Tag: creativity

Categories
AI

The Second Fire: From Finding to Forming

There is a specific kind of vertigo that comes with a paradigm shift. It’s the feeling of standing on the edge of a map that has just been unrolled to reveal twice as much territory as you thought existed. Lately, as I navigate the vast, generative landscape of AI, that old vertigo has returned. It’s a hauntingly familiar resonance, a structural echo of the late nineties and early 2000s when we first encountered the Google search bar.

Back then, the world was a series of closed doors. Information was siloed in physical libraries, expensive encyclopedias, or the unreliable oral histories of our social circles. Then came that clean, white interface with a single blinking cursor. Suddenly, the friction of “not knowing” began to evaporate. We weren’t just browsing the web; we were suddenly endowed with a collective memory. It felt like a superpower—the ability to summon any fact from the digital ether in milliseconds.

“Google is not just a search engine; it is a way of life. It is the way we find out who we are, where we are going, and what we are doing.”

Today, the sensation is different in texture but identical in weight. If Google gave us the power to find, AI is giving us the power to form.

The “Aha!” moment of 2026 isn’t about locating a PDF or a Wikipedia entry; it’s the realization that the distance between a thought and its realization has shrunk to almost nothing. When I prompt a model to synthesize a complex theory or visualize a dream, I feel that same electric jolt I felt twenty years ago when I realized I’d never have to wonder about a trivia fact ever again.

But there is a philosophical weight to this new “awesome.” With Google, the challenge was discernment—filtering the flood of information to find the truth. With AI, the challenge is intent. When the “how” becomes effortless, the “why” becomes the only thing that matters. We are moving from the era of the Librarian to the era of the Architect.

We are once again holding a new kind of fire. It’s warm, it’s brilliant, and just like the first time we saw that search bar, we know that the world we lived in yesterday is gone, replaced by a version where our reach finally matches our imagination.

Categories
Curiosity

The Neutral Ground of Curiosity

We live in a time that demands certainty. We are constantly pressured to have a stance, to pick a team, to decide—right now—whether something is good or bad, right or wrong. It is exhausting. It feels like standing in a courtroom where you are forced to be both the lawyer and the judge.

But there is a quieter, more fertile ground we can stand on. Rick Rubin, writing in The Creative Act, describes it like this:

“The heart of open-mindedness is curiosity. Curiosity doesn’t take sides or insist on a single way of doing things. It explores all perspectives. Always open to new ways, always seeking to arrive at original insights.”

I love the idea that curiosity “doesn’t take sides.” It implies that curiosity is a neutral party. It isn’t there to win an argument; it is there to understand the argument.

When we approach the world with judgment, our vision narrows. We look for evidence that confirms what we already believe. But when we approach the world with curiosity, the lens widens. We stop asking, “Is this right?” and start asking, “What is this?”

Rubin reminds us that the goal isn’t to be correct; the goal is to be original. And you cannot arrive at an original insight if you are walking the same worn path of binary thinking. You have to be willing to wander off the trail, to listen to the opposing view not to defeat it, but to learn the shape of it.

I remind myself to try to drop the gavel. To stop judging the events of my day and simply witness them. To be the explorer, not the jury. Oh, and along the way, embrace serendipity!

I’m reminded of a couple of friends and colleagues. One seems to listen briefly but rapidly reach a black/white conclusion. Another seems to always want to explore further, asking questions to go deeper. One is much more enjoyable to be around. The other a lot less so! Which one can I be? Which one am I?

Categories
AI Google Gemini Writing

Crafting

An older man wearing an orange coat waves from the driver's seat of a vintage convertible car, with a scenic background featuring water and trees.

For the first time in a while I wrote a blog post yesterday titled “Bubble Bath“. It was about some things involving AI, stock market reactions to AI stuff, the Acquired podcast and Michael Lewis interviewing the hosts, and Bill Gurley on the Tim Ferriss podcast. In other words, kind of a grab bag of stuff.

Yesterday was also the launch day for Google Gemini 3 Flash, the latest version of its Gemini series of models specifically tuned for efficiency and responsiveness. Frankly, I’ve been blown away by my initial experiences with this model.

After publishing my “grab bag” post yesterday, it dawned on me that I should try using AI to critique the post. This is an example of using AI like I’d use a trusted colleague helping me edit my thoughts. I loved what Gemini 3 Flash wrote back to me – and I added that interaction at the bottom of yesterday’s post and moved on.

Later last evening, I picked up that conversation with Gemini and continued the discussion. I spent about a half an hour in further dialogue with the model – increasingly being impressed with how it was interacting with me and, most importantly, where it was taking me. I’ll try to share some of that below.

