john t. unger studio

Fire Features at Wichita Waterwalk

Photo Credit: Chris Rush

 

This photo of the King Isosceles Firebowl at WaterWalk Place in Wichita is stunning! Chris did a great job of shooting a night photo that still gives a sense of the landscape around the firebowl.

WaterWalk Place is a multi-use destination on the banks of the Arkansas River in the heart of the city's cultural, entertainment, government and business center. Featuring upscale shops, luxury living and premium business sites. Seasonal activities within the development include outdoor concerts, art fairs, charity benefits and holiday celebrations. The Waterwalk Commons features fountains, greenbelts, walking paths and two of my Sculptural Firebowls.

The pictures by Vanessa below give a nice sense of how the King Isosceles fits into the larger landscape. It was very kind of Vanessa to forward her pictures and the one by Chris.

Photo Credit: Vanessa Johnson

 

Photo Credit: Vanessa Johnson

 

Waterwalk also has a Waves O' Fire Sculptural Firebowl installed, but I only have photos of the waves bowl taken during construction. If anyone in Wichita would be willing to send me updated photos of the Waves O' Fire, I'd be deeply grateful!

Photo Credit: Daniel Earnest

 

Photo Credit: Daniel Earnest

 

More S'mores at Frankford Hall

Christina Celenza and Tyler Roy enjoy toasting s'mores on a recent date at Frankford Hall in Philadelphia.

The photo shoot, organized by Nick Silva and shot by Pete Hall, turned out great! I love the star-like lights in the trees in the first photo and Christina and Roy are such a cute couple in their photos.

This is a perfect example of what I love most about the internet— I put out a call on Twitter and Facebook looking for photos of Frankford Hall and several people responded. What makes it even better is hearing back from all of them that they had so much fun doing the shoots. I think I'll have to try organizing similar outings at some of the other restaurants that have my firebowls on display.

Sculptural Firebowls sell 1000s of s'mores for Philadelphia's Frankford Hall

I don't usually post press releases to the blog, but this is such a good story I feel like it works.

Campfire cookouts come to the city as Philly beerhall puts the fun into functional art.

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Meade

 

Surprise success of snack sales could point the way to a new restaurant trend— Handcrafted firebowls from John T. Unger Studio are sparking increased food and beverage sales for Frankford Hall, a Philadelphia, PA, biergarten with a modern twist. The popular draw of a Big Bowl O' Zen Sculptural Firebowl inspired the restaurant to order a second firebowl, subsidized by food sales.

"My firebowls are popular with hotels and restaurants for their beauty and ambience as well as their functional warmth, durability and maintenance-free upkeep" said John T. Unger, owner of John T. Unger Studio, Mancelona, Mich. "By adding toasted treats to the menu, the folks at Frankford Hall have discovered a way to generate direct income from my firebowls."

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Meade

 

Frankford Hall, a property embodying the spirit of an open-air German biergarten set in an industrial structure was a fitting location for Unger's work. "Our space called for a fire pit and our designer, Richard A. Stokes loved the rustic and natural look of the Big Bowl 'O Zen," said Greg Root, general manager of Frankford Hall, one of the Starr Restaurants.

Once the Big Bowl 'O Zen was installed Root came upon an added benefit. He began selling the ingredients for a classic dessert, S'Mores at "a buck a pop." The idea not only took off, but Frankford Hall began selling thousands of the s'mores. "We were seeing such tremendous draw for the s'mores, we decided to add a second firebowl," said Root. Restaurant patrons enjoy the firebowls' warmth and social atmosphere while also creating a fun treat. The tradition and nostalgia of cooking over an open flame has almost universal appeal.

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Meade

 

"When homeowners purchase my firebowls, they begin a legacy to be be passed down to future generations. I love being able to foster family traditions and togetherness," said Unger. "Public installations in hotels or restaurants are also satisfying for me because thousands of people a year are able to see and enjoy my work. The ability of the artwork to generate additional revenues for hospitality venues is an exciting and attractive benefit."

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Meade

 

Twelve Tasy Recipes to Try on Your Firebowl

For the most part I've gone with simpler recipes in the list below and avoided fish and fowl for safety (you wouldn't want to undercook those). If you are a seafood fan, there are some promising recipes included in the list where I found most of these: 50 on a Stick: Recipes to grill your entire meal on skewers. If you find any recipes that you'd like to share, I'd love to hear about it!

