Author Archives: tropicaltheartist

About tropicaltheartist

You can find out more about me here: https://michaeltopic.wordpress.com/. There aren’t many people that exist in that conjunction of art, design, science and engineering, but this is where I live. I am an artist, a musician, a designer, a creator, a scientist, a technologist, an innovator and an engineer and I have a genuine, deep passion for each field. Most importantly, I am able to see the connections and similarities between each field of intellectual endeavour and apply the lessons I learn in one discipline to my other disciplines. To me, they are all part of the same continuum of creativity. I write about what I know, through my blogs, in the hope that something I write will resonate with a reader and help them enjoy their own creative life more fully. I am, in summary, a highly creative individual, but with the ability to get things done efficiently. Not all of these skills are valued by the world at large, but I am who I am and this is me. The opinions stated here are my own and not necessarily the opinion or position of my employer.

I Released a Record

It has been a very long road, with lots of set backs and accomplishing this was much harder than I anticipated, but my debut album is out and I feel a strange mixture of pride, relief, exhaustion, exhilaration and dread … Continue reading

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The Reticence of Makers

The reason people who are naturally inclined to make things become reticent about doing so is that, at any time, people who see the world only in terms of money points they can score, can destroy everything you’ve built, and … Continue reading

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How Much More Time Have You Got?

Recently, I had a sudden, serious, life-changing event happen to me. Out of nowhere. I didn’t even know it had happened to me, at first. Nobody did. The first inkling of trouble was my plummeting vital signs. The confirmation was … Continue reading

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The To Do Lost

My friend, Amy, is a very clever lady, but through serendipity, she came up with something I thought was especially brilliant, today. She wrote that she felt she’d wasted her weekend, as she hadn’t done anything on her “Creative Things … Continue reading

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Love Letters to Yourself

Sometimes, life not only gives you lemons, it bombards you with them. Dealing with rejection is a necessary skill for any creative person, but that skill can be sorely tested, often to destruction. When you’re feeling down, punched and kicked, … Continue reading

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Some Days You Don’t Want to Create

Some days you don’t want to create. For reasons. You get tired of cranking out your creative work, like some kind of creativity machine. There’s no shame in it. Do the admin. Bang the drum. Rest. Go into learning mode. … Continue reading

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I Thought the World Valued Engineering Skill and Creativity

I thought having deep skills in electronic design, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and software/computer engineering would safeguard my livelihood. Coupled with UX/UI design skills and product management skills, I thought my career would be bulletproof. Nope. It isn’t so. Luckily, … Continue reading

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Can Art Fight Stupidity?

In an age where stupidity has been weaponised for gain, can art fight stupidity? Stupidity could get everyone and everything killed. Climate denial alone could accomplish that. Much climate denial is fuelled by the professionally stupid, acting as shills for … Continue reading

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Arting Shapes You

I’m going to suggest that by far the most significant and dominant thing that comes out of maintaining a creative practice is that it defines and refines you. It teaches you better habits, improves your resilience, hones your fine motor … Continue reading

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Nobody Knows How Long Creation Takes

Nobody who does not create a form of art has any understanding of how long it takes to create art in that form. Ask a non-songwriter how long it takes to write a song and you’ll get some alarming answers. … Continue reading

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