iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

🎶 I'm a grindstone cowboy 🎶

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I keep thinking about how Circe transformed Odysseus' men into pigs in the Nolan film. I loved the creepy physicality of it. Magic has been depicted as sparkly concentric shapes in film for so long this approach felt really visceral.

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I'm catching up on some work at the coffee shop (yay Labor Day) and the kids are playing the Doors at jet-plane volume. I feel 16 again. I still know all the words. I wonder if they'd let me sing along with them.

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 03/09/2026

I had a good run going on a silly conceptual art project for Instagram: 90 tiny words. I got busy, but more importantly started to feel gross every time I opened Instagram. So my posting fell off. I've duped those posts here for funzos. I feel like I should finish the series, but the spirit is weak

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𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 the relative degree of lightness or darkness of a particular color: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘴. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #value

iPad painting, portrait study of a young woman looking over her shoulder

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Reposted by Michael Barrett

Rude1 Haunted Badness. ⁂ @rude1.blacksky.team · 02/09/2026

@blackskyweb.xyz is building an interconnected suite of products reshaping how people connect, participate, organize, and transact online. We’re looking for a Head of Design to lead and shape how our products and brands look, feel, and work. please circulate widely. blackskyweb.xyz/about/jobs/h...

blackskyweb.xyz

Head of Design

Product, brand, and visual identity About Blacksky Algorithms Blacksky Algorithms is building an interconnected suite of products reshaping how people connect, participate, organize, and transact onli...

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 02/09/2026

𝘀𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 a rough or unfinished drawing or painting, often made to assist in making a more finished picture: 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #sketch

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 02/09/2026

It's past time to put DHH and his products in the bin

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 01/09/2026

𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 the state or quality of producing something, especially crops: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨-𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 | 𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #productivity

A broad selection of stickers and labels laid out on a desk

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 01/09/2026

Well I'm a *certified* IDEATIONIST so

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 31/08/2026

𝗹𝗲𝗲 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 (also lee side) the sheltered side of something; the side away from the wind. Contrasted with weather: 𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #lee

A photo of a tree showing a "shadow" left behind after a sprinkler sprayed the tree and surrounding area. The water sprayed one side of the tree, and around the tree, but leaves behind a cleanly defined dry spot where the sprinkler could not reach.

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 31/08/2026

How about a zoom background to start your week? Lemons atop a calendar, which is also a lake reflecting the sky and a crow on a power line while a large portrait from an ad looks on.

A digital painting of lemons before a calendar backdrop, reflecting the sky and a Zara ad.

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 30/08/2026

Adding some color to a previous sketch

iPad painting of a young woman with long brown hair looking over her shoulder

Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 30/08/2026

𝘁𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 a voucher that can be exchanged for goods or services, typically one given as a gift or offered as part of a promotional offer: 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘵. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #token

a small pile of arcade tokens. The tokens read "For replay only, no cash value"

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 29/08/2026

𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗸 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 a thick, solid piece of something: 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #chunk

A photograph of a poster advertising "Chunk Portland" featuring a large, shirtless, bearded man. The poster is printed with an exaggerated CMYK dot screen pattern implying that the images is lifted from older print materials.

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 28/08/2026

𝗷𝗮𝘇𝘇 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 a type of music of African American origin characterized by improvisation, syncopation, and usually a regular or forceful rhythm, emerging at the beginning of the 20th century. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #jazz

Photograph of a white Ford station wagon parked in a supermarket parking lot. The famous "jazz" pattern from the 1990s is painted on the side of the vehicle

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 27/08/2026

𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 a piece of art made by sticking various different materials such as photographs and pieces of paper or fabric on to a backing. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #collage

A "printer painting" - a large photograph printed on top of a large calendar page, with advertising images integrated on top.

Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 26/08/2026

𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗼 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 the treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #chiaroscuro

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 25/08/2026

𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 the center of interest or activity: 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #focus

An accidental close up of a finger where the background of the photo is very out of focus

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 24/08/2026

drawing practice on the iPad

Black and white iPad painting of a woman looking over her left shoulder. She has long hair cascading over her shoulders and a slightly open smile.

Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 24/08/2026

𝗴𝗮𝘇𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗼 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 a Spanish-style soup made from tomatoes and other vegetables and spices, served cold: 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘰 | [𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘳] : 𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘱. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #gazpacho

Two mason jars filled with gazpacho, placed on a cutting board

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 23/08/2026

𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺 something belonging or appropriate to an earlier period, especially so as to seem conspicuously old-fashioned or outdated: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 | 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮. #tinywords #90tinywords #anachronism

A record player plays Charli XCX's "Music Fashion Film"

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 22/08/2026

𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 the time from noon or lunchtime to evening: 𝘐 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘰𝘯 | 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘰𝘯 | 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘛𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘴 | [𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘳] : 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #afternoon

Afternoon sunlight streams through window blinds an onto a wall, casting shadows from a nearby houseplant.

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 21/08/2026

𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘣 keep watch over (an area) by regularly walking or traveling around or through it: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 | [𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵] : 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘦. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #patrol

A poodle inspects his back yard. The shadow of a man appears to the right of the poodle.

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 20/08/2026

𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 a fragrant ointment or preparation used to heal or soothe the skin: 𝘢 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #balm

A screwdriver cocktail sits on a table in an airport bar, overlooking the tarmac

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Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 19/08/2026

𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 an impressive display or range of a particular type of thing: 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘷𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤 | 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #array

An array of sneakers dries out on the railing of a backyard porch after washing

Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 18/08/2026

𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid (e.g., as brave as a lion, crazy like a fox). #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #similie

Two cocktails placed on a dining table resemble the character of the people who ordered them

Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 17/08/2026

𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 a printed cotton or synthetic fabric that has a surface consisting of puckered and flat sections, typically in a striped pattern: 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #seersucker

Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 16/08/2026

𝗮𝗹𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 a recess in the wall of a room or garden: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘳. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #alcove

View from the foot of a bed looking towards a skylight, another roofline visible through the window. Light from the skylight illuminates a plant sitting on a credenza

Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 15/08/2026

𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 Photography the period of time just after sunrise or just before sunset when the light is infused with red and gold tones: 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 | [𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘳] : 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. #tinywords #golden-hour

Golden light from a smoke filled sky casts shadows on the wall

Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 14/08/2026

𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 a four-sided plane rectilinear figure with opposite sides parallel. #tinywords #daily #journal #90tinywords #parallelogram

Sunlight casts a rhombus shape upon carpet

Michael Barrett @abouthalf.com · 14/08/2026

When we say “the dream of the nineties is alive in Portland (Portland)” this is what we mean

A ford station wagon with the famous jazz pattern painted on the side