• Parental Leave, July 20 to August 21, 2026 - I'm going to be home with my daughter on parental leave from July 20 to August 21. I'm looking forward to spending full days with her. Back working on the Marble Machine August 24.
  
  
• Team Vacation and Summer Content Pause - My Team members are on vacation during the same period, July 20 to August 21, so there will be a pause in content over the upcoming month.
  
  
• Content Schedule - When we're back from vacation, we won't publish every Wednesday. The video deadlines are halting the Marble Machine rather than aiding it. Letting the design process dictate what needs to be done, and publishing videos whenever they're naturally ready, will optimize for Machine progress instead.
  
  
• Online Messages - In general, i do not read or reply to online comments and messages. The sheer amount of input makes it impossible to handle in the time available. It feels bad knowing that people put their hearts into messages without getting a reply, but I would never want a team or bots to write fake answers in my place. Thank you to everyone who has written heartwarming direct messages and comments on Wintergatan's online channels.
  
  
• Positive Perspective on Marble Machine Progress - I've solved all my real question marks about how this machine should look, feel and function. The tinkering research from the last few years has been a slow process, but in the end, very fruitful. All the work requiring inspiration is completed and in art that's actually the hard part. To make progress from here we only need hard work, discipline and elbow grease, easy peasy :)
  
  
• Negative Perspective on Marble Machine Progress - I think progress is too slow. I get stuck in details instead of executing the bigger unlocks. I'm spending too much time on the public-facing part of the project, managing the team and all the overhead that never shows in YouTube videos. Since becoming a father, I've reduced my work from 200% to only 100%, which means I have to be doubly deliberate with my focus. The build-in-public process is a double-edged sword, the joy of sharing the journey is mixed with distractions pulling me away from the necessary deep work. Over the years I've tried many times to re-shift my focus away from internet, now it's time to try again. I will spend my parental leave reflecting on this, building momentum towards that one decision, to take The Road Not Taken.

Thank you all and see you after the summer! //Martin

The Road Not Taken By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.