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Notes.
Notes from the house

Essays, observations and unfinished thoughts on art, story, audience, and the work of building things. A director’s notes column, kept in public.

Issue no. 02Two essaysAugust 2026
Latest · Audiences · August 2026

Sometimes the Show Is the Problem

Nobody says this out loud at opera conferences: sometimes people don’t come back because the show was a dud.

The billIn order of appearance
Also in the file · On craft · July

What Opera Taught Me About Building

I spent fifteen years preparing to walk onto stages I couldn't fully see until the lights came up.

In the wings

What I’m thinking through next.

IIIThe Wrong Kind of FounderBeing non-technical wasn’t the obstacle. It was the qualification. I built the CRM because I was living the problem, by hand, for years.
IVHow Do You Balance the Budget?Earned against contributed. Safe programming against brave. And the myth that a bigger budget means a healthier organization.

The column continues. New essays when the work asks for them.

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© 2026 Katie Spencer · Art · Real life · Meaningful work
Katie Spencer.