1. Tomato-Basil Skewers
2. Plum Tomatoes with Artichoke Pesto
3. Grilled Stuffed Jalapenos
4. Spicy Steak Fries
5. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
6. Salami-and-Fig Fans
7. Mini Blue Cheese Burgers
8. Bacon Wrapped Spicy Meatball Skewers
9. Russian Onion and Pork Kebabs with Russian Ketchup (Shashlik)
10. Grilled Kielbasa with Fennel and Pears
11. Beets with Horseradish Cream
12. Black Forest Skewers

About Frankford Hall: Frankford Hall embodies the spirit of an open-air German biergarten presented with a modern twist. Set in an industrial structure, the space creates a unique urban experience for those looking to enjoy a cold brew and brats of all kinds. With nine beers on tap, ten more in bottles and giant, warm pretzels, the true essence of Bavaria is represented at its best in this Fishtown fun spot. www.starr-restaurant.com

History of S'Mores: Per the Girl Scout Alumnae website, the S'more lacks a confirmed history. However, they relate that the first record of a s'more dates back to a 1927 recipe printed in a Girl Scout manual called Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts.

Best tweets of 2010

Twitter is where I spend most of my time online. Other than email, it's the closest thing I have to any kind of journal of my ideas and activities. At the end of the year, I go back and re-read my entire Twitter stream for the year as a review. I use BackUpMyNet to archive all my tweets, which makes the process much easier. I find the review to be a really useful tool in taking stock of what has been done over the course of the year and planning the direction of the new year.

What I love best about Twitter is the constraint of trying to fit something worth saying into 140 characters… It reminds me of the precision and concision required when I wrote as a poet. I've experimented more this last year with "long form Twitter," using it as an outline for bigger thoughts in series, like building a geometric proof.

Twitter's largely my notebook for ideas. I get them down, see some feedback and save them for later development when I have the time to actually write or work the ideas into new projects. The brevity constraint forces me to take complex ideas down to the bare bones. Even if sometimes I have to build a partial or full skeleton to get the whole idea across. Twitter has changed the way I use language and the way I think… there's a constant editing loop now in my head that says "how can I make this simpler and shorter without leaving it open to misinterpretation."

Below are the "Best of" tweets from 2010. The ones which either made me laugh, made me think or just struck me as interesting on some level. Hope you enjoy them. I organized them chronologically (oldest to newest) since some were written as a series.

New firebowl designs coming soon

I'm working behind the scenes right now on a redesign for the whole site that I hope to have live soon. The design and coding is by Men with Pens, and it's easily one of the best designs I've ever seen. I'm excited because the new design brings all the most important information above the fold and makes it easier to navigate the site… but it's also just beautiful. While working out the last details on the design, I'm also editing video for all the firebowls, pulling together new photos and copy and updating prices.

I've been holding off adding new work until the site is ready to relaunch, but here's a sneak preview of four new firebowl designs that will be available soon.

The Fireball

Weighing in at almost 300 pounds, the Fireball is a dramatic piece, even in its simplicity. The design is one that I've thought about for years, but when I finally put one together I was shocked at how gorgeous it is.

The Firefly

The Firefly utilizes the negative space of the King Isosceles to shield the fire from the wind and to create an inviting space to gaze in at the fire. Photos don't quite do justice to the way the view of the fire shifts as you move around the bowl.

The Meridian

The Meridian is inspired in part by the hanging modern fireplaces of the Sixties… I love the way that the crescent form of this bowl changes from different angles, just as the cycles of the moon shift. The canted bowl protects the fire from wind and radiates heat to warm your upper body.

The Big Bowl O' Canada

I've been shipping more and more bowls to Canada this year and to celebrate our neighbors to the north I've created the Big Bowl O' Canada. I had a request for a custom Great Bowl O' Fire that incorporated a stylized maple leaf as one of the flame designs and the idea of doing an all maple leaf design appealed to me.

BottleCap Fish Mosaic No. 50

Click the image to enlarge.

This was a commissioned piece and is one of my favorites I've ever done. The breast fin is an antique spatula I've been saving for at least five years just for this purpose. The other fins are cut from a tin shovel for fireplaces (the corrugated edges were perfect for the dorsal fin). The tail is a flattened rake. Caps are Bell's Oberon and Heineken.

I've been wanting to use the Oberon caps for a long time… they're a gorgeous color and I like the yellow sun design. Be sure to look at them close up by clicking "all sizes" and selecting the original size. One of the things that's coolest about making these is the always unexpected way that the caps look once they've been set close. It's always so much more vibrant than the way they look scattered.

