…And We’re Back

I created this site a little early so it would be here when I was ready to use it. Now my house is in order and I’m in the final stages of bouncing back from my knee replacement surgery and other medical fixes.

When I left off as an instructor in higher ed in mid-2017, I was riding an avalanche of health issues. I had spent well over a decade putting the needs of my school and my students above my personal, physical needs. I kept putting myself last in importance, never saying no, until finally I collapsed and was no good to anyone for anything.

It takes a very deep kind of strength to come back from such a place, as well as a huge emotional and financial support network. I am incredibly fortunate to be here now, and grateful to everyone who has helped me along the way.

I’ve watched the world and my country changing in unprecedented and frightening ways during my convalescence, fueled by the wild swarm of new media. I’ve watched my digital filmmaking skills go from an elite art form to an essential everyday communication tool. It is beautiful to see a voice given to so many who were silenced for so long, but also terrible to see this used to create a groundswell of bigotry, violence, and hatred. It makes being a voice for my own values critically important.

I don’t tweet. To me, Twitter is just too limited. It’s an editor’s dumpster filled with thesis statements and no room for the supporting and qualifying content that makes it worth reading or viewing. It’s like asking your mom for a sandwich, but instead of cutting off the crust, she gives you only crust. I love all bread, crust included, but the most important parts of a sandwich are the items inside the bread. Twitter is a collection of cut-off crusts. It lacks everything that makes important ideas worthwhile.

As I recovered and watched the world change, I came to the realization that my next chapter lay not in returning to instruction, but in rising as an advocate. I need to bring my voice, my skills, and my privilege to the table and elbow out the complex and diverse interests that truly represent humanity and this rock in space we inhabit.

This is the Big Book of Mayhem. Coming soon – new original animated media and blog posts on a wide range of topics and interests.

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