What do cinder blocks and my portraits have in common?

In 1900, an inventor named Harmon S. Palmer patented a machine for making concrete blocks. He thought he was building the future of construction - and he was, just not the way he expected.

His blocks were solid... weighing over 50kg. Sturdy, for sure. But they were incredibly hard to transport; and so heavy they were even harder to build with. So he went back to the drawing board and came up with the cinder blocks we know today. Instead of a solid lump of concrete, he cast them with the middle taken out.

He discovered what he could remove - 30% less material, in fact. Making them lighter, easier to use, and and even better insulation (because the air pockets did work the solid version couldn't). And critically, still strong enough to hold a building up.

What gets me is the direction of the breakthrough. It wasn't about adding. It was about taking away. The concrete they removed is the reason the block works.

And that's exactly what we're doing in these sessions.

When we start the session, you're usually carrying the 50kg blocks - in your shoulders, your forehead... and often your heart.

So we go looking for the concrete that isn't doing any work. The version you've come to rely on as a communication default. The extra material that seems to make sense... but is really just weight. And as we clear it away, the same thing happens every time: what's left is a lighter, more honest expression... one that's actually stronger and easier to use.

Let's find the extra concrete... and clear space for the things that matter most.