Volume 01 – Notes on Living
Pif. Archives | Studio Journal
January, 2026
Volume 01
Against Distortion
Notes on Structural Integrity
The longer I run a studio, the more I realize my real job is simple: I work against distortion.
Opening Reflection
I started with a frustration — and a desire to unleash my creative energy on the world.
I wanted to do something that mattered — to me, and to those around me. From the start, I knew I wanted to create design that stood the test of time. I wanted to design at the level of the greats — Frank Lloyd Wright, Peter Zumthor, and the lineage they belong to. I wanted my work to be referenced decades from now, with people saying, “Oh, that’s a Pif. home. It must be preserved and revered.”
Reverence was always the benchmark. A tall task. A high demand. Not unattainable — but deliberately out of reach.
I’ll have to get my ladder out. But I’ll get there.
In 2023, my new studio felt like a baby bird. Vision blurry. Mouths open. Improvising. Reactive. Hungry.
In 2026, it feels more like a panther. Power, grace, structure. Something that can move through the world intact. Not necessarily completely figured out — but vastly more developed in its systems, now with the ability to run.
Somewhere along the way, I became more myself. Because for a while there, I had really lost who I was and how I operate. Too much reacting. Too little form.
Distortion.
One downside of being a tactile learner is that lessons are hard-earned. I understand the ideas. I understand the reasoning. But I still want to see how things play out.
I’ve learned that form gets warped under pressure — easily and quietly, without you even noticing at first.
What changed internally was structure. It’s one thing to have ideas of structure in your head. It’s another thing entirely to externalize it — to put it on paper and make it visible.
Especially to those outside your studio. They’re the real test.
Internally, I know that no one is going to protect me other than myself. Not through any fault of their own. It’s simply that everyone is on their own journey, trying to protect their own form.
And distortion is always looking for a way in.
As a former professional athlete — and a lifetime creative — I’ve learned that I actually perform best inside strong structure and meaningful pressure. Routine is the backbone. Structure sets me free.
If I were to externalize my studio as a single image right now, it would be a building under construction, wrapped in scaffolding. On the whole, it’s complete — walls, ceilings, floors, windows. But there’s still work happening. And the scaffolding is there to make sure it happens without the whole thing collapsing.
Studio Note
Structure as Self-Respect
In my head, the studio is ethereal, with the occasional brutalist edge. When I imagine working inside it now, I feel expansive. Able.
The difference between my studio in 2023 and now is clarity — not just mental or emotional clarity, but vision and mission clarity too. There’s a stronger sense of where this is going, and how it’s meant to feel to exist inside of it.
Before, my days felt like constant motion without direction. Always putting out fires. Always in fight or flight. Communication felt impossible to keep up with. Everything felt urgent, even when it wasn’t.
Now, my days feel slower — but more deliberate. Communication feels like a steady stream that’s easy to navigate. I’m intentionally reconnecting with my peace without sacrificing output. In fact, it’s having the opposite effect. The quality of my output is better.
In my body, working this way feels like respect. Like connection. Like sanity. Running my studio used to feel like chaos — burning the wick at both ends.
Now it feels more like a gallery. Quiet, intentional, designed for looking instead of reacting.
I’ve learned that boundaries aren’t restriction — they’re design. They create the conditions for focus, for pace, for play. They’re what make the work livable.
I want this to be a place where good ideas can arise from anywhere. Where people are encouraged to live their lives.
Here’s a novel concept: a person’s life shouldn’t revolve around work. Personal lives enrich the working life. Rest is not the opposite of productivity — it’s where creativity regenerates. And we are a creative studio. A place people come to create spaces they once thought only existed in their imagination.
Distortion used to sneak in through saying yes to be nice. Through overextension. Through that underlying edge of tension that comes from doing things you’re not fully aligned with.
Working against distortion now looks like checking in with my themes and goals for the day — and not letting anything interfere with that. When distortion is removed from a system, everything feels smooth, like velvet.
Structure isn’t rigid. It’s freedom — because it’s how I stay intact.
Curation
Small things that are quietly working against distortion.
The thing I touch the most every day is my notepad. It lets me offload the constant stream of thoughts in my head — everything I need to remember, track, or return to. I also keep a small calculator on my desk. It does one thing very well.
Lately, the same themes show up in what I’m reading. Right now I’m rotating between Ikigai*, and E²**.
Ikigai because it’s about finding the intersection between what you love, what serves the world, what you’re good at, and what makes you money. It’s validating to read when you feel like you’ve found your life’s work.
E² because after a decade of disengaging, I’m returning to intuition and observation. The idea that the universe provides — ask, and you shall receive — keeps looping in my head.
Time blocking has reduced the most friction in my life. As much as I rebel against authority, I also know that without structure, I operate poorly. Moving studio communication exclusively to email and Slack created a surprising amount of calm. Daily movement — Pilates, skating, walking — quietly saves my energy.
Spaces that soften my nervous system include float tanks, saunas, and the Phoenix Art Museum. And when I need to think clearly, I’ll go to a good coffee shop — sometimes bright, sometimes dark and moody. I’ve also always had a strong connection to my car. There’s something about that small cabin space that feels grounding.
And then there’s scent and sound — the quieter anchors. Hinoki. Creosote. The soft sweetness of acacia. Birds chirping, wind chimes, and lately, a little Amy Winehouse radio. Breathwork and movement shift my internal state faster than anything.
All of these things have one thing in common: they support coherence through repetition, not novelty. They protect me from noise. They help me stay intact.
Ritual
Notes on Living
When my life feels distorted, my body tells the truth. Jaw clenched. Neck tight. Traps on fire. When I’m regulated, everything softens.
My mornings are simple: I make my bed, wash my face, meditate, and have my coffee. Journaling helps me slow down enough to notice what I’m actually feeling. I write three things I’m grateful for every day.
Letting distortion in looks like overextending. Overcommitting. It’s abandoning my own structure in favor of external demand. Enough is staying inside the container I built.
I’m strong in my creative brain. I’m learning softness in how I talk to myself. I place very high expectations on myself. I need boundaries because I can let work consume everything. I need gentleness in reminding myself that I am already doing enough.
Slowing down allows me to notice the world moving around me. Natural rhythms. Nuance. Beauty in small things. Slowness is a form of design — beauty needs room to breathe. Creativity needs space.
Working against distortion isn’t just a studio principle. It’s a daily practice in my body.
* Ikigai authored by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles
**E² authored by Pam Grout.
