Every Sunday, I write a quick newsletter to share some thoughts, things I’ve learned, and a few of my favorite things from the week. Enjoy!

Hey friends,

The presidential election is coming up, so I’d like to just mention in this note that it’s important that everyone get out and vote! Democracy only works when its citizens are engaged.

Have a great week!
Daniel


Things that resonated with me this week

  1. This was an interesting interview with Justin Timberlake, where he talked about his inspirations when he wrote certain songs in his career. I think it’s useful to draw inspiration from unconventional sources, such as leveraging inspiration from Talking Heads and David Bowie, far from his musical genre, to inform creating something truly unique.
  2. A great article from TechCrunch on how Conan OBrien is navigating a new media landscape - he talks about the importance of adapting, given that the norm is change.
  3. A great video on productivity that touches on a core tenet: that the brain should just be for generating, not storing - and that it’s important to follow the process of Capture, Clarify, Organize

Things I’m trying out

  • I’ve been enjoying listening to my Writing playlist when I’m in writing mode - just to reiterate a topic in a prior newsletter: our brain is constantly scanning for mental cues, and so listening to specific playlists for cognitive triggering and setting our mind in a particular “mode” we want to be in, is hugely useful.

Stuff that’s on my mind

  • I think there are elements of the child and the adult that we should select and incorporate into our own lives
    • The child: creativity, lack of inhibition, thinking outside of convention or precedent
    • The adult: maturity, confidence to step into the limelight, the sturdiness in mental resolve, and persistence and tenacity that comes with maturity
  • Furthermore, there are elements of each type that we should not incorporate - e.g. the recklessness of children, the overthinking of adults. I think we should incorporate certain elements of the child-like approach (especially when it comes to creativity) as well as the adult mindset - and to keep in mind that we ought not to adopt the full profile of one or the other.

Quote of the week

“All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once you grow up.” - Pablo Picasso