This essay explores the paradox of taking up more space while softening edges—expanding presence without domination or judgment. It traces the learned habit of shrinking to belong, reframes power as aliveness rather than opposition, and examines judgment as a defense. Practical tools—breath and body awareness, relational steadiness, and reflective inquiry—support boundaries that are permeable yet clear, concluding with selfhood as an inviting, coherent openness.

An essay reframing “violence” as misdirected vitality and offering a four-step practice to reclaim life force: pause labeling reactions, feel sensations before stories, question moral categories that reinforce hierarchy, and stay curious in conflict to meet needs without excusing harm. A practical introduction to a developing philosophy of living without shrinking or dominating, with future pieces deepening each step.

An essay urging a return to “primary pleasures”—hands-on cooking, movement, repair, and presence—as antidotes to a convenience-driven, attention-optimized culture. It frames manual effort as sacred resistance, modeling for children through lived example rather than moralizing. With concrete practices—prepare food, touch tools, converse without goals, repair daily, keep silence—it offers a practical path to vitality and sovereignty amid numbing systems.

An update on rebuilding schappet.com for function over polish, alongside crafting conflict agreements for an online circling community. I explore how containers can hold activation without hierarchy, and how language signals fractures. Parallels emerge between debugging code and navigating human dynamics: noticing blockages and restoring coherence. I’ll write more at the intersection of authentic relating, community dynamics, and the technical systems—automation, content, and design—that support them.

Behind the scenes of a handmade content system: a local admin interface for 11ty that blends static simplicity with modern tools like Markdown editing, AI assistance, and automated deploys.