I use visual diagrams to map the shape of ideas. From editing over 500 essays in 2021, I’ve developed a series of concepts to help deconstruct the creative process. I make structure simple, editing fun & encourage creative experimentation in all forms.
Working On
- Director of Content at Write of Passage, a course by David Perell
- Creator of the The Writing Studio, a course focused on the craft of writing
- Self-publishing on michaeldean.site, built in Notion
- Posting daily thoughts to my stream of consciousness log
Writing about
I’m a niche-resistor, and create my best work when I follow my curiosity. My approach has been: create a delirious range of dots, and then connect them after the fact. Here’s an attempt to curate my body of work so you can dive in where you’re interested:
You can also drop in to my featured essays, an index, or the the full collection.
Writing principles from 2021 (will update these every year)
- Who | Drop your preconceived sense of identity and let different voices emerge
- What | Avoid niching-down. Publish furiously, be authentic, be known for many things
- Where | Keep all your information in one home (Notion), instead of 27 specialized apps
- When | Publishing cadences are helpful, but don’t forget to change them frequently
- Why | More important than audience building is freezing your consciousness into the future
- How | Publish furiously in single-sessions sprints, but be a perfectionist on the ones that count
The last 10 years
- 2012 | Designed and built a recycling center in Costa Rica
- 2013 | Focused my architectural thesis on facilities for psychedelic-assisted therapy
- 2014 | Created a form of visual notation to deconstruct songwriting
- 2015 | Learned Unreal Engine on YouTube and founded a VR consulting company
- 2016 | Introduced over 2,000 people to their first 6 DOF VR experience
- 2017 | Rooted in Astoria; my apartment, office, & recording studio are within a 10-minute walk
- 2018 | Started working at an international architecture firm as a VR specialist
- 2019 | Wrote original songs and performed with a band in NYC
- 2020 | Helped 60 architects host VR-based design reviews during the pandemic
- 2021 | Focused on online writing and launched The Writing Studio
michael@michaeldean.site
Don’t hesitate to reach out to me about anything: writing, Notion, ideas, projects.