Fountain with Great Bowl O' Fire firebowl

This stone and glass fountain in San Clemente, CA shows that you can have it all… a stunning water feature crowned by live fire. Day or night, fire brings a lively focus to this water feature, combining two of the most primal elements. Even I was amazed when I saw the photos of the finished project. When David first showed me the drawings for his project I was excited and pleased to help make this dream a reality. I can't wait to do more projects like this one!

Help 2 Succeed Blogtalkradio Interview

First, they say "you'll never make a living as an artist." When you do, they say you've "sold out."

Sharon Beth interviews me about tips for artists to succeed, how to price art and calculate overhead, how to handle rejection or people who tell you you won't succeed, how to find your market and other ideas.

Best Tweets of 2009

I spent New Year's day going back and re-reading all the tweets I wrote in 2009, from top to bottom. It was kind of an interesting way to review the year and see where I'd been and what I'd been thinking about. There were so many big events this year that a lot of the comparatively smaller events and ideas had been completely lost in the shuffle (or would have been, if not for Twitter). I use BackUpMyNet to archive all my tweets, which made the whole process much easier. I can view everything on one page there, rather than constantly having to hit the "more" button on Twitter. I'll definitely make this an annual review, I think… I can't think of any other medium (email, journals, letters, etc.) that could realistically be reviewed at end of year. Looking at the whole year through Twitter definitely gave me some strong ideas about what I do and don't want to focus on in 2010.

Below are the "Best of" tweets from 2009. The ones which either made me laugh, made me think or just struck me as interesting on some level. Hope you enjoy them. I organized them chronologically (oldest to newest) since some required two or three parts.

