Creativity vault and magical thoughts
A place for notes, questions, tools and connections behind the work: magic, attention, visual thinking, practice, and the unexpected routes between them.
Why Do We Say Magic Words?
Abracadabra once appeared in a prescription for fever. Today, I ask people to choose their own magic word. What are we expecting those words to do?
Why Do Magicians Snap Their Fingers?
Why do magicians snap their fingers? The gesture gives magic a moment — and sometimes the strongest choice is letting someone else create it.
Why Your Brain Finds Patterns Everywhere
Why does a bush become a tiger, a power outlet become a face, and a coincidence start to feel meaningful? A look at false positives, pareidolia and the mind’s enthusiasm for finding patterns.
You Can’t Step in the Same River Twice
You can’t step in the same river twice because the river has changed — and so have you. A short reflection on Heraclitus, flux, and what it means to keep moving.
How to Become King of the Woods (Step One: Break a Branch)
An escaped slave, a sacred branch and a king waiting to be killed. The strange story of the Rex Nemorensis reveals how symbolic connections can become powerful enough to organise real behaviour.
Why Your Brain Believes in Magic Even When You Don’t
Why can a lucky shirt, a ritual or a coincidence still feel meaningful when you know better? A look at magical thinking and the invisible lines our minds draw between events.