inspiration | J.R. Johnson

Posts Tagged ‘inspiration’

Rays of Ravishing Light

Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, democracy, inspiration, President's Day, Thoughts on February 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »

“Yet, through all the gloom, I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory. I can see that the end is more than worth all the means. And that posterity will triumph in that day’s transaction…” ― John Adams

* * *

Read Full Post »

Not Too Long & Not Too Short

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, anthologies, creativity, inspiration, Kickstarter, Writers, writing on February 15, 2026| 4 Comments »

Here’s a quick notification for anyone interested in writing and publication venues and supporting a fun Kickstarter:

Missed-Fits: A Calendar of Fools Anthology by Storm Humbert

The idea for Missed-Fits is born of two central motivations at Calendar of Fools: the desire to create truly unique books and reading experiences for our readers, and the desire to provide a service or fill a gap we see in the professional short fiction space. In this case, the gap we saw was a relative dearth of stories of a certain length (1,200 to 2,100 words)…

I backed an earlier Calendar of Fools campaign and am happy to see that these anthologies are still going strong.

Given that I like books, often write stories that don’t fit traditional venue length requirements, and enjoy supporting artists, this is right up my alley.

Perhaps these are things you like too?

* * *

Read Full Post »

Our American Experience

Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, history, how we became, inspiration, power of stories, Thoughts on February 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Black history is American history. It’s a story of promise, setback, and redemption—all things at the heart of the American experience. We shouldn’t be afraid of this story. We should learn from it, be inspired by it, and celebrate it every single day… — Colin Allred

* * *

Read Full Post »

You’ve Reached Artemis, Please Hold…

Posted in Entertainment, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, Artemis, full moon, inspiration, movies, NASA, science on February 4, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Sadly, NASA’s Artemis mission launch has run into some issues (hydrogen leaks bad!) and will be delayed until at least March.

NASA Conducts Artemis II Fuel Test, Eyes March for Launch Opportunity

That said, safer is better, so you do what you need to do, NASA. (Maybe rehiring some of the folks who were let go last year might help? Just saying.)

What do we hope to see when the mission does launch? This site has a nice explainer.

The flight path of Artemis 2, step by step

And for more on the long-term goals, see this in-depth article: How Artemis will land humans on the Moon.

As we wait to hear more from the launchpad, here’s something fun I ran across the other day that may help keep you entertained:

We asked former astronauts about their favorite space movies, and this is what they said

I mean, I’m more The Martian and Galaxy Quest than 2001, but that’s me. So many good movies!

* * *

Read Full Post »

Colors, Lost and Found

Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, inspiration on January 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »

I spent some time in high school studying the medical and practical uses of local plants. I may have mentioned that I entertain Mr Man when we go out for walks: “Those ‘weeds’ are edible, that’s good for firestarter, and you can use that to make cough syrup. Oh, but that one’s poisonous.” (I’m sure my brother has stories of mysterious bottles marked with a skull and crossbones in the fridge.)

That’s why this video appeals to me (the useful part, not the poison part):

In Search of Forgotten Colours – Sachio Yoshioka and the Art of Natural Dyeing

Sachio Yoshioka is the fifth-generation head of the Somenotsukasa Yoshioka dye workshop in Fushimi, southern Kyoto. When he succeeded to the family business in 1988, he abandoned the use of synthetic colours in favour of dyeing solely with plants and other natural materials.

So pretty!

* * *

Read Full Post »

Faster Than a Slow Thing

Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, Ig Nobel, inspiration, science experiments on January 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

I’m work work working away here, but of course crossing things off my to do list is never as fast as I’d like. Which is why it was somewhat reassuring to come across The World’s Longest Running Lab Experiment.

The World’s Longest-Running Lab Experiment Is Almost 100 Years Old

The world’s longest-running lab experiment is an ongoing work in sheer scientific patience. It has been running continuously for nearly a century, under the close supervision of several custodians and many spectators – and it’s ever so slowly drip, drip, dripping away.

If you’ve ever wondered about the viscosity of pitch (noun, not verb) or are just curious, read the article above or watch for the next drop. Should only be a few years. A decade at most!

Given this I know I, for one, will be heading back to my to do list feeling just that little bit faster!

* * *

*Photo by Morgane Le Breton on Unsplash*

Read Full Post »

Adventure Kitty!

Posted in Funny, Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, a bit of fun, inspiration on January 22, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Long week, crazy world. Have some fun:)

Adventurous Cat Carries Plastic Tub Up the Stairs, Then Rides It Back Down

Is it safe? Maybe not (although cats are great at landing on their feet!). But it is excellent.

* * *

Read Full Post »

This Moment in Time

Posted in Holidays, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, #MLKDay, inspiration, Thoughts, Writers, writing on January 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The power of science fiction, fantasy, and related genres including “the speculative” lies in its ability to create new ways to talk about old and ongoing problems in our societies. We are surrounded by people who wonder what they are going to do with the moment in time they inhabit—time-travelers fixed to this one instant in a long continuum of human struggle—and we are crafting new vocabularies of comfort, courage, and creative energy for them and for ourselves.

— The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the power of building new worlds

* * *