The Lichtenbergian

Dale Lyles, author, composer, teacher. Lichtenbergianism is the theory that everyone is creative; all you have to do is put it off. #fedi22 #creativity #procrastination #composing #burns dale@Lichtenbergianism.com

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npub17fxalhu3umvsvmlk8c6dv5ly075097xx5azs0xwq2yruf4pw3jeq9tzllw

NIP-05 Address

Lichtenbergian@mastodon-sdf-org.mostr.pub

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nprofile1qqs0ynwlm7g7dkgxdlmrudxk20j8l28jlrr2w3g8n8q9zp7y6shgevs0tqcpk

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npub17fxalhu3umvsvmlk8c6dv5ly075097xx5azs0xwq2yruf4pw3jeq9tzllw

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Last Notes

2025-01-07 16:07:59

Once again available on Barnes&Noble, Books-A-Million, and bookshop.org, THIS TIME CORRECTLY LAID OUT. (Amazon is still being a little bitch about carrying it.)
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/787/932/145/608/698/original/3f5b0312ec8608ac.jpg

2024-12-31 16:30:34

#Lichtenbergianism
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/748/385/540/173/283/original/4d8cfc01c8eff0b2.jpg

2024-12-27 18:06:17

The hardest part of writing/composing/painting is getting started, so I just go ahead and create crap that I can throw away if I need to. (p. 36) #AbortiveAttempts

2024-12-24 23:11:51

re: Canada as the 51st state — Has anyone told Texas about this?

2024-12-24 17:19:08

A friend always says his paintings are never finished until someone buys them and takes them home, “or until I die.” (p. 99) #Audience

2024-12-24 16:23:01

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@nprofile…6urt Similarly, after a visit to the National Archælogical Museum in Athens and being disappointed that the gift shop didn't have replicas of this little guy for sale, my Lovely First Wife found one online for me.
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/708/705/411/266/886/original/de303338049e214b.png

2024-12-24 15:52:23

We often do not know—once we choose a beginning—what shape our project will take. Often it is beneficial to walk away from it or set it aside to that all its ideas have time to spread and grow, to take shape. #TaskAvoidance #Lichtenbergianism #postcardquotes
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/708/598/939/112/044/original/50d21c035d049386.jpg

2024-12-21 16:15:15

If you are going to build something in the air it is always better to build castles than houses of cards. — G.C. Lichtenberg, Notebook F.39 #Lichtenbergianism #LichtenbergianQuotes #MakeTheThingThatIsNot

2024-12-09 19:00:57

I just mailed the score of my "Fragments of a Mass in C" to a performing group that has heretofore shown no great enthusiasm for my work. When the post office clerk asked if the envelope had anything fragile, I could not stop myself from replying, wryly, "Only my ego." And scene. #Abandonment

2024-12-09 18:00:42

"Didn't get it right the first time?
Nudge it,
adjust it,
tinker with it —
or do it again,
betterer.
#SuccessiveApproximation #Lichtenbergianism" #postcardquotes
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/624/169/299/344/251/original/c54aaa5462fa04cd.jpg

2024-12-09 16:26:00

In addition to turning the lights out, you should probably throw in a little gratitude there, as well as a promise to return. The universe likes that kind of thing. Might make it easier next time. (Spoiler alert: it will not make it easier.) (p. 83) #Ritual

2024-12-07 21:41:42

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@nprofile…sda9 I believe the Sears List of Subject Headings would use the medium as the subject heading and EPHEMERA as the subheading, e.g., ART, POLITICAL — EPHEMERA. That's my 11-years-out-of-the-library guess. How they've cataloged memes in my absence I can only guess. However, LOC has https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/holdingsInfo?searchId=9570&recCount=25&recPointer=0&bibId=17731475

2024-12-06 17:31:36

I look down, and there's Cecil the Pest™ cosplaying as Rudolph. (He'd been sniffing some decoration, I guess.) #CatsOfMastodon
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/607/065/116/533/806/original/af2c9c9e95ed80fd.jpeg

2024-12-02 17:23:52

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@nprofile…fynq See also: http://astronaut.io/

2024-11-29 12:58:35

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@nprofile…r5mx I posted it, and it was IMMEDIATE! You will note that none of their "reasons" apply to the post in the least.
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/562/699/518/012/068/original/5d5a4eb936aab342.png

2024-11-28 20:06:17

Remember: if you can’t seem to get any of the jungle organized, that’s OK. It’s an #AbortiveAttempt. Come back later. Try again. (p. 49) #Gestalt

2024-11-28 14:15:37

NUMEN — part of the structure of #Ritual — Accept the cryptic offerings from the Universe. #Lichtenbergianism #postcardquotes
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/560/998/648/733/405/original/faddef920fb55550.jpg

2024-11-28 13:15:08

Hey, theatre folk, I'm thinking it's time for a big-name Bway revival of "Madwoman of Chaillot." Thoughts? #theatre

2024-11-23 22:53:41

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@nprofile…7ay8 @nprofile…args The expansionism of the Big Boom has only led to calamity.