• When people say "I'm bored" replace the word bored with boring. Thu Jan 01 05:50:27 +0000 2009
• I'd like to create a font called mimeo that only displays/prints in purple. Thu Jan 01 17:31:03 +0000 2009
• How to get things done: make choices. live with the results or start over. Sun Jan 11 00:42:48 +0000 2009
• If you're not dead you can do whatever the fuck you want. If you are dead, you probably don't need to worry about it. So do stuff. Sun Jan 11 00:56:25 +0000 2009
• Her: "what's good for the goose is good for the gander" Me: "But I'm a chicken." Sun Jan 11 18:53:09 +0000 2009
• Accidental beauty IS my metier. Fri Jan 16 19:23:30 +0000 2009
• "You know, deep people are just as full of shit as Shallow people." - @MarcieVargas. I always knew that, but it's nice to hear it just said. Sat Jan 17 00:00:38 +0000 2009
• Ownership is bondage. Bondage can be nice, but you need a safe word. Mine is "mortgage default." Mon Jan 19 20:51:33 +0000 2009
• Scorpions apparently fluoresce under UV light. So, I'm picturing a black light for the yard and picking them off with my BB pistol. Tue Jan 20 23:06:47 +0000 2009
• There's little more satisfying than using evil powers in the service of good and justice. Sat Jan 31 03:10:24 +0000 2009
• @PaulGrahamRaven LOVE your typo "make a pint of." So many points are made over pints that it makes perfect sense to say it that way. Mon Feb 02 02:35:03 +0000 2009
• You're not a bad person, you just have bad aim! Fri Feb 06 17:59:29 +0000 2009
• You know how cats are mostly evil but sometimes affectionate? It's because the friction of petting them recharges their evil batteries. Fri Feb 13 01:01:14 +0000 2009
• Just realized how much life has changed since I was a poet. When @neilhimself mentioned a friend's script, I first thought code not writing. Mon Feb 16 20:24:42 +0000 2009
• I am always surprised when people are surprised when I do things. Fri Feb 20 03:41:31 +0000 2009
• Why can't I have an air horn that also sprays mace? There are applications… Thu Mar 05 02:58:36 +0000 2009
• Was trying to say Russian Constructivism and it came out "constructivision." That's my new movement, I guess, Constructivision. Sun Mar 08 17:18:37 +0000 2009
• Just invented phrase "attention spam" only to google it and see that I'm way late for that. Sometimes google takes the fun out of neologism. Sun Mar 08 17:30:37 +0000 2009
• Cooter holland, Keizer Wilson, marie lepanto... All the exits in arkansas sound like porn star names Wed Mar 11 07:19:07 +0000 2009
• If I wanted to think about it, I'd do it myself. Sat Mar 14 01:24:57 +0000 2009
• OH If I can't laugh at me, I can't laugh at you @gapingvoid Sat Mar 14 23:10:21 +0000 2009
• I didn't need to know that… So I shared it with you! Wed Mar 18 01:51:48 +0000 2009
• When people ask why the end of my left thumb is missing, I tell them I lost it in the 1st dot com crash. true story, abbreviated for clarity Wed Mar 18 04:03:02 +0000 2009
• Be your own hero. Sat Mar 21 22:46:26 +0000 2009
• I wonder if anyone ever successfully backs away from the ledge once they've lived at the edges of civilization? Sun Mar 22 16:05:23 +0000 2009
• Converting knowlege to instinct is like the muscle memory that comes from physical practise in craft or sports. Sun Mar 22 17:00:24 +0000 2009
• It's important to do the detailed research first, to gain an understanding of the underlying structures and patterns. Sun Mar 22 17:05:36 +0000 2009
• This chain of thought came from knowing that all the trees in KS + OK were planted, not native, just by looking at them. Pattern was off. Sun Mar 22 17:09:38 +0000 2009
• So I can't always tell you WHY I know what I know, but that's why I'm in arts not academia. My goal is to change, subvert or exploit pattern Sun Mar 22 17:29:03 +0000 2009
• When most artists say they are "on fire" they mean inspired. When metalworkers say it, we mean that we are ON FIRE! Tue Mar 24 21:12:26 +0000 2009
• I wish more people could force an equation between doable and enjoyable. As in: I enjoy what I do and do what I enjoy. Wed Mar 25 04:32:38 +0000 2009
• I just think it's interesting that anti-smoking intolerance has reached a point where people leave the INTERNET if you light a smoke. funny. Fri Apr 03 00:10:09 +0000 2009
• Me: so I get write off the full cost of the building instead of amortizing because I didn't put it up. WTF? Her: it's a tax shelter! Sat Apr 04 22:45:38 +0000 2009
• @gapingvoid RE: art. Theory is a shortcut. It can help you cut to the chase when you're looking to break new ground. Wed Apr 08 05:02:44 +0000 2009
• Miracles are easy. It's the day to day living that can get hard. Thu Apr 09 05:49:15 +0000 2009
• Translate the eternal into the contemporary. Sun Apr 12 23:47:52 +0000 2009
• @lisacall The number of times I could have died as a kid is roughly = to the times I didn't die as an adult, thanks to practice back then. Mon Apr 13 18:33:15 +0000 2009
