The case for the em dash
Large language models made em dashes an AI tell. But the problem isn't the mark itself—it's indiscriminate use. A defence of the most misunderstood punctuation in English.
Jenxi Seow
Vision alchemist
Latest posts
2025 year in review
2025 was a year of unexpected gifts. I'm grateful for Wifey, who makes all of this possible and tolerates my obsessive systems and stubborn refusal of most invitations. For my daughter, who taught me more about priorities and presence in her first year than I managed in the previous thirty-nine. For friends, old and new, who showed up in ways that mattered. For the tools that multiply my efforts…
"China" is not a monolith
Headlines treat 'China' as a monolithic actor with singular intent, collapsing government, companies, and 1.4 billion individuals into one entity. This lazy framing obscures reality, damages relationships, and blinds us to genuine complexity.
Think of China as Europe not some exotic country
China isn't a monolithic country—it's more like Europe with dozens of distinct cultures, languages, and cuisines under a centralised government. Rethink what you know about the world's most populous nation.
Europa
Europa is a polished geometric sans-serif that modernises the Futura tradition with subtle humanist touches, making it ideal for branding, web design, and editorial applications.
Source Han Sans
Source Han Sans is a collaborative open-source Pan-CJK sans-serif developed by Adobe and Google, offering unified typographic coverage for Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.
House of Cards
House of Cards is a nostalgic display serif based on Hamilton's Teniers, featuring sprayed stroke alternates and authentic wood type character perfect for vintage-inspired projects.
Building a cyberbrain
Building a cyberbrain through AI-augmented creativity means extending our cognitive capabilities through thoughtful integration of artificial intelligence tools into our creative and productive workflows.
How to think outside your brain
Your brain excels at pattern recognition, not archival storage. Learn how to externalise thinking with smart note-taking so ideas compound instead of evaporating.
Discipline-free systems beat forced productivity
Learn how to build willpower-free productivity systems inspired by Niklas Luhmann, Sönke Ahrens, and flow research so creative work feels natural instead of forced.
Three note types that transform thinking
Discover how fleeting, literature, and permanent notes work together to sharpen thinking, fuel learning, and turn note-taking into a creative engine.
Never start writing from scratch again
Learn how to build a reservoir of developed thoughts using fleeting, literature, and permanent notes. Never face a blank page again by transforming your note-taking from storage into construction.
Your note-taking system is sabotaging your creativity
Most note-taking systems are graveyards of good intentions. Learn why collecting information doesn't equal learning, and how to transform your notes from a storage system into a thinking system that generates original ideas.
Word order matters in wuxia translation
“Chief Escort” or “Escort Chief”? Most wuxia translators get this wrong. Here’s why word order matters when translating 镖头 and how to build a coherent translation system.
Gundam Wing 30th anniversary
Gundam Wing turning 30 is a reminder of how age is catching up on the generation that grew up on it, and the series still holds up today.
Orpheus
Orpheus Pro is a sophisticated serif typeface rooted in 1920s design, featuring ornate swashes, ligatures, and calligraphic italics ideal for luxury branding and editorial work
The Mixue Story: From shaved ice to sugar empire
How a Chinese entrepreneur transformed a ¥1 ice cream cone into a ¥15 billion empire that operates more stores than McDonald's. Inside Mixue's radical affordability strategy and its journey from university campus to global phenomenon.
Degular
Degular is James Edmondson's attempt at creating a conventional typeface for corporate systems, offering 42 styles across three optical sizes
Polymath
Polymath is a versatile geometric sans-serif superfamily featuring three optical sizes, nine weights, and extensive stylistic alternates that reference different eras of geometric typography.
War of the Three Kingdoms 2025
Inside China's trillion-yuan instant retail revolution where tech giants are racing to deliver everything from electronics to bubble tea in under 30 minutes, and why the rest of the world can't keep up.
Aktiv Grotesk
Aktiv Grotesk is a contemporary grotesque sans-serif typeface that combines neutrality with just a hint of warmth, offering extensive language support and variable font capabilities
How to Take Smart Notes
A practical guide to the Zettelkasten method that transforms how you take notes, retain ideas, and generate writing. Learn how to build a personal knowledge system that grows more valuable over time—without relying on willpower or starting from a blank page.
