This is Norm

260110: What if you could sign your creativity into being and make it sacred? 

I'm working on what I call the Promised Oath of Formless Delight—a living contract that turns art into duty, ritual, and shared tenderness. In it, I ask what shifts when we treat the act of making as a vow witnessed by someone we cherish.

I walk through belongs in this oath, that matters to ritual and reverence to articulation and consistency; an “if true” clause that changes the relationship once it’s signed, from access to private letters to conversations with personifi...

Duration: 00:26:58

19th December, 2025. 7:46PM. How do I craft for those I cherish in the modern age?

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:07:45

19th December, 7:12PM. I take baby steps towards imperfect creation. Also, Vessel Management as a new discipline.

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:06:17

In this freeform audio recording, Norm delves into the topic of gratitude on three different levels - for the planet, for other humans, and for oneself. He shares his reflections on the importance of environmental care, the beauty in human imperfections, and individual self-awareness. Inspired by a philosophy-themed event and a gratitude journaling workshop he attended, Norm structures his thoughts through three specific prompts. He also explores the idea of 'Sonder' - recognizing the deep, complex histories of those around us - and the protection of one's imagination from overwhelming external influences.

0:00 Introduction

00:53 Experience at...

Duration: 00:12:39

I was prompted by a recent tweet by Joao Mateus on the concept of playfulness and its association with age, in children. The definitions of curiosity are brought up. When we are older, we start to question ourselves, why is it that we Harbor such attributes? When. Currently, it is in this context, that it's not needed. So we question ourselves. Sometimes we degrade ourselves. We look at ourselves in the mirror and we see not a man in the mirror, but a boy. With the facade of a man with a larger body, a larger vessel, one with...

Duration: 00:12:45

I got 1000 followers on Twitter! Yay! As a celebration, I put out an AMA on Twitter and to record the answers into one episode. And here we go!

Questions answered:

Podcast-related: How do I prepare for an episode? What's my podcasting setup? (By @codexeditor and @AndyNarracott)What's the deck of cards on my table? (By @wanderuminating)Can you describe your audience for memory/speedreading coaching? (By @cicatriz)What's the difference between crazy and insane? (By @cicatriz)What is the sound of one hand clapping? (By @TitusHora)Should PKM apps have a stance about how...

Duration: 00:52:25

Through @BecomingCritter's tweet, I explored more on how I've changed the most compared to years ago:

2011 (10 years ago)2016 (5 years ago)2018 (3 years ago)

Enjoy!

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:22:27

In what environment do you think the best? This is a quick audio snippet of what I think a good 'distraction' is.

Transcript here: https://thatsthenorm.com/positive-distractions/

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:06:39

My 12 Problems turned into questions, from Richard Feynmann.

The dozen favorite problems I constantly have in my mind

Links and Inspirations

https://twitter.com/Roamfu/status/1298976180784095232https://thatsthenorm.com/beyond-the-edge/

Full transcript on my website here

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:27:48

I'm falling behind guys, this is pretty hard. 😅

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:05:07

If you're interested in learning a new technical skill while stuck at home, Pluralsight is here for you! Get access to all the courses this entire month :)
Links:https://www.pluralsight.com/
https://thatsthenorm.com/

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:01:28

I have a favourite jacket that I use to do work in. It helps me to focus - what about you?
ThatsTheNorm

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:03:46

I'm trying out a new tool to edit my podcasts - Descript! You should check it out: think of it as a Google Docs for podcasts. ;)Thanks Evo Terra for the recommendation!
Main LinksDescript website
Like the show?MORE EPISODES HERECheck out the main website!Buy me a coffee! :)

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:03:07

Brand Confusion is a real thing, and here's why.
ThatsTheNorm

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:04:46

What you need in your Focus Corner:Barriers to protect yourselfClarity of ObstaclesNo phones!
ThatsTheNorm

