Outside the Docs
The rest of me.
The things I do when the laptop is closed — some of which have made me a significantly better writer, whether I intended that or not.
Travel
There's nothing like navigating a country where you don't speak the language to appreciate the value of clear, universal communication design. Every trip teaches me something new about good UX.
Photography
Composition, light, and the patience to wait for the right moment. Photography and technical writing share more DNA than people think — both are about knowing what to leave out.
PC Building
The best way to write documentation is to do the process first, and then again while taking note of the steps.
Gaming
A long-running hobby that's taught me more about onboarding UX than any textbook. The best games never make you feel lost. The worst ones desperately need a technical writer on the team.
Snowboarding
Learning something physically demanding from scratch is a good reminder of what it feels like to be a confused first-time user. Humbling in exactly the right way.
Hiking & Weightlifting
One clears the head, the other focuses it. A lot of documentation problems solve themselves quietly on a trail or between sets — highly recommend both.