Did you say we needed one of these or two?

Hi friend. My name’s Allen; I’m a visual effects artist, and I like learning new things.  I’m from Kentucky originally, but live in San Francisco now.

Explaining this site requires a tiny bit of backstory: I spent the better part of 5 years working my way through a rather-involved cooking project. Though often frustrating in its complexity, there was an addictive quality to the project that was usually the most satisfying for me when things went wrong.  I’d get sucked down little rabbit holes learning about Alaskan king crab, or how to import some exotic ingredient from Japan, or the nuances of various manufacturing processes. These distractions were invariably fascinating to me.

Reflecting back on the project after having completed it, I realized that the thing I loved most about it was the beauty that can to be found in getting lost, distracted, or constrained. Graduating from it, all I could think was that I wanted more.

This “project”, then, is the 2.0 version of The Alinea Project. I use the cheesy quotes there because calling it a “project” implies structure, and I specifically don’t want that here. I’d just like to continue learning, playing, and discovering, without any overarching goal in mind. This is a place for me to share all of this.

If you feel compelled to contact me, feel free.