[Start Here] Welcome to Becoming Unobstructed

Field notes for navigating daily life. Personal reflections and insights on agency, grief, and creativity.

Sep 30, 2024

Hey, I’m Derek MacDonald. After a snowboard accident and traumatic brain injury upended the dream life I’d built in the mountains six years ago, I thought I had to abandon all creativity to focus on regaining stability. But my background in outdoor education, marketing, and software systems helped me find a path where both could exist. So now I’m sharing what I’ve learned with others.

Turns out, launching software products and leading someone up a mountain aren’t that different. Both get easier when you stop trying to act like you know everything and start listening instead.

That’s what I write about: how to spot problems. And how to untangle them while you keep things moving. There’s nothing better than the “ah-ha” moment when someone realizes they can do something. Excitement like that can be life changing. So I’m not big on stepping in and doing things for them. But I do care a lot about helping people succeed. And I’ll always offer a hand while they figure it out.

If essays on navigating agency, grief and creativity your thing, Becoming Unobstructed is worth your time. If you’re ready for your own “ah-hah” moment about making more space for creating, consider subscribing.

What is Becoming Unobstructed about?

→ Personal Growth

→ Mental Wealth

→ Leadership

Why Unobstructed?

I didn’t understand what people meant by, “if you don’t schedule a break, your body will do it for you.” And then I crashed. Hard. So I admitted defeat and tried following the "less is more philosophy." Because doing less is actually the answer. It creates the space for:

Days that don’t involve red-lining your nervous system.
Sleeping at normal hours, for appropriate lengths of time.
Life outside of work to enjoy with friends & family.

I first learned about the power of "less is more" as a wilderness guide. And then re-learned it in the 9-5 world climbing corporate instead of mountains (lol).

That’s what Becoming Unobstructed is about.