2024-11-20 03:07:53

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@nprofile…args This is one of my favorite realizations at Grand Canyon: that vertical white stripe is a sedimentary layer upended by tectonic forces and then eroded for millions of years while new layers were deposited — before being eroded again into the Canyon.
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/513/067/202/866/715/original/71fee31e354136db.png

2024-11-19 21:10:53

Here's pro tip: all those false starts and dead ends are not trash. Don't throw them away; they're still perfectly good. (p. 40) #AbortiveAttempts

2024-11-18 20:36:24

Like that 60s Day-Glo™ vibe? Steal it. Use it. #StealFromTheBest #Lichtenbergianism #postcardquotes
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/505/873/312/103/706/original/2c2a4472faeeb602.jpg

2024-09-10 20:45:26

#Lichtenbergianism
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/115/209/328/967/209/original/98b1f18cdb2097e9.jpg

2024-09-05 14:55:17

Cecil the Pest™ is pretty sure he's helping with the 350+ Brilliant List items that still have to be created. #CatsofMastodon #AssistiveFeline bit.ly/TheBrilliantList
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/085/518/029/068/046/original/015229d35d13e9d9.jpeg

2024-09-03 17:45:16

People, if we have survived Cats and Mama Mia! and any number of Michael Bay movies, the impact of any dreck that you create is unlikely to be statistically significant. So make your thing anyway. #Lichtenbergianism #MakeTheThingThatIsNot #Blogquotes

2024-08-30 17:00:10

Practice “structured procrastination” by alternating your projects — avoid working on one project by tinkering with another. (p. 22) #TaskAvoidance

2024-08-29 16:38:29

#Lichtenbergianism
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/046/290/945/268/669/original/5218c019f4f7aed2.jpg

2024-08-25 13:15:39

Making the Thing That Is Not is just connecting the dots — only you have to draw them. And also number them. #MakeTheThingThatIsNot #Lichtenbergianism #postcardquotes
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/022/843/534/650/779/original/992d68f05e66c188.jpg

2024-07-30 19:28:42

Guys, is it weird to abruptly dump your whole policy wing because people caught on that it was your whole policy wing? #project2025

2024-07-28 14:53:08

Have you tried using random letters? #AbortiveAttempts #Lichtenbergianism #postcardquotes
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/864/682/348/418/305/original/c142c2a0727352f0.jpg

2024-07-20 21:58:38

I cannot be the first person who thought of this.
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/821/052/895/911/316/original/a106694b28699ec3.jpg

2024-07-18 16:48:37

#Lichtenbergianism
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/808/512/978/335/724/original/706c89d8c661b8af.jpg

2024-07-16 16:10:37

#Lichtenbergianism #AbortiveAttempts #KingOfHeartsFallacy
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/797/038/795/120/755/original/8a67f764a71bd189.jpg

2024-07-16 13:15:36

Always expect CONNECTIONS when you're in #RITUAL. #postcardquotes
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/796/351/025/765/267/original/5a132b8f8dd2fe36.jpg

2024-07-15 17:00:12

We are only too inclined to believe that if we possess a little talent work must come easily to us. You must exert yourself, man, if you want to do something great. — G.C. Lichtenberg, Notebook D.8 #Lichtenbergianism #LichtenbergianQuotes #AbortiveAttempts

2024-07-14 20:45:14

Be wary of passing the judgment: *obscure*. To find something obscure poses no difficulty: elephants and poodles find many things obscure. — G.C. Lichtenberg, Notebook E.36b #Lichtenbergianism #LichtenbergianQuotes

2024-07-14 17:00:12

Art is an ugly ugly business, you guys. It just lies there, laughing at you, taunting you with its eternal and unattainable perfectability. And you should try doing it on a curved surface sometime. #Lichtenbergianism #blogquotes

2024-07-10 17:00:26

Do not mistake your work — your products — with that part of you that makes it. #Ritual #Lichtenbergianism #postcardquotes
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/763/261/374/995/174/original/2eebd0f3259e5787.jpg

2024-07-09 11:59:03

Does anyone know what font Tump's yard sign uses?

