Why I Started the MatchaMakes Instagram

 

I started it so I could remember that I do make things. That’s really it.

I’d finish a day in the shop—or half-finish a project—and feel like I hadn’t done anything at all. Like it just evaporated, a condition I suffer from in all aspects of my life. The Instagram account was just a way to pin it down. Document it. Look back and say “see? I’m not just loafing about I’m making stuff.”

I wasn’t really sharing things before that. Maybe a photo here and there with family, but no one else in my immediate circle builds anything, or could share in some of the highs and lows I was feeling. So there wasn’t anyone to talk with. I wanted to connect with other people who make stuff. Even if it was one-sided at first.

I don’t really care how well anything does. Likes, follows, whatever—that’s not why I started it. It’s for me. It’s my log. My proof-of-work.

But I do think about who might see it now. Other makers. People just getting started. People mid-project and stuck, just like myself. People who need a little nudge to pick up a tool. That’s who I picture when I post. I don’t try to game the algorithm, but I'm not naive and if a hundred thousand people saw my posts and one of them got inspired to make something, that’d be incredible.

Most of my posts are in-progress shots. Rarely finished pieces. I almost never wrap a project up fully. Things take a long time. Even if they are complete I post anyway, because the in-between and journey matters too. Sometimes things go wrong—I’ll mess up a joint, a board warps, something splits—and that becomes the post. I’ll make a joke about it, try to pull some kind of lesson out of it, and move on.

Posting also keeps me moving. It adds just enough pressure to keep me off the couch and in the shop. Not in a bad way. I don’t post just to post. I don’t force it. The account’s always there. Reminding me that if I haven't posted in a while, then I probably haven’t made anything in a while.

That’s why I started it. That’s why I still post. It’s not a portfolio. It’s not about perfection. It’s a record. A reminder. And maybe, if I’m lucky, a spark for someone else.

https://www.instagram.com/matcha.makes/

250422 - updates: typos

Babies are great

Specifically my son.

Patriotism and Pride

I am having a son. In a few months, I will hold in my arms a new life that I am responsible for shaping. A child who will look to me for guidance, for understanding, for a sense of belonging in this world. That thought alone is staggering. Fatherhood is already asking things of me I don’t know how to answer. Chief among them: how am I supposed to give my son patriotism when I myself have no self-hope?

I have struggled with pride in my country for as long as I can remember. Not the shallow, performative kind—the flags, the anthems—but the deeper belief that this place, this system, is something worth investing in. It’s hard to feel connected to a nation that often feels broken, where the cracks seem to run deeper with each passing year. Corruption, division, disillusionment—how do you find hope in that? And if I don’t have it for myself, how can I possibly offer it to someone I need to raise.

Yet I don’t want to raise him on cynicism. I don’t want his worldview to be built on disappointment. So maybe the answer isn’t in blind pride, but in something more honest. Maybe it’s in teaching him to love where he comes from, not because it is perfect, but because it is his. Maybe it’s about instilling a sense of responsibility rather than complacency. Maybe patriotism isn’t about believing in a myth but about engaging with reality—seeing what is broken and choosing to care anyway. If I can’t give him my own unshaken faith in this country, perhaps I can give him the tools to build his own.

Atedai

 A while ago I made a Youtube short about making an Atedai, which is a short Japanese workbench.

Somehow it got 4000 views. I thought that was cool, and hope someone got inspired from it. 

Those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it.

Great write up on the NYT by Katrin Bennhold and Amanda Taub

I specifically like the bit:

In both countries, voters are upset about years of stagnant growth, declining public services, rising immigration and a generalized sense that their children will be worse off than they are. They feel that their governments have failed to tackle these problems — and that whomever they elect among the traditional parties, the outcome barely changes.

Governments operating without representing their constituents, if only humans had learned their lesson.

My Resistance to StreamDeck

 I already have remappable keys, and I don't like having a lot of stuff on my desk.

.... I thought this would be a longer post. 

Better late than... wait your just late.

CNN is undergoing layoffs, and I first read about it from Aftermath, which linked to an internal CEO memo from Mark Thompson via The Hollywood Reporter. Interestingly, The Hollywood Reporter article displays a TIME favicon.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

Thompson joined CNN last year following the firing of Chris Licht. The former CEO of The New York Times Company has been tasked with turning around the venerable cable news channel and, in particular, determining a digital future for the business.

Thompson, as the former CEO of The New York Times Company, oversaw significant digital subscriber growth year-over-year in recent years.

The digital video market is already heavily saturated. I wonder how much of a dent CNN can make in such a competitive space. Many influencers have filled the void left by CNN in the digital realm, and I’m curious if the company’s strategy will involve partnering with smaller, left-leaning news personalities or creating their own digital-first talent.

The rise of right-wing influencers played a key role in the 2024 election, so CNN’s push could signal an attempt to regain digital influence for legacy media companies.

Hopefully, this marks a return to honest, thorough reporting—helping people understand events rather than simply react to them emotionally.