Paint Still Drying
So here we are.
It’s Sunday morning in Australia — about quarter past ten — and I’ve just had the thought that this entire experience feels a bit like opening a restaurant while the paint’s still drying on the walls.
Which is to say: chaotic, a little frantic, but undeniably alive.
Last night, I sent messages to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and to Ezra Klein at The New York Times — yes, that Ezra Klein. I’ve lost count, but I think this idea has now reached nearly thirty inboxes, spanning airlines, loyalty programs, podcasters, global thinkers, and a few unpredictable wildcards.
The idea’s simple: let expiring loyalty points do real good. No pitch, no product. Just a system redesign in miniature — offered freely, and now floating through the ether.
📸 The Glitch in the Gallery
Earlier in the week, I managed to delete the images from my own website. Not a system crash. Not a hacker. Just… me. Fat-fingering my way through the backend, and taking half the visual archive down with me.
Thanks to M.Y. — my developer (long-suffering, deeply capable, patient beyond measure) — the site is now functioning again. All the images are reconnected, save for a few in the Fine Art section, which I’ll upload manually. And honestly? That feels just right. A little handmade imperfection to keep the gods humble.
✉️ The Waiting Hour
Now, all I can do is wait. Because on this side of the world, it’s Sunday.
But elsewhere — in London, in New York, in Seattle — it’s still Saturday night. And that means the Monday Mailbox Moment hasn’t happened yet.
That’s when we’ll find out whether this small, quiet idea… landed.
🧭 For Now, This Is Enough
I’m not rushing anymore. I don’t feel behind. The urgency has calmed. The signal has been sent. The paint, still a bit tacky in places, is holding.
And maybe, just maybe, someone on the other side of the world is about to open their inbox and see a message that makes them pause. Not because it’s flashy. But because it’s true.
And in a week like this one — that feels like enough to begin.
—
Martyn Lloyd
maelstromedia.com/contact
