buddhism – Digital Zen

What I Mean by Digital Zen

October 2, 2025Jovaughn Brown

We live in an age of noise.

Notifications. Open tabs. Endless updates. Tools stacked on top of tools. Everyone’s selling hustle, speed, and scale—but no one’s asking whether it’s actually working.

“Digital Zen” is my response to that chaos.

It’s not just a name. It’s a philosophy. A north star for how I build, work, and live in the digital world.

Digital Zen is Not Anti-Tech — It’s Intentional Tech

I love technology. I automate. I use AI. I integrate APIs and build systems that scale.

But Digital Zen means using tech with intention. It’s about asking:

Does this tool simplify or complicate?
Does this system serve me, or do I serve it?
Is this helping me focus—or fragmenting my attention further?

Instead of mindlessly chasing the next shiny app or workflow, Digital Zen is about slowing down just enough to choose what actually matters.

Calm Systems > Complex Stacks

I don’t build bloated SaaS platforms or AI tools with 20 layers of onboarding.

I build systems—simple, elegant setups that help founders, creators, and small teams grow without burning out.

Think:

Ethical automations
Minimalist workflows
No-code and low-code solutions
Clear documentation and thoughtful UX

It’s the kind of digital infrastructure that doesn’t just run your business—but clears mental space while it does.

Zen is Efficiency with Soul

There’s a quiet power in clarity.

When your systems are aligned, your mind is calmer. You spend less time firefighting and more time flowing.

That’s what Digital Zen aims to unlock:

Less clutter
Fewer decisions
More time for deep work, creativity, and life

It’s not just about getting things done—it’s about feeling good while doing them.

Who It’s For

Digital Zen is for the solo founders, creators, and small teams who:

Are tired of duct-taped solutions
Crave simplicity and clarity
Want tech that actually feels good to use
Care about alignment, not just automation

Whether you’re building a blog, launching a product, or growing a service-based business, my mission is to help you find your digital flow state.

Final Thoughts

Digital Zen is a practice. A mindset. A design principle. A way of working that blends clarity with capability.

It’s the opposite of the “hustle harder” ethos.

Because at the end of the day, more dashboards, more meetings, and more complexity don’t make your business better.

Stillness does. Clarity does. Focus does.

And that’s what I mean by Digital Zen.

Book Review – Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

June 25, 2019October 1, 2025Jovaughn Brown

Southeast Asia Update #7 [Thai Islands]

December 17, 2018October 1, 2025Jovaughn Brown

Previous: Southeast Asia Update #6

With sadness and reluctance, Madison and I began planning for the final two-week leg of our journey through Southeast Asia. From the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, it was time to head south to decompress near the crystal clear waters and limestone cliffs of the Thai Islands. The itinerary consisted of flying to the coastal city of Ao Nang which would act as our home base for a week as we went island hopping each day to a few of the dozens of islands further out to sea. For our final week, we’d then take a speedboat 60km further out to sea to a small island near Malaysia called Koh Lipe, a.k.a. “the Maldives of Thailand”. My goal for this part of the trip was to try to be as present and carefree as possible. I wouldn’t say that the Thai Islands were uneventful, but we were definitely not as active as we were in previous cities. That being said, this post will probably be brief.

Southeast Asia Update #6 [Northern Thailand]

December 14, 2018October 1, 2025Jovaughn Brown

Previous: Southeast Asia Update #5

If you’ve been following this blog series from the beginning you may remember that our initial goal for this two-month trip was to visit four countries: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. At one point during our time in Vietnam, however, we decided it’d be best to exclude Laos from our itinerary altogether. This is because we felt we wanted to slow our trip down a bit and stay in Vietnam and Thailand longer than originally planned. In my last post, I covered our time in northern Vietnam, but instead of booking a flight into Laos from Hanoi, we went directly to the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai.

Southeast Asia Update #4 [The Vietnam Coast]

November 18, 2018October 1, 2025Jovaughn Brown

Previous: Southeast Asia Update #3

Finally, the moment Madison and I have been waiting for: the Vietnam coast! The chain of land-locked cities we traveled through up until this point were great and all, but after growing up near the Oregon Coast you can only keep us away from the ocean for so long. Vietnam has many incredible beaches on its eastern coastline along the South China Sea. Being such a long and narrow country from north to south, it’s super easy for backpackers to scale the coastline and hit all of the popular beaches. Our first beach town destination would be Nha Trang.

Southeast Asia Update #1 [Bangkok, Thailand]

October 21, 2018October 1, 2025Jovaughn Brown

Previous: Preparing For Southeast Asia

After months of planning, and 22 hours of travel, we finally arrived at our first Southeast Asian (SEA) destination: Bangkok, Thailand! The plan was to stay in Bangkok for four days, then take a bus to Cambodia. We plan on going back to Thailand towards the end of our backpacking loop.