Thoughts on Embracing Your Truest Self
One of the key things that sets prolific creators apart from the rest of us is their ability to fully embrace who they are with acceptance and joy.
Ian Watkins
Writing about coding, AI, philosophy, and whatever else I can't stop thinking about.
Latest posts
The Joy of Writing
I wasted a full-ride scholarship, got rejected from a creative writing program, and lost my first novel — here's how I found my way back to writing.
Distraction-Free Writing - Freewrite Smart Typewriter (Hemingway Edition)
An exploration of the Freewrite Smart Typewriter as a distraction-free writing device
Distraction-Free Writing - BYOK
An exploration and review of the BYOK (bring your own keyboard) distraction-free writing device.
Distraction-Free Writing - AlphaSmart Neo
Longform writing in a world of distractions is not easy, but devices like the AlphaSmart Neo can help us reach that goal.
Python in 30 Days - Day 13
Learning Python in 30 Days by going through a refresher course. Day 13 involves context managers.
Python in 30 Days - Day 12
Learning Python in 30 Days by going through a refresher course. Day 12 involves iterators and generators.
How to Get the Most Out of AI: Research Before You Decide
Part two in a ten-part series on getting real personal ROI from AI. This time: using AI as a deep research assistant to investigate a topic, compare your options, and turn a mess of sources into one clear briefing.
How to Get the Most Out of AI: Self-Educate
The first in a ten-part series on getting real personal ROI from AI — instead of treating it like a fancier Google search. We start with the big one: how to use AI to learn anything.
Fizzbuzz in Go
A classic programming problem, often used in software development interviews. It's simple, but shows that you understand the fundamentals of programming and the language you're writing in.
The Top 10 Platforms for Learning to Code in 2026
A breakdown of the best platforms to learn coding in 2026 — what they teach, who they're for, and how to pick the right one for your career goals.
Python in 30 Days - Day 11
Learning Python in 30 Days by going through a refresher course. Day 11 involves decorators.
Leaving GitHub for GitLab
GitHub has been riddled with issues recently and I've finally had enough. Why I'm moving to GitLab.
Agentic Engineering
Vibe coding with no understanding of what is being built leads to problems, but properly guiding your coding agent through the development process delivers useable codebases.
Google I/O 2026: What Actually Happened and Why It Matters
Google had a big week at I/O 2026 — a new personal AI agent, a faster cheaper model, and a world model. Here's what's real and what it means for how you work.
AI Engineer: What It Is and How It Differs From Vibe Coding
What AI engineers actually do, how they differ from software engineers, and why vibe coding won't get you hired. A practical breakdown.
Python In 30 Days - Day 10
Learning Python in 30 Days by going through a refresher course. Day 10 involves reading and writing CSV files, plus sorting dictionaries by values.
Python In 30 Days - Day 9
Learning Python in 30 Days by going through a refresher course. Day 9 involves API pulls, nested dictionaries, and debug protocols.
What Is Christian Meditation?
Christian meditation isn't emptying your mind. The Hebrew hagah means to mutter and muse — turning truth over like a jeweler until it reveals something new.
Python In 30 Days - Day 8
Learning Python in 30 Days by going through a refresher course. Day 8 involves inputs and outputs via JSON files, as well as OOP.
Python In 30 Days - Day 7
Learning Python in 30 Days by going through a refresher course. Day 7 involves inputs and outputs as well as OOP.
Python In 30 Days - Day 6
Learning Python in 30 Days by going through a refresher course. Day 6 involves Object Oriented Programming.
Blank Page Anxiety - How to Write Anyway
How to push through blank page anxiety and write anyway — on the creative struggle and why showing up matters.
Python In 30 Days - Day 5
Learning Python in 30 Days by going through a refresher course. Day 5 involves error handling.
Explore Emotions With Curiosity
Why approaching difficult emotions with curiosity rather than avoidance leads to healthier processing and greater self-awareness.
Python in 30 Days - Day 4
Learning Python in 30 Days by going through a refresher course. Day 4 involves list comprehension, string manipulation, and methods.
Python in 30 Days - Day 3
Learning Python in 30 Days by going through a refresher course. Day 3 involves list comprehension.
Do the Hard Thing: Why Struggle Is How You Truly Learn
Why intentionally choosing difficulty is how you grow, stand out, and prevent your mind from going soft in an age of shortcuts.
Python in 30 Days - Day 2
Learning Python in 30 Days by going through a refresher course. Day 2 involves building a restaurant ordering system.
Python in 30 Days - Day 1
Learning Python in 30 Days by going through a refresher course. Day 1 involves calculating tip and printing to console.
Embracing Discomfort
On leaning into discomfort rather than fleeing it — and how sitting with struggle is the path to growth.
Some Days You Just Don't Have It In You
A short meditation on the hard days when writing doesn't come easy — and why showing up with even a few words still counts.
The Creative Call
On recognizing the creative personality type within you and answering the call to make things, even when it's inconvenient or hard.
Create From What You're Passionate About
On creating from the overflow of your heart — why passion-driven creativity produces your best and most authentic work.
Healing From Trauma: Why Truth Hurts First
On why the truth about ourselves is painful before it's freeing — and how honest self-examination is the first step toward healing from trauma.
The Truth Will Set You Free - But First It Will Piss You Off
On why truth-telling about ourselves is painful before it's liberating — the first honest steps on the road to healing.
Dynamic Languages in Coding
A brief explainer on dynamic languages like Python — how variables can change type and value, and why you should usually avoid changing the type.
Self-Inflicted Stress
A reflection on how much of our daily stress is self-created — and practical thoughts on breaking the anxious thought cycles we build for ourselves.
Claude Code
My first experience using Claude Code
You Should Self-Educate
An article outlining three benefits of self-education and practical advice on starting your own self-education journey
New Field Notes Setup
A blog post describing the process I employ to set up a new Field Notes pocket notebook for use.
Let Go
On how trying to control what's outside our control creates unnecessary pain, and why letting go is the path to peace.
AI Won’t Steal Your Value
Why AI is unlikely to steal your job — and what that fear reveals about the value you actually bring to your work.
I Lost 120 Pounds In A Year - Here's How
A blog post about how I lost 120 pounds in a year through diet and exercise and mindset shifting
The Secret to Happiness?
A short exploration of achieving happiness through being present and forgetting the past.
On Mental Health
A personal reflection on the importance of mental health, shedding masculine armor, and the ongoing journey toward healing and self-acceptance.
Mental Clarity & The Joy of Field Notes
A blog post about why I love using Field Notes branded pocket notebooks for my everyday carry setup and a brief description of how I use them.
Sales Success is Boring
A short essay on the boring path to success in sales, but the path that works.
Steady
Life is unfair and difficult with many variables out of our control. Learning to control your thoughts can help you navigate the tough times with grace.
Agentic AI
Agentic AI is a term that gets thrown around a lot - but what is an AI Agent? This post explores five different models and their use cases.