock Spinning Silently
22/04/17 - Where Are Memories Stored?
21/04/17 - Why Men Grow Beards And Women Don't Understand
20/04/17 - The Importance Of Making Stuff
19/04/17 - Why People Who Make Stuff Are Great
18/04/17 - Why Do I Procrastinate?
17/04/17 - Day 1: The 365 Day Writing Challenge
16/04/17 - The Page 3 Girl & The Child of Prague
08/04/17 - Setting Goals Is Bollocks To Me
18/03/17 - Why The Standard Working Model Sucks & How To Get Free
02/03/17 - People & The Problem Knowing Stuff
20/02/17 - Attachment Theory: How We Form Stable Relationships In Childhood
11/02/17 - The Dishwasher: A Metaphor For Life
21/01/17 - Why I'm Done With Time Management Advice & Dumb Life Hacking Articles

2016 (7)

17/12/16 - How To Be Creative In A World Of Mechanised Convenience
05/07/16 - Why You Should Give Away What You Know For Free
30/06/16 - How To Calculate An Hourly Rate For Your Services
20/04/16 - Why Organised Networking Events Are A Waste Of Your Time
17/03/16 - Mastery: Joel Bukiewicz The Knife Maker
04/03/16 - The Preposterousness Of The Leap Year
14/02/16 - Enjoy The Silence; Diary Of An Introverted Antisocial

2015 (5)

03/12/15 - How To Overcome The Quieting Echoes Of Self Doubt
26/11/15 - When The Dream Is Lost Between Two Bar Stools
08/11/15 - How To Get Happy: The Three Fundamental Rules
11/10/15 - Fear Of Failure; What To Do When You Fail
04/10/15 - Why You Need To Do Epic Shit (And Nothing Else)