musings
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Ready, rock steady
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1 min read
The more you work the more you make, at least it appears that way. But Søren Kierkegaard thought wiser: “Of all ridiculous things the most ridiculous seems to me, to be busy — to be a man who is brisk about his food and his work.” Søren Kierkegaard Henry Miller also disdained to overwork: “I’ve…
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Why we ship
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1 min read
“When we ship, we’re exposed,” writes Steven Pressfield in his book Do the Work. Do we deliver? The professional artist ships even if they don’t believe 100% in what they make. Why? Because behind the cycle of perpetual creation is a signal–whether through viewer feedback or connectivity—on what to make and where to go next.…
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The struggle is reassuring
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1 min read
Vulnerability and happiness, pain and weakness. You can’t possibly expect any benefits without the paradoxes of input and output. It’s as if people expect to play to the tune of emotion, unwilling to endure the challenges that get them there. The ups and downs should be reassuring. We evolve because we must struggle. Without it,…
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A guide to art
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1 min read
Art is the ability to get lost and navigate by the gut. Art is teachable but its answers require no education at all. Art is the act of perpetual innovation. Art is an expression on canvass, a business product, a speech, and countless other remarkable creations. Art is controlled randomness, a collection of disparate things.…
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The gutless algorithm
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1 min read
In today’s age, you get picked (and judged) by algorithms and your number of social media fans. No matter your unique talent, it is the statistics that predetermine your success. But the element of surprise is not over. John Hammond discovered Billie Holiday, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan at the clubs. As a staunch…
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The hidden power of less
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1 min read
Less isn’t necessarily better than more. However, it appears that in most scenarios that it is most often the case. Less participants, more effective meetings Less worry, more action Less ownership, more renting Less eating, more exercising Less internet, more human interaction Less Instagram, more non-filter Less stuff, more happiness Less hate, more love Less…
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Going first is not as bad as you think
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2 min read
No one wants to take the first piece of dessert because of the chance it’s been touched. People prefer the pieces in the back. The same goes for the first milk carton at the grocery. Why grab the first one we can see presumably untouched versions inches behind? No one wants to sit in the…
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Blinded by closeness
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1 min read
You can’t make anything in the forest stand still. It is in constant flux, whether that’s in seasons, wildfires, or in the territory marking of a killer bear. Nature is fickle. It calls for preparedness and a broad scope. “You can’t see the forest for the trees.” One must not only have a plan in…