Communication, design, and ethics in practice…
This is my writing space outside of school and work. Most posts start with a memory, a question, or a moment that will not let go, then follow where it leads. Some pieces are personal, but they are written for a reader, especially when private experience turns into public meaning.
Ethical clarity rarely comes from certainty. It emerges through discomfort, restraint, and dialogue. This personal reflection explores how communities respond to harm, how outrage flattens complexity, and why accountability must leave room for repair if ethics is to protect our shared humanity and the common good.
What began as a mass-produced triptych became a quiet act of transformation. Through layered paint, restraint, and deliberate interruption, a decorative object evolved into a singular work. Crowned Toward the Void explores presence, direction, and the moment of standing still before choosing what comes next.
Created in 2010, La Gioconda Visiting Her Old Friend Leonardo reimagines the Mona Lisa as a visitor rather than an icon. Through constructed space, borrowed history, and quiet light, the work explores authorship, lineage, and presence, inviting reflection on how classical images continue to live beyond their frames.
Ethics is not a performance or a set of rules. It is the discipline that allows communication, leadership, and institutions to sustain trust across disagreement. In a time that rewards certainty and speed, this essay reflects on ethics as a daily practice of responsibility, restraint, and care for the common good.
The content reflects on the transformation of faith into a manipulative performance, emphasizing the distinction between genuine compassion and controlled belief. It critiques modern ministries that prioritize obedience over truth, leading to emotional and financial dependence, particularly affecting the LGBTQ+ community. Ultimately, it advocates for a faith rooted in acceptance, honesty, and love.
As 2025 comes to a close, I’m not looking for dramatic conclusions. What I feel instead is something quieter and rare: completion. This year brought change at work, clarity through writing, closure through honoring my mother’s memory, and a deeper appreciation for family, growth, and humanity. I say goodbye to 2025 with gratitude and welcome 2026 with intention.
On a quiet evening filled with orange and purple Halloween lights, a movie night with my son turned into something deeper. Edward Scissorhands revealed how fascination can slip into fear and how real compassion, like true faith, only survives when it chooses empathy over control, love over spectacle, and silence over noise.
The Myth of the Perfect Employee Equity is a word we often see at the top of mission statements in our school districts. It looks great in banners, policy drafts, and social media posts. But what happens when those same institutions quietly favor candidates who are flawless on paper, leaving out those with non-traditional paths, …
Continue reading "Equity or Elitism? When “Perfect Employees” Undermine Inclusive Communities"
As this post was originally published Evergreen Public Schools was in the third week of a strike that had closed schools. Families were already well past the point of improvising schedules. Students were missing instructional time that no one seriously believes will be fully recovered later. Meals were still being served. Some extracurriculars, including sports, …
Continue reading "Strikes Close Schools but Do Not Put Students First"
I want to start with something small, because that’s how this experience actually unfolded. Over the past few years, I tried to show up in my local public school system in ways that felt useful. Sometimes that meant volunteering. Sometimes it meant offering professional skills. Sometimes it simply meant asking questions and paying attention to …
Continue reading "When Inclusion Fails: A Parent’s Journey Through Equity in Public Education"
The Evergreen Public Schools campaign promotes diversity and inclusion, focusing on LGBTQ+ visibility and support since 2022. Engaging the community through events, education, and storytelling, it aims to normalize conversations around LGBTQ+ identities and create safe environments. The initiative encourages involvement and advocates for representation and empowerment in schools.
This blog post reflects on an online exchange about LGBTQ+ issues, highlighting the escalation of misinformation and targeted fear from individuals like Vladimir. The author counters claims that LGBTQ+ visibility equates to predation and emphasizes the importance of acceptance, compassion, and truth. Ultimately, it advocates for dignity and resilience against hate.
Always With Hope is a memoir by Lyudmila Oparina, detailing the life of a resilient Soviet woman who faced war, labor, and political upheaval. It emphasizes the power of compassion, responsibility, and hope in challenging times. The book serves as a poignant reminder of perseverance and the importance of sharing personal narratives.
Reconciliation is not about making everything fit. It’s about allowing everything to be—fully, honestly, and without shame.
This essay explores the author's personal journey navigating familial relationships within a global Evangelical ministry, confronting the paradox of unconditional love versus conditional acceptance. Through reflection, the author seeks recognition, accountability, and understanding, aiming to document the lived experience of LGBTQ+ individuals while analyzing the disconnect between theological rhetoric and real-life empathy.
Maintaining relationships with evangelical Christian family members, especially as an LGBTQ+ person, is often described as an “emotional challenge,” but that phrase doesn’t quite land for me. It makes it sound contained. Manageable. What it actually feels like is something that lives in the body longer than it lives in the conversation. It shows up …
This report explores the emotional, spiritual, and practical journey of maintaining relationships with evangelical Christian family members as an LGBTQ+ person. Drawing from mental health research, pastoral case studies, and real-life reconciliation stories, it offers strategies for navigating complex conversations, setting healthy boundaries, and honoring both personal identity and family heritage. Through the lens of Pastor Vera Maksimova’s transnational ministry and the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ Christians like Justin Lee and Matthew Vines, this work invites readers to consider how empathy, resilience, and faith can bridge even the most difficult divides.
This project explores how digital technologies can reinterpret 1960s poetry, specifically through "The 21st Century Brautiganism: A Visual Poem." Premiering in 2010, it combines video interpretations of Richard Brautigan’s "Love Poem," engaging audiences through varied emotional experiences. The initiative promotes poetic exploration via multimedia and interactive storytelling.
In the General Election of November 2014, citizens were asked to vote on a new form of government for Clark County. After reviewing both sides of the debate—CharterYes.com (supporting the charter) and VoteNoCharter.com (opposing it)—I realized how significant this vote was for our local community. Wanting to be proactive, I translated key information from CharterYes.com …
In 1942, J. Howard Miller created the "We Can Do It!" poster for Westinghouse, later recognized as "Rosie the Riveter," symbolizing women's strength. International Women's Day on March 8 celebrates women's achievements and ongoing struggles for equality. Despite advances, gender inequality persists, emphasizing the need for continued advocacy and awareness.
Some stories hit you at the perfect age. You read them once, and suddenly your imagination feels bigger, louder, more colorful. For me, John Carter of Mars was one of those worlds. It is not subtle science fiction. It is bold adventure sci fi. Red dust, strange creatures, weird politics, and the simple pleasure of …
Continue reading "John Carter of Mars: A Classic Sci Fi World That Still Works"
The BBC documentary "Putin, Russia, and the West" examines Russia's evolution after the Soviet Union through Vladimir Putin's leadership. It combines insights from diplomats and political leaders rather than Putin's perspective, revealing themes of power consolidation and global implications. The series prompts reflection on Russia’s democratic prospects amid Putin's rule.
"Fashion Verdict" Russia's Channel One appears to promote self-expression but ultimately reinforces rigid beauty standards and gender stereotypes, focusing only on women. The show often features impractical recommendations that favor high-end fashion, neglecting real-life needs. A format change is suggested to include diverse participants and promote personal style over trends.
Reflection on bilingual experience, noting the challenges of transitioning between Russian and English. They discuss the role of grammatical cases in Russian, which complicates communication for native speakers in English, and emphasize the differences in thought processes between the two languages.
On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. His flight on Vostok 1 marked a historic milestone in space exploration. Nearly 40 years later, Gherman Titov, the second man in space, visited Vancouver, Washington, unveiling connections between local history and the broader narrative of human spaceflight.
Mikhail Oparin 