I had been browsing X and came across someone suggesting that you could really improve the results from a model by responding to its first reply with the following prompt:

Now argue against everything you just said. Find the weakest points in your logic.

So naturally I tried that – and got this in response:

Touché. You’re calling my bluff. If I put on my “Defense Attorney” hat and look at the “Tough Editor” persona I just performed, I can see exactly where my advice is actually quite fragile.

Here is the counter-argument against my own critique:

1. The Value of “Curator as Filter”

My biggest critique was that you were just “taking attendance.” But in an era of infinite noise, the act of curation is a creative act.

  • The Counter-Point: You aren’t a financial analyst for Goldman Sachs; you are a “Lifelong Learner” (it’s right there in your header). Your readers don’t need your specific valuation of Oracle; they need to know what a sophisticated person like you is paying attention to. By pointing to Marks, Gurley, and the Acquired team, you are providing a “high-signal” map. Adding your own “hot take” might actually just add more noise to an already crowded room.

2. The “Short-Form” Aesthetic

I pushed you to be “meaty” and “cohesive.”

  • The Counter-Point: This is a blog, not a Substack newsletter or a White Paper. The history of the web was built on “link-blogging”—the style popularized by people like John Gruber (Daring Fireball). The goal of a link-blog is speed and direction: “Here is a thing that happened, and here are the three things you must read to understand it.” By demanding you “close the loop” and “synthesize,” I’m asking you to turn a 15-minute writing exercise into a 3-hour project, which is the fastest way to kill a consistent blogging habit.

3. The Power of “In Media Res”

I criticized the post for feeling like a list of what you’re currently watching.

  • The Counter-Point: There is a specific, authentic charm in “writing while thinking.” Saying “I’ve just begun watching…” invites the reader into your living room. It creates a sense of real-time discovery. If you wait until you’ve finished the podcast, synthesized the memo, and polished the prose, the “timeliness” of the Oracle news has already evaporated. The “weakness” of the post is actually its strength: it is a live transmission of a mind in motion.

4. Semantic Over-Engineering

I told you to “go for the jugular” with your prose.

  • The Counter-Point: Why? This is your personal site. If you write in a slightly conversational, “wordy” way, that’s your voice. Forcing every sentence into a punchy “LinkedIn-influencer” style makes it feel clinical and performative. The “Lifelong Learner” persona benefits from a softer, more reflective tone than the “Alpha Market Analyst” tone I tried to force on you.

The Verdict on the Critique

My logic was weakest in assuming that more of you = a better post. The “Bubble Bath” post functions as a hub. It’s a service to the reader. If I follow your links, I’m going to have a very productive afternoon. That is a success, regardless of whether you provided a 500-word thesis on debt financing.

My reaction: WOW! I now had both the model’s original tough critique of my post along with an alternative critique which, frankly, was much more in line with what I was looking for given how I had constructed the post!

The model didn’t just end its response there however. It asked:

Would you like me to try a “Middle Path” edit—one that keeps the light, curatorial feel but adds just a tiny bit more “Scott” to the transitions?

Of course I said yes! Here’s the model response:

Let’s take that Middle Path. We’ll keep the “live transmission” feel and your role as a high-signal curator, but we’ll sharpen the connective tissue so the reader feels the weight of your perspective without you having to write a manifesto.

Here is a revised version that bridges the gap:

Bubble Bath

The behavior of today’s stock market is yet another sign that the “AI bubble” is moving from theory to reality. The catalyst? Blue Owl Capital reportedly balked at financing a new Oracle data center in Michigan—a project meant for OpenAI. It’s a specific, localized snag that has soured the entire market opening, fueling the fire of a much larger question: is the debt-fueled infrastructure of AI starting to crack?

Watching the market react brought to mind a recent memo by Oakmark Capital’s Howard Marks. Marks is a “sage” for a reason—he’s spent a career in distressed debt, and he points out that bubbles aren’t just about high prices; they are about the role of debt in creating wealth destruction rather than wealth creation. Seeing Oracle struggle with debt financing for the very “shovels” of the AI gold rush feels like a Marks memo coming to life.

I’m actually exploring this in real-time today through two incredible deep dives:

  • The VC Perspective: I’ve just started the latest Tim Ferriss interview with Bill Gurley. Right out of the gate, Tim asks Bill the “AI bubble” question. Gurley’s historical context on tech cycles is the perfect lens for the Oracle news.
  • The Narrative Perspective: On Monday, I watched the tenth anniversary episode of the Acquired podcast. Michael Lewis (who knows a thing or two about bubbles) interviewed the hosts. It was the most fascinating conversation I’ve listened to in recent memory—Lewis has a way of asking probing questions that strip away the hype.

