Michael T. Starks

Category: Storytelling

  • Thanksgiving

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    I’m happy to be at home today celebrating Thanksgiving. We have a nice warm house and plenty of good food. I’m grateful to spend the day with my wonderful family. I was going to ask the following question. “Why are there so many Christmas songs and not a single Thanksgiving song?” But then, I turned…

  • Project Work

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    My most important activities over the years have been connected to working on meaningful projects. This is not a coincidence. What’s the best way to contribute to the future of humanity? Work on meaningful projects. I’m not joking. Artists are encouraged to build a portfolio of meaningful projects. While this is not a requirement for…

  • Missing Toastmasters

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    I joined Toastmasters soon after I started working at Terumo BCT. Our meetings were at noon, once a week, and it was a nice break from my usual work. I enjoyed getting practice giving talks. I enjoyed getting to know the other people who regularly attended. I enjoyed getting and giving feedback in a supportive…

  • RiffTrax

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    Rifftrax is awesome! I don’t know how many movies we’ve watched on Mystery Science Theater 3000. I do know that Rifftrax is carrying on that fine tradition. Over the past few days, we’ve watched Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi again, with Rifftrax.…

  • Work Patterns

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    I was a physics instructor for about five years. I was an aerospace engineer for about five years. I was a video game developer for about five years. I wrote software for various companies for another five years. I’ve been at Terumo BCT for about six years, which is the longest time I’ve ever worked…

  • Things Change

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    We often find something we like. And we want to hold on to it. We want it to last forever. But things change. The question is, “How do we navigate these changes?” How do we focus on our growth, knowing we’re leaving some part of ourselves behind? There’s no one answer. There are a million…

  • Choosing Your Challenges

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    Everyone has challenges. Some people have the challenge of being hungry and not knowing if they can eat on any given day. A wealthy CEO may have the challenge of not knowing if she can bring in enough contracts this month to keep the company afloat. A factory worker may have the challenge of being…

  • Making a Modern Adaptation of Macbeth

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    We released our first full-length movie in 2006, and it’s hard to believe we’re approaching the twentieth anniversary. It’s already been twenty years since we first started working on it! The trailer is on IMDB. Here are a few of the things I remember from the production. It took us over four months to shoot…

  • Meaningful Contributions

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    How we contribute at work can make a monetary difference. Sometimes, it can be more than that. When we smile and say, “Good morning” to a co-worker, we contribute to that individual and to the health of the workplace culture. Humans are social beings. Connecting with each other is a fundamental part of who we…

  • How Do I Contribute?

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    While I find many ways to contribute, I want to consider the more constricted view of contribution as making money for someone. As a kid, I sometimes sold lemonade at a popup lemonade stand on hot summer days. My mom provided the half-cut lemons, water, sugar, bowl, ladle, and plastic cups. I did the mixing,…