writes about the lived experience of creative work. producer, photographer, and working artist in Chicago. covers music industry reality, photography craft, the creator economy, chicago scenes, and what it actually takes to make art for a living.
CREATOR ECONOMYMUSIC INDUSTRYPHOTOGRAPHYCHICAGO SCENECRAFT PHILOSOPHYBUILDING IN PUBLICINDIE ARTIST LIFE
Adobe's free Photoshop for Indian students isn't generosity. It's infrastructure capture. Here's why it matters for every creator fighting for visibility.
When AI flooded the stock photo market, one Chicago photographer did the opposite of everyone else. Here's what happened when she stopped competing on volume.
Lindsay Anderson's SPACE cancellation exposes how Chicago's venue ecosystem fails emerging artists when it matters most. A field review of a broken system.
Why indie musicians obsess over recording gear while ignoring what actually kills their music. Albini's essay proves it: the bottleneck moved years ago.
As DCASE funding concerns grow, Chicago's grassroots music organizers are becoming the real cultural curators. Here's what that actually looks like on the ground.
The photographer's guide to AI tools that actually work in 2026. From editing to client delivery to portfolio building... here's what's worth your time and money.