As a teenager Clear was manager of the paperback department for Bookland of Huntsville, Alabama, at their largest store. In 1971, at age 19, he opened his first bookstore in Huntsville, Alabama, A Good Book Store. In 1978, he founded Books as Seeds, and in 1989, Opening Books (a 501c3 library and gift shop.) He managed at Green Apple Books, San Francisco's largest independent bookstore, and at Pearly Gates Natural Foods in Huntsville, and at Ohana O Ka `Aina in Kainaliu, Hawaii.
With decades of experience in retail visual merchandizing, he began a career as a residential interior consultant in Hawaii in 1994. His feng shui practice began there in 1995, and blossomed when he moved to San Francisco in 1996. In February 1999, his feng shui practice was featured on KPIX Channel 5's Evening Magazine and in April 2000 on Mandarin KPST Channel 66's Evening News. He was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle business section, Sunday 12/10/2000, and in the culture section of the Okinawan Times (Japan) 04/21/2001. He returned to Hawaii in February, 2002. He has since been featured in the Pacific Business News, August 16, 2002, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, February 7, 2003, and the Hawaii Tribune Herald, February 19, 2003.
He's a natural at feng shui; as a Libra-Hare he's astrologically gifted for this work. To his work he brings systems and design skills in organizing, maintenance, and horticulture. He works residential, retail, office, and landscape.
His first book, Feng Shui Demystified, was published in 2000. His second book, Bedroom Feng Shui, was published in 2001. Both books are from Ten SpeedPress.
Clear has been a Zen Buddhist, lay and monastic, for most of his life. About his feng shui practice, Clear says, "I couldn't practice feng shui if I didn't believe in it, and I wouldn't believe in it if I hadn't seen it work."