• @jonathanmead Most strengths + weakness are context-dependent. For instance, it's bad to talk loudly in a theatre. Unless you're on stage. Wed Apr 15 23:00:47 +0000 2009
• @apelad I think that the mineral name amirite should be reserved for the philosopher's stone. Sun Apr 19 03:11:56 +0000 2009
• personal theory: the less you want to talk about something in a relationship, the more important it probably is to do so. Sun Apr 19 22:12:46 +0000 2009
• There's typecasting and then there's archetypecasting. Mon Apr 27 21:18:49 +0000 2009
• You know what worries me about twitter? That we'll exhaust every pun in the English language at an accelerated rate and have no new jokes. Tue Apr 28 16:22:26 +0000 2009
• The internet may well be my primary medium, despite all the physical art I make. Thu Apr 30 03:38:14 +0000 2009
• Amused by the idea of trying to stuff an actual ghost down a Disposall. Thu Apr 30 09:16:52 +0000 2009
• The weak keep unfollowing me. Fortunately, so many more of you are brave and strong. Sat May 02 18:14:57 +0000 2009
• If you choose the right customers, only THEN is the customer always right. Sun May 03 16:54:24 +0000 2009
• Just had an insight while explaining Twitter to a newbie: Twitter replies are peer-reviewed conversation. Mon May 04 18:45:12 +0000 2009
• The common denominator of human nature is the desire to transcend human nature. Tue May 05 03:45:30 +0000 2009
• @mrjackolson Everyone wants to be more than they are… a lover, a hero, a star, a force of nature, a god, a better rodeo rider, invincible. Tue May 05 03:52:36 +0000 2009
• Commuting against traffic, counter to the conventional flow, leaves the road clear ahead and speed traps pointed away from us. Tue May 05 03:56:02 +0000 2009
• It may not be going too far to say that in some very fundamental ways, you are what you speak. Tue May 05 03:57:21 +0000 2009
• There is no "no." Tue May 05 03:59:49 +0000 2009
• Plans are fictions. Tue May 05 04:00:04 +0000 2009
• “The Way that can be spoken is not the Way.”—Lao Tzu “If you have to ask, you’ll never know.”—Duke Ellington “Whatever.”—anonymous Tue May 05 04:01:09 +0000 2009
• Hey, just had a thought. We have a "social contract" right? What's the "social media contract?" Discuss. I'll check back later. Tue May 05 04:30:24 +0000 2009
• My pacifist tendencies are tempered with anarchy + apocalypse, which is *exactly* why I'm oddly skilled at diplomacy. Tue May 05 05:24:51 +0000 2009
• If your life isn't making you happy, then no matter how hard it is to change, it's much harder to stay the same. Tue May 05 23:04:11 +0000 2009
• Norse Mythology eventually died out because many are cold but few are frozen. Thu May 07 00:32:08 +0000 2009
• Knowing your mountains can sometimes keep you from getting lost! Sat May 09 19:01:50 +0000 2009
• Safety, security is a lie. Ain't no such thing. The world plays rough, for keeps, + believing in safety is the first step to dying horribly. Sun May 10 06:48:23 +0000 2009
• I'm always more comfortable in a precarious situation. Wed May 13 01:05:59 +0000 2009
• Nothing in the middle matters. Thu May 14 04:14:29 +0000 2009
• I think nature's a great idea, but just not in *my* backyard. Fri May 22 15:59:01 +0000 2009
• The words we use at home are usually 4 letters or 5+ syllables. On twitter, I use fewer syllables. 'cause, you know, character count. Thu May 28 05:23:44 +0000 2009
• @AdamKingStudio I've been making it up as I go along for ages… I just try to repeat the successes and scrap the mistakes. Fri May 29 04:10:30 +0000 2009
• @AdamKingStudio Assuming I can figure out which parts work and which don't (which is a big assumption + you know what they say about those). Fri May 29 04:11:26 +0000 2009
• When we get to Texas, I want to raise cattle… from the dead. Fri May 29 06:22:06 +0000 2009
• I try really hard to make people happy. Starting with myself. Fri May 29 07:28:00 +0000 2009
• What's weird about time is how it never takes time off. It just keeps incrementally accruing. That kind of consistency is unnatural. Fri May 29 07:34:04 +0000 2009
• Yay! I just coined the word Prophylactweet for safe twitter practices! Sat May 30 00:56:16 +0000 2009
• I accomplished my lofty, unreasonable + impossible goals today. My goals tonight are much simpler, darker and attainable. Thu Jun 04 03:28:49 +0000 2009
• I was asked why I don't have more art "poor people can afford." Answer: I used to, but I got tired of being poor myself. Fri Jun 05 05:22:10 +0000 2009
• If time really is the fourth dimension, then I must be entirely 3 dimensional. Time plays no determinate role in my existence. Tue Jun 09 01:55:15 +0000 2009
• Impossibility is an illusion. Wed Jun 10 17:04:10 +0000 2009
• @annaleekeefer The world ends every second. It begins again every second. It's always ending and beginning again. No big deal at all. Sat Jun 13 16:08:39 +0000 2009
