Colophon

My name is Shawn Blanc (pronounced like blonk). I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and I live in Kansas City with my wife Anna and our three amazing sons: Noah, Giovanni, and Benson.

The Blanc Family

The Blanc Family, Fall 2017

Projects and Endeavors

Creativity and focus are the things I most enjoy studying and writing about. Along with the best tools, workflows, and mindsets for getting the most of our time and doing our best creative work.

I’ve been writing here since the summer of 2007, and in the spring of 2011 I quit my job and [began writing this site full time](https://shawnblanc.net/2011/04/great-expectations/).

After I began writing and working for myself full-time, I began to work on additional projects as well. I now run a small network of websites and products that have been built up over the years — all meant to help you do your best creative work.

* **[The Focus Course:](https://thefocuscourse.com)** A website full of [free](https://thefocuscourse.com/blog/) and paid content all to help you spend your time and energy better.

* **[All the Things:](https://thesweetsetup.com/things/)** A productivity and tasks management course, with detailed screencasts covering how to use Things 3 as well as a walk through of my own, personal productivity method.

* **[A Focus on Time:](https://thefocuscourse.com/time/)** My on-demand class for scheduling, prioritizing, and time management training. (See also our [free](https://thefocuscourse.com) 6-part class on Time Management.)

* **[Tools & Toys:](http://toolsandtoys.net)** A daily collection of fine paraphernalia.

* **[The Sweet Setup:](https://thesweetsetup.com)** Where we review and recommend the best apps for your Mac, iPad, and iPhone.

* **[Delight is in the Details:](https://shawnblanc.net/thedetails)** My eBook, Audio Book, and Interview series for people who make things.

* **[Day One in Depth:](https://thesweetsetup.com/dayone/)** A detailed and extensive guide to the Day One journaling app.

* **[Learn Ulysses:](https://thesweetsetup.com/ulysses/)** Easy video tutorials to help you quickly learn more about the Ulysses writing app, and take your ideas and writing from scattered to structured.

* **[Shawn Today:](https://shawnblanc.net/members/)** (ON PAUSE) My daily, members-only podcast, that is currently on pause until who knows when.

* **[The Weekly Briefly:](http://weeklybriefly.net)** A weekly podcast I did for a while that was about creativity, technology, and the like.

* **[My Jeep CJ-7 Build:](https://shawnblanc.net/cj7/)** Not tech-y at all, but here’s the build thread for my 1984 Jeep CJ-7.

The Tools I Use

My current setup is [specced out iMac with Retina display](https://shawnblanc.net/2014/10/a-week-with-the-retina-imac/) for work at my home office, and an 11-inch iPad Pro for work and life everywhere else.

Though, to be honest, I use the iPad Pro far more than I use the iMac. It, along with my [Baron Fig notebook](https://shawnblanc.net/2014/11/my-first-baron-fig/), are the crux of my entire work and productivity and life tools and system that I call the [Hybrid Productivity System](https://thesweetsetup.com/hybrid-producitivy-method-using-both-analog-and-digital-for-task-management/).

Before coming into possession of this combination of modern computer marvels, I’ve also used a a 13-inch MacBook Air, an early-2008 15-inch MacBook Pro, a Quad-Core Mac Pro named Azlan, and before all that, was my first Mac: a 12-inch PowerBook G4 that I carted around in a fitted Brenthaven case. I loved that case.

I am a bit of a software aficionado. For a closer look at what software I recommend, check out the The Sweet Setup. For a look at the software *other* people use, check out our Sweet Setup Interviews.

Publishing

Writing, editing, and publishing happens on my iMac, iPad, or iPhone using [Ulysses](https://thesweetsetup.com/apps/best-writing-app-mac-iphone-ipad/). Ulysses is [a fantastic app](https://thesweetsetup.com/ulysses/) for organizing ideas, capturing inspiration, and, of course, writing and publishing.

This site is coded in Coda and hosted on a Media Temple (dv) Server since 2008. Powered by WordPress since before it was cool.

Contact

Please feel free ping me on Twitter or email desk@shawnblanc.net.

While I do read just about every email I get, I often don’t respond in a timely manner, if even at all. Please don’t take it personally if I don’t write back, just remember that you are still awesome.