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:05:12

I barely go to Facebook for fun anymore. Here's why.
ThatsTheNorm

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:06:19

Helping out people who want to reach their goals through memory and speedreading techniques, I can now be your professional cheerleader and guide! Let me help you remember things better :)
LinksMy Coach PageSuperLearner MasterclassThatsTheNorm.com

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:03:54

Biographies are great to read, there's a ton of advantages. But why do those advantages exist in the first place? I think it's because:Comparison is a source of strengthPerspectives are widened with greatsYour circles are larger, and therefore standards are set higher.
More in this episode.
Links: The tweet that got me thinkingThatsTheNorm.com

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:05:11

Be informalMake it easyHeadlines, Headlines, headlines.???Profit.
ThatsTheNorm

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:05:46

Bored at home? Want to look at some amazing art online? I discovered this Tweet thread of arts resources. Go check out some (virtual) museums, narrative scripts, books, and more!
The Tweet Thread
ThatsTheNorm

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:03:08

I connected with someone just because I was happy about doing so. That enthusiasm went through the internets. Here's why.
ThatsTheNorm

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:03:26

Did you know that Malaysians love malls? I have a strange theory about that. There are two reasons why: the weather, and our boredom.Here's what I mean.
ThatsTheNorm.com

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:03:59

We all know Rebecca Black for her hit song 'Friday' years ago.But did you know that she's gone through a lot since the age of 13, and is now an anti-bullying advocate?
Friday doesn't seem as bad now, does it?
Main linksEssay: What I Learned from Being a Target of Internet Hate at Age 13Rebecca Black's YouTube Channel

ThatsTheNorm.com

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.<...

Duration: 00:04:37

With the change in attention economy nowadays, we want to consume information in different ways: shorter. Faster. Impactful and more.
Let's talk about scaling your ideas to fit the masses.
ThatsTheNorm.

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:05:52

Write letters to your loved ones, they'll appreciate it. Here's an excerpt from Ronald Reagan to his lovely wife, Nancy.
Main linkshttps://hellogiggles.com/love-sex/love-letter-ronald-reagan-nancy/https://heavy.com/news/2016/03/brian-mulroney-nancy-reagan-funeral-canada-prime-minister-love-letter-ronald-reagan/

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:04:31

I'm sick of cover letters. They don't work well, there's plenty of templates out there in the world, and you have many other ways to show how good you are.
Here's what you can do.
thatsthenorm.com

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:05:36

I taught Japanese high school kids to ask me who’s the cutest girl in English class.
This is an audio version of an answer I gave on Quora! Hope you enjoy.
Original Answer:What conversations have you overheard in a language they assumed you don't know?

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:15:04

I have a strange theory about reacting to a crises or an enemy. Maybe it might explain the racial attacks surrounding Coronavirus. Otherwise, humans wouldn't be profiling by race so much would they?
Links
JiaYang Fan's TweetAs Coronavirus Spreads, So Does Xenophobia and Anti-Asian Racism

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:05:30

This time, we're going to talk about comic books! We take a quick dive into how comic books work well as a medium to convey wisdom for everyday life.
Links
Action Comics 1000Action Comics 1000 Review

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Duration: 00:07:59

In this episode, I want to talk about the Anti-Chrome: namely, productivity browsers specialised in helping you use your web-apps better. These are the two I use, and how I use them!
LinksBiscuit
Station

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:06:11

What's your stack? Your tech stack I mean.
In this episode, I talk about YourStack.com and how it helps give you ideas on becoming more productive.
LinksYourStack.comMy YourStack Profile

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:04:04

Welcome to This is Norm!This is a daily show where I cover any interesting tidbits, sources of wisdoms, discoveries, and more. I take you on a journey through my perspective, cutting through the noise and ponder about life! Oh, and there are updates on all the things at thatsthenorm.com.Start with the latest episode when you're ready, cheers!
LinksThatsTheNorm Website

Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

Duration: 00:00:54