I am a recovering entrepreneur, which means I have spent a good portion of my adult life buying domain names, starting projects, and chasing new ideas.
While this site (Robert the Ordinary) is where I write about simplifying life and slowing down, that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped making things. I just try to build them without the toxic hustle. I like having different sandboxes to play in depending on where my curiosity takes me.
If you want to see what else I am tinkering with, here is where else you can find me:
The Websites
- Underplayed (underplayed.org): This is my corner of the internet dedicated to music. To be clear, it isn’t a promotional machine for musicians—it is a site for genuine music criticism, deep dives, and narrative stories. If you want to talk about classic rock, analyze a Rush album, or appreciate Bruce Cockburn, this is where I do it.
- Purple Rose (purplerose.ca): Where I step away from the screen and make physical things. I recently transitioned this site back to its original purpose: my physical candle-making business. I experiment with different waxes, wicks, and fragrance blends like leather, tobacco, and citrus.
- Ethical Affiliate Marketing (ethicalaffiliatemarketing.com): My pushback against the sleazy side of internet marketing. I still love the mechanics of websites and search engines, but this is a guide to building digital properties honestly and without the burnout.
- Factsmith (factsmith.info): My outlet for curiosity. I tend to fall down deep historical and scientific rabbit holes—everything from World War II and 19th-century US presidential history to physics and paleontology. This site is where I track down the facts and document what I learn.
The Offline Experiments
Not everything I do gets a domain name. I am usually working on a few other quiet projects in the background:
- Writing Ebooks: I occasionally author short ebooks and strategy kits, mostly focused on things like digital detoxing, overcoming phone addiction, and reclaiming your daily focus.
- 3D Printing for Etsy: I am currently learning the ropes of 3D printing technology. I’m not bringing it to my personal sites, but I enjoy the process of designing functional, useful household objects that I plan to eventually sell on Etsy.
- Indoor Gardening: I keep a fairly robust indoor garden going. I enjoy figuring out the best setups for small spaces and tending to low-light resilient plants like snake plants, pothos, and ZZ plants.