• when the world is stacked against you, it is your duty to tip the motherfucker over. Sat Jun 13 17:00:05 +0000 2009
• Wisdom without profanity is shit. Sat Jun 13 18:19:08 +0000 2009
• @austinkleon Best Jott typo ever was "Funky. Boom. Nothing to see, no astronaut by the side of the road." Mon Jun 22 21:28:26 +0000 2009
• All day it was "hot and sticky and intolerable." Put a little liquor in me, and now suddenly it's "tropical." Funny how that works. Thu Jun 25 00:06:09 +0000 2009
• I do not require all my truths to be mutually contradictory. Fri Jun 26 17:21:38 +0000 2009
• Fear is thinking you have an answer when you haven't really done anything to get one. Fri Jun 26 17:26:32 +0000 2009
• Life *is* pointless, but so what? Fri Jun 26 17:27:29 +0000 2009
• We take a story and we tell it wrong until it makes us happy. #creativeprocess Fri Jun 26 17:27:58 +0000 2009
• The only good morning is a dead morning. Tue Jun 30 15:47:53 +0000 2009
• I have natural defenses against all disasters. I defeat them with miracles. Thu Jul 02 03:59:25 +0000 2009
• Miracles are the unlikely results of hard work, cleverness and perspective which allow me to defeat disaster on exponential levels. Thu Jul 02 04:00:49 +0000 2009
• It would be fun to add dots to the painted stripes on Highways so that the roads all told stories in Morse code. Sun Jul 05 17:26:11 +0000 2009
• I am washing the taste of lamp oil out of my mouth by drinking absinthe from the bottle. This is best practices for firebreathing. Fri Jul 17 01:25:00 +0000 2009
• I believe in ghosts and Gods but refuse to take them any more seriously than other parts of nature. Sat Jul 18 22:20:32 +0000 2009
• They're just fancy animals, man. Tricky fancy animals. Sat Jul 18 22:22:15 +0000 2009
• Anything I say after midnight eastern time should be taken with a rim of salt. Sun Jul 26 04:07:20 +0000 2009
• Contributing to the culture I consume would feel like paying the bills, except I like doing my part. Actually, I like paying the bills too. Mon Jul 27 08:43:18 +0000 2009
• It's a nice feeling not to be in debt. Culturally even more than monetarily. Mon Jul 27 08:43:48 +0000 2009
• If you give a bureaucrat the opportunity to practice their craft, they will. Tue Jul 28 21:50:48 +0000 2009
• .@whatsnext You've just given me a great idea! A computer virus that disables only the exclamation point key and the caps lock key. Tue Aug 04 22:15:24 +0000 2009
• Acceleration accelerates. Accretion accretes. Wed Aug 05 04:54:23 +0000 2009
• .@WoodworthArt One of my core business philosophies is that the only things worth pursuing are the ones that benefit everyone in some way. Thu Aug 06 20:02:42 +0000 2009
• Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder. Sat Aug 08 06:16:46 +0000 2009
• Just because it kinda makes sense doesn't mean it means anything. Tue Aug 11 03:52:27 +0000 2009
• Note to self: You could TOTALLY encode messages into most techno music using Morse Code. Fri Aug 14 21:59:01 +0000 2009
• Adversity was long my metier, and my method was victory. Fri Aug 21 00:41:45 +0000 2009
• When people tell you that you should be afraid of something, tell them to fuck off. They're almost certainly lying or about to lie. Fri Sep 04 21:58:22 +0000 2009
• A disaster avoided is good. A disaster surpassed is greater. To turn a disaster to serve one's own goals and will is best. Sat Sep 12 21:54:02 +0000 2009
• Will is more important than nature or nurture. Having tried all three. Mon Sep 14 04:15:44 +0000 2009
• I'm a force of nature myself, so me against the weather would be a fair fight. Except that I plan to cheat. Tue Sep 22 03:14:20 +0000 2009
• When your enemies inspire you to greatness, all have done their job. Tue Sep 22 03:46:10 +0000 2009
• The problem with Trickster gods and spirits? They show up. They are a VERY hands-on bunch. Tue Sep 22 04:07:06 +0000 2009
• Reason can never truly subvert desire, because we do not "have desire," desire has us. Usually by the balls. Sun Sep 27 15:42:55 +0000 2009
• The fact of the matter is that we are living in a furiously somnolent world. Sun Sep 27 16:02:35 +0000 2009
• Making myths is not much different from starting rumors. Sun Sep 27 16:16:23 +0000 2009
• Often, a thing becomes true regardless of veracity, just because it makes so much sense or successfully stirs the social libido. Sun Sep 27 16:16:28 +0000 2009
• Headlines that inspire fear get attention, but do no one any real good. Tue Sep 29 03:42:05 +0000 2009
• People who seek to inspire panic really need a strong punch in the mouth. It's a low art, and deserves hefty criticism. Tue Sep 29 03:47:00 +0000 2009
• The other day I described an actress as a "commodity blonde." I'm surprised that isn't a term of art in casting. Wed Sep 30 04:02:35 +0000 2009
• I could make really cool TV dinner trays from the face of old cathode ray tubes. Except for the bit where they tend to explode… Wed Sep 30 04:07:42 +0000 2009
