This is Norm

Norman Chella
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  • Personal Journals

This is Norm is a show about interesting things and thoughts from a different perspective. It's only a couple of minutes per episode as I cut through the noise and ponder about life. Topics range from current topics in the world, interesting discoveries, any tidbits here and there, sources of wisdom, predictions, and more. I share a little bit about my life as well.Best to start with the latest episode! Hosted by Norman Chella.

  1. Jan 10

    Drafting the Promised Oath of Formless Delight

    260110: What if you could sign your creativity into being and make it sacred?  I'm working on what I call the Promised Oath of Formless Delight—a living contract that turns art into duty, ritual, and shared tenderness. In it, I ask what shifts when we treat the act of making as a vow witnessed by someone we cherish. I walk through belongs in this oath, that matters to ritual and reverence to articulation and consistency; an “if true” clause that changes the relationship once it’s signed, from access to private letters to conversations with personified characters—logic, warmth, comedy, passion—who can answer your questions in their own tones. Through this, those I cherish can belong to the world of Eterna, and are offered a seat by the fire.  The promise is long-term: tenderness in the abyss, courage over metrics, and a steady practice that measures aliveness instead of vanity stats. We close with the ritual of signing: a date, a signature, a few personal words, and a simple sigil. This is how we commit to bravery. Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

    27 min

  2. 12/20/2025

    Preliminary articulation in the modern age

    19th December, 2025. 7:46PM. How do I craft for those I cherish in the modern age? Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

    8 min

  3. 12/20/2025

    Baby steps to imperfect creation

    19th December, 7:12PM. I take baby steps towards imperfect creation. Also, Vessel Management as a new discipline. Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

    6 min

  4. 12/14/2023

    3 Questions on Gratitude: The Planet, Humanity, and The Self

    In this freeform audio recording, Norm delves into the topic of gratitude on three different levels - for the planet, for other humans, and for oneself. He shares his reflections on the importance of environmental care, the beauty in human imperfections, and individual self-awareness. Inspired by a philosophy-themed event and a gratitude journaling workshop he attended, Norm structures his thoughts through three specific prompts. He also explores the idea of 'Sonder' - recognizing the deep, complex histories of those around us - and the protection of one's imagination from overwhelming external influences. 0:00 Introduction 00:53 Experience at the Gratitude Journaling Workshop 02:28 Gratitude for the Planet and its Ecosystems 04:53 Appreciation for Human Imperfections 07:35 Self-Reflection and Personal Gratitude 12:28 Conclusion and Sign Off Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

    13 min

  5. 06/07/2022

    The Child in Me

    I was prompted by a recent tweet by Joao Mateus on the concept of playfulness and its association with age, in children. The definitions of curiosity are brought up. When we are older, we start to question ourselves, why is it that we Harbor such attributes? When. Currently, it is in this context, that it's not needed. So we question ourselves. Sometimes we degrade ourselves. We look at ourselves in the mirror and we see not a man in the mirror, but a boy. With the facade of a man with a larger body, a larger vessel, one with greater experience and based on present experiences. We have judged our child selves to be irrelevant. Links João Mateus's tweetKahlil Corazo's tweet: The Rider and the StallionThanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

    13 min

  6. 04/22/2021

    1000 Follower Special: Crazy vs Insane, Podcast Prep, Brave Note-Taking and PKM Philosophy

    I got 1000 followers on Twitter! Yay! As a celebration, I put out an AMA on Twitter and to record the answers into one episode. And here we go! Questions answered: Podcast-related: How do I prepare for an episode? What's my podcasting setup? (By @codexeditor and @AndyNarracott)What's the deck of cards on my table? (By @wanderuminating)Can you describe your audience for memory/speedreading coaching? (By @cicatriz)What's the difference between crazy and insane? (By @cicatriz)What is the sound of one hand clapping? (By @TitusHora)Should PKM apps have a stance about how we learn best, and ought this to be built into them? (By @plantey_, with responses from @Azeirah and @maskys_)Enjoy! Links Art Oracles: Creative & Life Inspiration from Great ArtistsAndy Narracott's Podcast: Finding ImpactSuperLearner Coaching PageThanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

    52 min

  7. 04/22/2021

    3-5-10 Year Reflections

    Through @BecomingCritter's tweet, I explored more on how I've changed the most compared to years ago: 2011 (10 years ago)2016 (5 years ago)2018 (3 years ago)Enjoy! Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

    22 min

  8. 01/04/2021

    Positive Distraction

    In what environment do you think the best? This is a quick audio snippet of what I think a good 'distraction' is. Transcript here: https://thatsthenorm.com/positive-distractions/ Thanks for listening to the show! You can find out more about it at Eterna Garden, where I collect all my notes, conversations, podcasts, and more.

    7 min
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About

This is Norm is a show about interesting things and thoughts from a different perspective. It's only a couple of minutes per episode as I cut through the noise and ponder about life. Topics range from current topics in the world, interesting discoveries, any tidbits here and there, sources of wisdom, predictions, and more. I share a little bit about my life as well.Best to start with the latest episode! Hosted by Norman Chella.

Information

  • Creator
    Norman Chella
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Eterna Garden
  • Show Website
    This is Norm