Mind of a Maker

A daily blog inspired by Matthew Dicks

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”

— James Clear, Atomic Habits

To become better at something, you have to practice. What better way to become a better writer and storyteller than to practice by making a habit of writing daily?

In this daily blog, we’ll discuss Maker-related topics as well as what inspires projects, including YouTube videos, Movies, TV Shows, Disney, Star Wars, LEGO, Books, and more. Everything is on the table, and nothing is off-limits.

Disclaimer: The thumbnail images featured on this blog are often AI-generated. See Disclosure page for more information.

David Southern 1/29/26 David Southern 1/29/26

My 3 Levels For Organizing Notes In Notion

I used to keep all my ideas in a pocket notebook, but had trouble finding ideas when I needed them. Instead, I now have 3 levels in Notion:

1. Fleeting Notes (inbox)

2. Slip Box (organize)

3. Relations to Second Brain (reference)

Separating how notes are input, organized, and referenced has helped me get ideas out of my head, find them, and have them immediately available.

David Southern 6/21/25 David Southern 6/21/25

The 1 FREE Application I Can’t Live Without For MAKING Things

Today, there is an app, website, or software platform for just about anything (including finding someone to walk your dog).

But when it comes to MAKING things, there is 1 application I can’t live without.

David Southern 11/3/24 David Southern 11/3/24

I Have Too Many Ideas

My project list keeps growing with new ideas from everywhere—Disney, Star Wars, YouTube, and more—so I use a "second brain" to document inspirations, track sources, and combine ideas into unique projects I’ll share soon.

David Southern 10/30/24 David Southern 10/30/24

The PARA Method

Discover how implementing Tiago Forte's PARA method in Notion transformed my approach to organizing projects, areas of life, and resources, helping me stay focused, efficient, and clutter-free.

David Southern 10/29/24 David Southern 10/29/24

My Second Brain

Struggling to organize and remember ideas, I created a "second brain" using Notion, which helps me manage tasks, projects, and thoughts more efficiently by leveraging its database functionality, and I recommend others explore a similar system for improved organization.