Four years ago, I went through an ill-advised Western shirts phase. I'm not proud of it. Like many follies, it seemed like a good idea at the time. There’re hundreds of pictures online of my looking like a numbnuts, so I’ll save you the keystrokes. At least I was "feeling it," right?

One of the most important lessons the Al Stone project’s taught me is looking stupid’s ok, because looking stupid means you’re taking chances, and taking chances means you’re growing, and growth means you’ll just look stupid in a more elevated way, which is a bottomless treasure trove of gloriousness and nourishment.

As artists, we want our work to be taken seriously. We adjust the lighting just-so, wear just the right thing in just the right way, plot and plan until the proverbial cows come home. And that's fine, up to a point. I find inordinate comfort in realizing my life isn't "if A, then B, then C," but rather, "if A, then HOLY SHIT IT’S ALL FOR NOTHING WHY ME WHY THEM WHY ANYTHING EVER IN THE WORLD."

Better, I think, to try stuff, develop a thick skin, and learn as you go.