michael dargie · author · calgary
Writer,
in suburbia,
mostly.
Author of BrandJitsu® (Dundurn Press). At work on PitchJitsu™: Opening Minds and Wallets (2027) and the Dean Shield novels — Pacific Northwest crime fiction, mostly wet. Keeping notes on work, home, and the slow art of paying attention.
one hundred days
writing 20 · doodles 20 of 100
Available now
BrandJitsu
A practical book
A practical guide to the discipline of building a brand that actually sticks — written for founders, marketers, and creatives who want to stop chasing trends and start leaving a mark.
recent articles
all articles ↗- 100 Days — Doodling
Stick Cat
Tomorrow I will be drawing hundreds of Stoopid Stick Cats™ at Calgary CatFest — for every book of Jenn's that you buy, I will draw a stick cat faster than you can say, "Wow, are you sure that's a cat? I'm not entirely convinced that's a cat, stick or otherwise. Which part is the stick? Wait. Is that the butt or the head? Why is it ... oh, I see it now. Great. So glad I waited."
- 100 Days — Writing
Cat Festival
Last year I doodled a cat for every book sold, and by Sunday the doodles had escalated into something resembling effort. This year: the Stoopid Stick Cat™. Simpler. Faster. Arguably worse.
- 100 Days — Doodling
Goat Life
Every so often a character shows up out of no where to help explain a feeling. Just a goat and his tire.
- 100 Days — Writing
The Goat
I used to write first thing in the morning. Lately it happens right before bed, because the day got away from me. Again. Somewhere in there, a rhythm changed and forgot to tell me.
the library · 151 pieces · 81,469 words
Eight categories,
one hundred and fifty-one pieces.
- 100 Days — WritingA piece of writing a day for one hundred days — small, finished things, shipped before they get precious. Showing up at the desk on a schedule and letting momentum do what waiting for the muse never has. Some will sing. Some hum. All will ship.
- 100 Days — DoodlingA doodle a day for one hundred days — getting the doodle engine back up and running. Learning, exploring, experimenting on a schedule, because consistency matters more than perfection. Pen first, dignity second.
- EssaysLong-form pieces on memory, attention, and the quiet practice of writing.
- AdventuresTravel, motorcycles, and the wide shape of a well-spent life.
- Camp CovidDispatches from hotel quarantine — one small room, many rooms inside it.
- Work & CreativityBuilding things, shipping them, and starting again.
- Life at HomeSuburbs, routines, roasted chickens, and the small comedy of cohabitation.
- The Writer's DeskChair, cursor, and the occasional Elden Ring death.