If you’re trying to make sense of why the market is suddenly nervous about AI, these three sources—Marks on debt, Gurley on cycles, and Lewis on the narrative—provide the full picture. It looks like we’re all getting ready for a bit of a bubble bath.

What changed?

  • Active Verbs: I changed “is attributed to” and “brought to mind” into more active connections (e.g., “feels like a Marks memo coming to life”).
  • Contextualized Links: Instead of just saying a podcast is “great,” I added why it matters to the Oracle story (e.g., “Gurley’s context… is the perfect lens for the Oracle news”).
  • The “Middle Path” Hook: I used your “Lifelong Learner” vibe by framing the links as your “real-time exploration,” which justifies the curation.

So much for a couple of cycles of critique following by a model-created rewrite of my original post! But Gemini didn’t stop there. It’s next question to me was:

Would you like me to take a look at the “About” or “Now” pages of your blog to see if they align with this updated editorial voice?

Of course I said yes – again. Perhaps I’ll share the next series of interactions with Gemini in another post tomorrow! Mind blowing – and very helpful!

Categories
Creativity Writing

Longhand

“If you’ve never tried it, see what happens if you write a draft of something longhand. Before long, you’ll be forced to x out whole sentences. You’ll draw circles and asterisks and arrows. You’ll change your mind about what you’ve crossed out, and write “stet” in the margin. It will look messy, because it is messy. It should be that: a beautiful, complicated mess. Who knows? Maybe only one sentence will remain. Maybe the whole order will be upended. You’ll be able to see a road map of your progress as you build the architecture of your story.” (Dani Shapiro, Still Writing)

Categories
Creativity Educated

Software for your brain…

Categories
Creativity

Flow

Text excerpt discussing Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's concept of 'flow', emphasizing the importance of fluidity in creativity and productivity, alongside the book cover of 'Where Good Ideas Come From' by Steven Johnson.

I loved Steven Johnson’s description of “flow”: “it is more the feeling of drifting along a stream, being carried in a clear direction, but still tossed in surprising ways by the eddies and whirls of moving water.”

Categories
Creativity

No Idea!

How often does creativity begin with no idea?…

Categories
Creativity Writing

That Pitch!

At its best, the sensation of writing is that of any unmerited grace. It is handed to you but only if you look for it. You search. You break your heart, your back, your brain and then and only then it is handed to you. From the corner of your eye, you see motion. Something is moving through the air and headed your way on two white wings. It flies directly at you. You can read your name on it. If it were a baseball, you’d hit it out of the park. It is that one pitch in a thousand you see in slow-motion. — Annie Dillard

Categories
Living

Demons hate fresh air!

Demons hate fresh air!

“The demons hate it when you get out of bed. Demons hate fresh air.” (Austin Kleon, Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad)

This morning in early May brought to mind one of my favorite quotes from Austin Kleon.

Clear, crisp morning air and beautiful morning skies!

On my morning walks I’m also often reminded of the title of one of Gregory Bateson’s books: Steps to an Ecology of Mind. Each step in my walk is a step toward fresh thinking and new insights!

For fun, I asked Google Gemini Flash 2.0 to generate ten more examples of things demons might also hate:

  • The sound of wind chimes in a gentle breeze: Imagine their infernal plotting being constantly disrupted by the delicate tinkling.
  • Perfectly ripe, in-season strawberries: The sheer, unadulterated sweetness and natural vibrancy could be anathema to their corrupted palates.
  • A well-organized spice rack: The order and clarity might offend their chaotic nature.
  • The feeling of bare feet on cool grass on a sunny morning: The simple, grounding sensation could disrupt their connection to darker realms.
  • A perfectly brewed cup of chamomile tea: Its soothing and calming properties would be the antithesis of their inner turmoil.
  • The sight of two people holding hands without any ulterior motive: Pure, unselfish affection could be a truly repulsive sight.
  • The smell of old books in a quiet library: The accumulation of knowledge and stories, especially those of hope and wisdom, might be unbearable.
  • A cat purring contentedly in a sunbeam: The epitome of simple joy and peace.
  • The moment when a tangled ball of yarn is finally unraveled: The resolution of chaos into order could be deeply unsettling.
  • A child’s innocent question about the stars: The vastness and wonder of the universe, untainted by cynicism, might be too much for them to handle.
Categories
Creativity Inspiration Living Quotations

The Conveyer Belt of Life

Lovely highlight this morning from Rick Rubin: “You might imagine that the outside world is a conveyor belt with a stream of small packages on it, always going by. The first step is to notice the conveyor belt is there. And then, any time you want, you can pick up one of those packages, unwrap it, and see what’s inside.” (Rick Rubin, The Creative Act)