Retire, but don't stop. For Steven McCarthy, professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota and lifelong designer, a good day is less about structure and more about staying curious, being aware, and having discipline.

For Steven, a good day starts with sleep you didn't have to set an alarm for. He's shaped a quiet retirement ritual (coffee, sunlight, pancakes, and the morning news) that leads to exercise and creative work. His ritual traces back to his father, who started walking four miles a day in his 40s and didn't stop until he was in his 80s, logging every step and every coin he found on the ground.

As a graphic designer and activist, Steven makes protest posters and marches with them. He thinks in longer time scales about his granddaughters and about trajectories that stretch past this year or this decade. He recognizes that a good day isn't always a smooth one, but it's one you show up for anyway to create a better future for all.

Steven McCarthy is a professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota. He writes, publishes, and exhibits design work that lives at the intersection of art, culture, and activism. Learn more about him at www.stevenmccarthy.design

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Host: Eric Benson → ericbenson.re-nourish.org

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Music by: John Opferkuch

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Resources in the Episode:

• Transition Design Institute
• The Four Horsemen: The Conversation That Sparked an Atheist Revolution