My journey into cultivating Actual Intelligence (the other AI) — Looking up close at something, quietly and patiently, brings perspective. Drawing what we see brings even more perspective, because it requires us to translate across senses into new forms. I think of this as one way to cultivate Actual Intelligence, the more delicious of the AIs in this writer’s opinion. …

A guided exercise to overcome algorithmitis — With great calm comes great power I can get pretty up in arms when I think about how much influence algorithms have over my life — these insidious bits of code designed by people whose intentions I don’t share or even know about. I call this algorithmitis…

This is an article about big concepts affecting the global economy. This a story about four balls I made out of felt. This is a letter written in an alphabet that doesn’t exist. These are some feelings I have on the relationships between abundance, scarcity, partnership and domination. 2 x 2 Matrices are Dumb I tried…

“Where do you think I can make the most positive difference in my work?” It’s a common question these days, growing in urgency. I have more questions than answers in response when I get asked this. I recently found a memo to myself that I sketched out last year trying…

This is a rough draft of a story about events that take place in the year 2035, inspired by what’s already happening in 2021. There’s a lot more I, B. Lorraine Smith, could say but I am probably…

[This article originally appeared on the blog on Dec 26, 2018] The most extraordinary thing happened to me on my flight home the other day: I found the joyful part of saudade. I was fortunate to have the combination of a window seat, daylight hours and amazing visibility during…

Urban roadways contribute to heat islands, toxic runoff and stressful humanscapes. With vision, we can change this. — Passenger pain prompts possibilities for pathways Two things are colliding here: Noticing that a lot of our urban and highway infrastructure is designed so as to practically guarantee accelerated global warming and species decline. Accepting a challenge to put more time each day into envisioning better, alternative outcomes.

[This article originally appeared on the blog on April 3, 2019] My subconscious recently treated me to two hopeful signs. I don’t usually publish my dreams — though I am an active, vivid and lucid dreamer and often remember multiple subplots each morning. I figure there’s no sense in clogging…

For an audio version of this blog post, click here. My friend Katja asked me to say more about what I think it looks like when my two dreams are realized. That’s fair. …

When I was a kid I loved John Denver’s Seasons Suite. It was so melodic and fun to sing along with. I didn’t know anything about him as an artist — he was just a voice that came from the record player, like Barbara Streisand or Paul Simon. Yet I…