photos, drawings and writing, grounded in Country.https://aidan.ursa.nz/https://aidan.ursa.nz/writing/blink-and-youll-miss-it/https://aidan.ursa.nz/writing/blink-and-youll-miss-it/When we allow AI to step in and do the "work" for us, be that creative, emotional, "professional", you name it, we begin to unlearn the skill. It doesn't happen straight away, but give it six months and we start to forget "how do I write that callback in C", "what's the command to rebase in git", "how do I communicate without feeling to a human-robot", or "where do I start with this art project".Sat, 08 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://aidan.ursa.nz/photos/breaking-generations/https://aidan.ursa.nz/photos/breaking-generations/Black-and-white close-up of a tree trunk with a long vertical wound, exposing rippled concentric layers of bare wood.Tue, 21 Jul 2026 11:30:00 GMThttps://aidan.ursa.nz/photos/un-frozen-in-time/https://aidan.ursa.nz/photos/un-frozen-in-time/a black and white photograph of two waterfallsTue, 07 Jul 2026 11:30:00 GMThttps://aidan.ursa.nz/photos/narrm-last-week/https://aidan.ursa.nz/photos/narrm-last-week/Sun, 21 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://aidan.ursa.nz/writing/things-moving-fast-and-slow/https://aidan.ursa.nz/writing/things-moving-fast-and-slow/Imagine holding a balloon on a string that you are sure is pulling you somewhere wonderful; but the balloon is actually dragging you backwards (to even worse capitalism). Berlant would say the hard part is not realising the balloon is bad. The hard part is that letting go of the string feels like giving up on the good place you were sure it was taking you, so you keep holding on even though it hurts. Hope for change, for her, is not a happy feeling that lifts you up. Sometimes hope is the string that keeps you stuck. Real change starts when you can let go of the balloon and survive the falling feeling, and find that you can walk to a good place on your own feet instead.Thu, 18 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://aidan.ursa.nz/drawings/what-place-is-this/https://aidan.ursa.nz/drawings/what-place-is-this/Handwritten text in black ink on a white background reading "Ngaatja nyaalytjingka?".Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://aidan.ursa.nz/drawings/whanau-talent/https://aidan.ursa.nz/drawings/whanau-talent/Line drawing of a person with an undercut hairstyle singing into a handheld microphone, eyes closed, head tilted down, wearing a sleeveless top.Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://aidan.ursa.nz/writing/how-i-spent-a-week-rethinking-a-thesaurus/https://aidan.ursa.nz/writing/how-i-spent-a-week-rethinking-a-thesaurus/Corporate life offers you two pathways with technology, and both routes are like bricks (in)explicably rope tied to your ankles as you sink in the ocean to the depths of Microsoft's 365 suite of tools. Some #indie #cool workplaces use tools like Google docs or Slack -- same circus, different monkeys.Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://aidan.ursa.nz/drawings/sunnies-up/https://aidan.ursa.nz/drawings/sunnies-up/Line drawing of a person in profile facing right, with long flowing hair and sunglasses pushed up onto the top of their head. Their mouth is slightly open. Rendered in a single continuous black line style on a white background.Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://aidan.ursa.nz/photos/self-portrait/https://aidan.ursa.nz/photos/self-portrait/Black and white portrait of a person with a shaved head, glasses, and a moustache and beard, wearing a light hoodie and looking off to the side against a dark background.Thu, 28 May 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://aidan.ursa.nz/writing/the-mess/https://aidan.ursa.nz/writing/the-mess/I spoke to a friend earlier about parallel pressures. Competing demands. What to do when it adds up and feels too much. My largely unsolicited advice: quit.Tue, 12 May 2026 14:00:00 GMThttps://aidan.ursa.nz/writing/land-back/https://aidan.ursa.nz/writing/land-back/I’ve just come from a whānau yarn, and felt drawn to write this. I learned from this yarn it’s best I don’t stop until I’ve exhausted myself, so why not write a 3,000 word essay at 11pm.Sun, 10 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT