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38°N · field journal

John
Arneson

Graphic designer. Cyclist. Noticer of things.

Somewhere between the gravel road and the prairie edge,
paying attention to light, birds, and whatever comes next.

Photos

Field Notes

Music

Music is background infrastructure for the creative brain. These are the playlists that run while I'm editing photos, sketching layouts, or just watching the light change.

More moods coming — this site is a living thing.

Now playing
Chill — the ambient, low-friction playlist
View full profile on Spotify

Rides

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Now

🚴
Riding
Gravel season opening up
Longer routes as trails dry out
🌿
Noticing
Wild garlic mustard
Along the creek path — invasive but photogenic
🎵
Listening
The Chill playlist
Ambient, no lyrics, always
📷
Shooting
Prairie macro
Dew on last year's seedheads at dawn
📖
Reading
Kissa by Kissa
Craig Mod's walk journal
🌱
Small obsession
Lichen identification
Turns out it's endlessly deep

A note on this page

Inspired by Derek Sivers' /now movement — a simple snapshot of what's actually occupying my attention rather than what's on my resume. Updated loosely whenever the seasons shift or something new grabs hold.

Right now it's spring, which means the prairie is waking up faster than I can photograph it, the gravel roads are calling, and the light is doing that thing where it turns golden at 6pm and you drop everything.

Last updated: March 2026

About

I'm John Arneson — a graphic designer who's spent a career helping organizations say things clearly and beautifully. The work is serious; the approach, less so.

Outside of client work, I'm most likely on a bike, in a prairie, or somewhere with a camera pointed at something small. I'm interested in the edges: where design meets nature, where observation becomes habit, where a short ride turns into an all-day thing.

This site is my attempt at keeping an open notebook — less about showing polished work, more about staying curious and sharing what I'm paying attention to.

Your photo here
BasedMidwest, USA
WorkGraphic design
RidesGravel, mostly
CameraWhatever's with me