Author: Herbert Lui
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Parenthood and possibilities
A few days after we came home from the hospital, I sent a letter to a friend, including a photo of my son and some first impressions of fatherhood. He responded, simply, “Everything is possible again.” It was the perfect thing to write, because that was exactly how it felt. We could retell our stories…
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Three things about competition
It’s awards season. In between discussing who should’ve gotten what, it’s also a good time to consider the relationship between competitions and creative work. In many ways, it’s always awards season—30 under 30, weekly funding announcements, grants and fellowships, Olympics, etc: Competitions pay the bills Competitions take place because we value stories, drama, and craft.…
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Foundation first
One philosophy or heuristic I have been drawn to recently is to prioritize foundational activities. Personal life: wash your face, work out, eat healthy and regularly, feed your cat, shower, do laundry, present yourself, journal, write, draw, etc. Do things that make you feel alive. This is actually the most important foundation. Professional life: keep…
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Three things about Dan Runcie building Trapital
Dan Runcie has built something really special with Trapital. Chenell Basilio breaks down how he does it. Some notable points: Write what you want to live: “Dan didn’t start Trapital because he was the most experienced, knowledgeable, Hip-Hop insider. He became an most experienced, knowledgeable, Hip-Hop insider because he started Trapital.” (via Jay Clouse.) I’ve…
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When happiness happens
You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. Albert Camus HAPPINESS.—A butterfly, which when pursued, seems always just beyond your grasp, but if you sit down quietly may alight upon you. New Orleans Crescent
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Value your ignorance
My friend Abdel’s lament, after watching a student “solve” the Rubik’s Cube on his desk just like the YouTube video showed her how: “You need to value your ignorance.” Ross Gay, The Book of Delights When I played video games as a young boy, I constantly referred to cheat codes and guides. I wanted to…
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A new Bloomberg
Something interesting happened today. Semafor reports: Sherwood, the media arm of the retail trading platform, Robinhood has poached a half-dozen high profile journalists to lead its Spring launch. Walter Hickey, the Business Insider data guru who won a Pulitzer for his role in a graphic novel-style treatment of the oppression of Uyghurs, who will be…
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Dependence
From: Steve Jobs To: Steve Jobs Subject: Date: September 2, 2010, 11:08 p.m. I grow little of the food I eat, and of the little I do grow I did not breed or perfect the seeds. I do not make any of my own clothing. I speak a language I did not invent or refine.…
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Clear the calendar
On any given day, your brain could give you a burst of energy to do something you’ve been putting off; it might feel like a whim. Consider giving this more attention than you’d think. Clear an afternoon off for it if you can, and let the inspiration take you where it wants you to go.
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Five themes in the creative process
In preparation for a podcast, I put together some themes that I’ve seen common to many creative processes. Here are five: If you’re just starting out, learn more about the 4 step creative process. A linear representation of the process usually helps, particularly with production. A reader recently applied it to their data visualization project.…