Austin Common Place

03/11/2015

Reviewing a book on how real estate has changed: "...I have felt the tension between Realtor's need to maintain control of information, and the internet's tidal force to democratize it all..."

http://austincommonplace.com/?p=1760

01/01/2015

I'm taking this class at ACC starting in a couple weeks. There are three seats left--would love some collaborators.

08/01/2014

“Love your neighbors--not the neighbors you pick but the ones that you have.” -

07/23/2014

The "Beauty Will Save The World" fence made it to PBS Newshour (national)!

Rigel Thurston says he lives by a simple motto: "Beauty will save the world." The 33-year old realtor is now painting that sentiment -- taken from Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel "The Idiot" -- on fences along Lamar Boulevard in north Austin, TX to build community and help transform a troubled neighborhoo…

07/16/2014

Community art gets more good press.

Despite the attitude of many South Austin’ers, there are reasons to defend North Austin. Here's 10 of 'em.

06/05/2014

KLRU did a piece on our mural and interviewed us (Grace , Mateo ) Check it out!

artsincontext.org | http://austincommonplace.tumblr.com/ In order to beautify the neighborhood and build community, artists and citizens in north Austin coll...

01/30/2014

"...it’s the imperfections of our handy work that gives us a deeper sense of ownership—part of me is now part of this “thing” and we have a shared memory."

For the last year I’ve been using mismatched folding chairs for my home-office conference table. I decided to step up my game. But when I entered the chair market I was shocked by how expensive things are. And if you want any sort of customization ie. color, forget it.

10/01/2013

"wherever people are, there is conflict...Few of us were ever taught how to handle it well, and most of us just adopted whatever unhealthy rituals our parents enacted..." From my blog.

http://austincommonplace.com/blog/conflict-is-community/

Twelve years ago, around the time of the dot-com bust (2001), I got licensed as a Realtor in Austin Texas. I was an overly eager 19-year-old poised for fortunes in real estate. I did what all new Realtors do: make cold calls, hold open houses, and go to motivational seminars about turning lemons int...

09/24/2013

“Love the quick profit, the annual raise,
vacation with pay. Want more
of everything ready-made. Be afraid
to know your neighbors and to die..." -Wendell berry. I feature this poem in my latest blog post: http://austincommonplace.com/blog/are-you-stuck/

“Love the quick profit, the annual raise, vacation with pay. Want more of everything ready-made. Be afraid to know your neighbors and to die.

09/17/2013

"Suburbia is this feeling of hopelessness that washes over me when I drive into certain neighborhoods..."

From my blog "Barn raising in suburbia": http://austincommonplace.com/blog/barn-raising-in-suburbia/

Suburbia is this feeling of hopelessness that washes over me when I drive into certain neighborhoods–feelings of: conformity, sterility, temporariness, man vs. nature, and garages instead of front porches.

09/10/2013

"What if you knew your neighbors before you moved in?"
http://austincommonplace.com/?p=414

To compound the issue buyers are likely getting advice from more “experienced” people in their life who are steeped in bigger-is-better dogma…it doesn’t take much imagination to see where this leads.

09/06/2013

In six minutes this NPR episode says what I've been trying to say for six years: http://www.npr.org/2013/09/03/218627288/why-being-wealthy-doesnt-lead-to-more-giving?live=1

A UCLA researcher says science shows that as people earn more money, they become more individualistic and less community oriented. As a result, they seem to donate less of their time and money, proportionally, than poorer people.