Howdy, I’m Spencer Johnson.
I write about urban planning, create marketing materials for small businesses, and enjoy cooking.
Want to reach out? Email me here.
I’ve lived in the Houston, Texas area for over a decade.
Prior to this, I’ve lived in Alaska, South Carolina, Virginia, and the DC metro.
(I miss getting to experience all four seasons instead of just Summer, False Fall, Real Fall, and then Early Summer.)
I graduated from Sam Houston State University as a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in English.
I’m fascinated by how people express themselves, how people of all times and places live, along with their perspectives and motivations.
Title page of my undergraduate thesis, The Many French Revolutions. 2020.
This is my Substack newsletter. Here you can expect to find a plethora of writings about urban planning, human prosperity, quality of life improvements, and other sundry topics. My goal is to simply explore different facets of life and tell you what I’ve found out. Come join me!
Marketing
I have helped small businesses by designing marketing materials such as flyers, pamphlets, digital ads, and more. I have worked at local financial and insurance agencies. Reach out to me if you want to discuss further.
Enjoying Life
There are far too many aspects to life that are worth exploring to fully exhaust all of them. Other interests of mine include etymology, linguistics, politics, theology, cooking, gardening, apologetics, acting, music, etc. I’ve decided to enjoy life and sample everything that comes my way.
My first attempt at a Raised Bed Garden. Here I have some garlic, cucumbers, carrots, beets, and bush beans all struggling to survive the many squirrel attacks.
I wonder if fake owls would ward them off…
One of my long-term goals is to improve the soil in my yard. I don’t enjoy looking at dirt, moss, and millions of tiny ant hills.
I believe that communication is an invaluable tool for effecting change. One of the key components to this, I believe, is to understand another’s perspective and to tailor your message in a way that your audience will best understand.
The immediate goal of communication is persuasion, with the ultimate goal being action. There’s no value to be had by simply speaking past someone, or being obtuse or purposefully confusing. I believe that optics matter, and understanding that two parties can see the same subject differently is an important skill. I want to help convince people that a better world is possible, and that certain concrete actions can lead to their desired goal.
Too often have I seen parties who could have agreed with each other instead end their argument convinced their opponent is an intractable villain. This could be because neither party understood how the other was defining important terms, or by being unable to fathom others’ perspectives and desires. Breakdowns in communication can lead to thinking one’s interlocutor is simply foolish or even evil. Mediation, starting from the assumption that others desire the Good, and being sensitive to how your conversation partner views the world are some ways to reach more productive ends.