2024-06-26 21:30:33

Other artists' doors are there for you to walk through. (photo by Elsa Mota Gomes, "The Door, Elvas, Portugal," detail) #StealFromTheBest #postcardquotes
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/685/051/096/176/159/original/4c5c749553adc449.jpg

2024-06-17 19:54:44

You don’t have to begin at the beginning. (p. 42) #AbortiveAttempts

2024-06-14 11:24:04

For any parent living in a state that uses PragerU BS videos, you can instruct your child's school to opt your child out of any showing/assignment using that crap. Teachers must provide an equivalent and non-punitive alternate assignment. [gift link] https://wapo.st/4ep7BTl

2024-06-13 15:16:32

Yeah, why should I have to make a loincloth today just because Tennessee bans adult nudity even on private property wait what are we talking about?

2024-06-10 22:14:31

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@npub1xpc…3t05 I just posted that looking over Apple's announcements, I have no need of their improvements and do not intend to use them. I will turn them off if I can.

2024-06-08 21:10:08

Think of your *fear of beginning* as a normal part of the process. You don’t know what you will encounter on the path. You never know. But take that first step. TAKE THE PATH. Walk the labyrinth. (p. 79) #Ritual

2024-06-07 20:00:14

Most of us these days think of artists as tortured souls who simply can’t *even* until they are *inspired*, and then they pour out their art in one rushing torrent of beauty and perfection. This is ridiculous. (p. 80) #Ritual

2024-06-07 17:00:27

Plan if you must, but be aware that art has ideas of its own. (p. 42) #AbortiveAttempts

2024-06-06 19:37:30

I was an educator for 38 years, mostly as a media specialist, ending with three summers as the director of the GA Governor's Honors Program. I was artistic director of Newnan Theatre Co. for 25 years. I wrote "Lichtenbergianism: procrastination as a creative strategy" (http://amzn.to/2z8c3pv) and composed "William Blake's Inn" (bit.ly/WilliamBlakesInn). I've been a burner for 10 years. #introduction

2024-06-06 17:45:52

The Universe is infinite and random. You decide what you want your #Audience to see. #Lichtenbergianism #postcardquotes
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/570/921/429/779/678/original/04dee717907161ec.jpg

2024-06-04 23:45:38

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@npub10cs…5prq That's awesome — I wish the burn community would structure itself more for live performances rather than simple DJ sets (which are still fun).

2024-06-03 14:45:35

#Lichtenbergianism
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/553/225/529/810/564/original/75388fa8b77398c3.jpg

2024-05-24 20:28:13

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@npub19mj…ugjc Compulsive Liar DJT

2024-05-23 20:27:17

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@npub19fc…ay3c YOU'RE NOT MY REAL TROLL DAD!

2024-05-23 15:56:08

Are we ever going to see Trump/Giuliani/et al. ever pay the damages they owe to those who won in court against them?

2024-05-22 21:33:00

2024-05-21 20:55:48

At least he voted. #CecilThePest #CatsOfMastodon
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/481/069/239/895/093/original/7eab7e50ff12a035.jpeg

2024-05-19 20:12:36

Could someone explain to this animal that the reason his assistance in composing is not completely appreciated is that his abilities as an Assistive Feline™ are neglible if not nonexistent? #CatsOfMastodon
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/469/556/326/731/268/original/57b04b6ec39d9dc9.jpeg

2024-05-14 19:15:15

When it’s time to write that essay or compose that song, you don’t have to start at the beginning. Start with the part you know. (p. 41) #AbortiveAttempts

2024-05-08 15:30:29

If you make enough little things, at some point you will have big things to deal with. #WasteBooks #Lichtenbergianism #postcardquotes
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/406/182/008/451/144/original/77143cc8a5f62817.jpg

2024-05-08 12:30:42

You may have a hard time deciding whether it is still unhatched or already has wings. #Abandonment #Lichtenbergianism #postcardquotes
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/405/475/044/935/785/original/7453726b1f2ee521.jpg

2024-04-13 13:15:37

The Universe gives you infinite chaos — your job as the artist is to pick up the right bits to use to #MakeTheThingThatIsNot. #AbortiveAttempts #Lichtenbergianism #postcardquotes
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/264/094/068/497/002/original/98fcb016fc32c807.jpg

2024-03-10 19:33:38

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@npub15te…wdn7 We just reassembled this antique bed in the guest room. Abigail, the good and deserving Assistive Feline™, has been claiming it as her right. #CatsOfMastodon
https://mastodon.sdf.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/073/057/102/836/115/original/2e4141397de40868.jpeg

2023-12-13 19:45:41

Failure is a perfectly acceptable option. (p. 116) #Abandonment

2023-11-08 21:16:57

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@npub1qa3…wu4l @npub1ccn…czwu Actually from a writer in my writers group who is taking a break from her murder mystery to do a short nonfiction piece about the origins of Christmas traditions in the U. S.

2023-11-08 20:49:16

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@npub1qa3…wu4l @npub1ccn…czwu I actually just learned about this yesterday!