Integration

I've been thinking a little about the various things I like to make and do. Broadly speaking, these fall into the categories of ideas, prototypes, small projects, big projects, and writing. Somewhere in there is commercial work as well, but, as I noted during honesty month, it can be difficult to find a good balance between these things. I often end up feeling like I'm being pulled in different directions that I have to choose between. This is mostly what led to backing off on writing at the end of last year.

Having now had some time to consider it, I think that the solution lies not in balance but in integration. Rather than finding a compromise between different directions, it makes more sense to align them towards the same direction or, if necessary, abandon a direction that is unalignable. I'm only splitting my time between ideas, prototypes, writing and small projects if the different parts have nothing to do with each other. On the other hand, if the parts are all connected, I'm really just spending my time on the same thing but in different ways.

That means if I'm working on a large project, I can split it up into small projects, and further split small projects into prototypes and so on. Ideas can turn into prototypes that turn into new projects, and I can develop new ideas based on the projects I'm currently working on. And, all the while, writing can act as a kind of informational outlet for the various parts of this process, like print statements scattered throughout a codebase.

One particular thing I think is powerful about this idea is it makes my commercial work situation much clearer. My ideal commercial project, then, is something that also integrates with my other work. So work I can write about, prototype, come up with ideas for and so on. An ideal situation is if the things I'm doing anyway can be commercialised, but going the other way and making a commercial need fit with my existing work is also a fine way to integrate, and probably more likely to work in the short term.