Decoding UTF-8 encoded file names
Why your downloaded files look like they've been mashed into gibberish, and how to make them behave like civilised digital citizens again.
Bricolage Grotesque
Bricolage Grotesque is a versatile variable font that combines playfulness and practicality, making it suitable for both display and text applications.
Creating baby names with AI
Discover how I used AI to navigate Chinese naming traditions, balancing stroke counts, elements, and cultural significance to find the perfect name for our baby - with a prompt you can use too.
Turbocharging self-learning with AI
Explore the evolution of self-learning from dusty library books to AI coding companions. This journey through four eras—from physical manuals to websites, YouTube tutorials, and finally AI mentors—reveals how knowledge acquisition has transformed.
Moving ComfyUI output folder
Learn how to move your ComfyUI output folder to any drive using Windows symlinks. Free up your system drive and manage where your AI-generated images are saved.
How habits shape your life
Habits fundamentally shape who you are and who you'll become. Learn strategies for building better habits and breaking bad ones.
Atom feed for Astro
A step-by-step guide to implementing Atom feeds in your Astro website using the Feed package.
Typography and Library
Explore my new Typography and Library sections where I share typeface analysis and book insights.
Built with Astro
Discover a handpicked selection of websites built with Astro, showcasing the framework's versatility.
Meditations
A timeless collection of personal reflections from the philosopher-emperor that offers practical wisdom on resilience, virtue, and inner peace. Its concise, powerful insights remain as relevant today as they were nearly two millennia ago.
Apparat
Apparat is a versatile geometric sans-serif with a balanced design that works well for corporate communications, editorial design, and UI applications.
Meaningful work
Identify and prioritize meaningful work using the 80/20 rule to maximizs your creative hours and make every day count in your creative journey.
Perfect is the enemy of done
Perfectionism can be paralysing. Aiming for 80% completion might be key to actually finishing your projects and growing as a creator. Break free and start shipping.
Moving to Astro
A journey of migrating my decades-old WordPress site to Astro while exploring AI-assisted web development with Cursor AI.
Why owning your data and website matters even more in 2024
In a world where the content we create lives within platform silos, it's more important than ever to own your own data and website.
10+ Best Stable Diffusion checkpoints (SD 1.5)
Top Stable Diffusion 1.5 checkpoints guide: detailed reviews and recommendations for choosing the best models for your creative needs.
How to use Stable Diffusion (Part 1)
Start your Stable Diffusion journey: comprehensive beginner's guide to basic image generation with Automatic1111's Web UI interface.
Evangelion's Asuka Langley Soryu AI art
Neon Genesis Evangelion's Asuka reimagined through AI: photorealistic portraits blending anime character essence with life-like details.
Street Fighter's Chun-Li AI art
AI-generated photorealistic portraits capturing the iconic strength and beauty of Street Fighter's Chun-Li.
What is a Stable Diffusion checkpoint
Demystify Stable Diffusion checkpoints: comprehensive guide to understanding types, uses, and selection for your creative needs.
How to boost Stable Diffusion Web UI speed
Boost Stable Diffusion performance: optimization techniques for faster image generation and better resource utilization.
How to install Stable Diffusion Web UI
Complete guide to installing Stable Diffusion Web UI: simple steps for Windows, Mac, and Linux with troubleshooting tips.
Street Fighter's Sakura Kasugano AI art
Street Fighter's Sakura reimagined through AI: photorealistic portraits capturing her iconic style with modern realism.
What is Stable Diffusion
Understanding Stable Diffusion: clear explanation of the AI image generation tool, its capabilities, and impact on creative work.
How I got started in generative AI art
Journey into AI art creation: from first experiments to developing a unique workflow with various AI tools and techniques.
Mai Shiranui AI art
Explore realistic AI interpretations of Mai Shiranui: photorealistic portraits blending gaming character essence with life-like details.
Rekindling your natural self-confidence
Rediscover your natural confidence: practical strategies for overcoming modern confidence drains and rebuilding self-esteem.
Adopting the Notion paradigm
Master Notion's unique paradigm: transform your digital workspace by understanding and leveraging its block-based approach.