The love affair of art & politics-and the culture they create
The chase. The game. Love it or hate it, love it and hate it. Choose to play, choose not to play. There's no getting away from it. Our existence depends on…
That's a big question.
How to comfort your mother and still be true to yourself
My mom, like most parents, worries about my happiness and wellbeing, which means she spends a lot of time thinking about me being unhappy and unwell. Funny how that works, right?…
"The Light Within Us We Do Not Use," 20 x 30 in drawing, by Jenie Gao
The myth of the starving artist–and what it can teach us about job security
"What do you do?" This is the number one small talk question we ask people, on par with discussing the weather. It's a question we either don't care about at…
"A Circulatory System," Ink and Watercolor Drawing, 10 x 14 inches, by Jenie Gao
How to Catch a Counterfeit (or how to focus on what matters)
Back when I started working in manufacturing, I had a boss who would ask our team: "How do you catch a counterfeit?" The answer? "Study the real." There are infinite…
The competition for our attention. The fight for our love.
Comparison is a blessing and a curse, depending on how we use it. Comparisons help us understand context. They give us familiarity, which is vital for connection. The same things can be…
What a year of “underemployment” looks like
It's taken me waaaay too long to finally put this information together, but since a lot of people have asked, here's what one year of "underemployment" looks like since I…
The challenge of staying bold without being ignorant
It was 1991. I was three years old. My dad was in Seattle and my mom would be alone with me that winter. The road was covered with ice on…
True leaders are teachers
We need to be teachers. Whenever we learn something new, we should immediately ask, "How can we share this?" Our greatest asset as human beings is our ability to actively,…
Fall in Central Wisconsin.
What the seasons teach us about change
Fall. This is the season when the trees undress and the people cover up. Once again, the seasons teach us how shared conditions lead living things to change in different…
A Response to the Rape on the Madison Bike Path
This is in response to the rape that happened on the Madison bike path, which is now one of four attempted attacks since July. To my friends in Madison--and those…