• Money is a blunt instrument. So is a hammer. You can build a LOT of shit with a hammer. Wed Sep 30 04:15:03 +0000 2009
• The best form of capital is respect from your peers. And there ain't no shortcut to earn it. Sat Oct 03 07:10:32 +0000 2009
• .@Buffalokid I think of creating art much more as rock n' roll than meditation. The physical part is dance, the mental part is poetry. Mon Oct 05 04:33:41 +0000 2009
• Good design takes so frickin' long. I wish I could design as fast as I can build. Building shit is the EASY part. Mon Oct 05 06:40:02 +0000 2009
• OH "Saint Hyperbole— Yeah, he's the saint of Evvvverything." Tue Oct 06 01:14:12 +0000 2009
• PSA: martinis made with everclear should be savored not slammed. (from here on in, I'm not correcting my typos). Tue Oct 06 05:22:27 +0000 2009
• Sometimes i feel weird tweeting aphorisms. Then I remember I set out to be a holy fool and it's just part of the gig. Tue Oct 06 05:34:00 +0000 2009
• If burning coal wipes out the planet, then the dinosaurs win. Well, kind of. Sat Oct 10 05:19:45 +0000 2009
• I made a pact with mythic narrative early on: I'd live large, live reasonably long and in turn I would never be bored. Tue Oct 13 15:41:26 +0000 2009
• .@corewarrior The fearful inner artist who would succeed adopts the mantra "fuck you" and carries it into battle with a smile. Mon Oct 19 22:51:25 +0000 2009
• I didn't get much encouragement, until I didn't need it so much anymore. Back then I had to make it myself. I appreciate it now though. Mon Oct 19 22:53:08 +0000 2009
• Remember: Fear will fuck you every time. But it's better to beat it than avoid it, because avoidance is a form of fear. Tue Oct 20 04:04:00 +0000 2009
• There are three things required to make art: time, space and materials. You need all three. No two of them will work on their own. Sat Oct 24 05:36:56 +0000 2009
• I grew up reading heroic literature. That was my aspiration, to live as my heroes had lived. Many people counseled against this idea. Wed Nov 11 05:19:03 +0000 2009
• I was always like "what? Bruce Wayne has no powers, just money and determination + he could do it without the money. Look at Woody Guthry." Wed Nov 11 05:21:56 +0000 2009
• What makes a hero, or a folk hero, is that they are always about something bigger than themselves. I believe in that. You act for others. Wed Nov 11 05:24:08 +0000 2009
• A hero, no matter how much they appreciate attention, always works for the public good and for others. Bottom line. Wed Nov 11 05:31:46 +0000 2009
• The world is my laboratory. Experimentation is my life. Tue Nov 17 18:23:33 +0000 2009
• Cats are made of irony. Sun Nov 29 16:14:45 +0000 2009
• We have pills for people who suffer iron deficiency. Why aren't there pills for irony deficiency? Sun Nov 29 16:16:52 +0000 2009
• @mrjackolson it makes a distinctive staticky noise when it dies. We should all do that, now that I think of it. Sat Dec 12 09:05:25 +0000 2009
• "There's a time for reciting poems and a time for fists" Marcie quoted. "Who tweeted that, @RobertBruce?" I ask. It's from a book, she says. Wed Dec 23 21:17:01 +0000 2009
• Which is when I realized that I assume all sentences under 140 characters must come from Twitter. Damn. Wed Dec 23 21:17:31 +0000 2009
• It's been so long since anyone quoted something short from a book that I almost forgot you could do that. Wed Dec 23 21:19:15 +0000 2009
• I wish DVDs were like cereal boxes… when it says "security device enclosed" I always hope for a free taser or can of mace. Fri Jan 01 02:08:47 +0000 2010
• OH: I suppose that would be fair, but how does that make it relevant? Fri Jan 01 04:05:26 +0000 2010

Interviews with Lissa Boles of truecallings.net

The following interviews were recorded with Lissa Boles, who with her husband Randy, provides coaching and workshops on actually living your dream. Lissa was impressed with my interview with Chris Guillebeau at The Art of Non-Conformity blog and the post It's only life or death. It's always only life or death. She emailed to ask if I'd be interested in doing an interview for her podcast about turning disaster into opportunity.

We were both so happy with the way the call went that we've agreed to do a series of talks based on related ideas that came up in the first call. Lissa asks really great questions, which makes it easy to share some of the ideas and lessons I've come up with over the years.

The fun thing about the calls is that there are a lot of stories that come up by way of example that I would probably never blog about… I'm hoping to use the transcripts from the talks as the rough draft of a book in the future.

Interview No. 1: Turning disasters into opportunities

Interview1-JohnUnger11-24-09

Interview No. 2: How to train for disaster, Heroes and how to be one

Interview2JohnUnger12-18-09