Category: Creativity
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If you’re unsure what to do, take any action
Here’s a useful reminder from Brian Armstrong, who leads Coinbase: One of my favorite lessons I’ve learnt from working with smart people: Action produces information. If you’re unsure of what to do, just do anything, even if it’s the wrong thing. This will give you information about what you should actually be doing. Sounds simple…
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Are you being rude to yourself?
For some of us, the people who taught us when we were young might have been tough. They believed that by being rude to us, they were also helping us build character and succeed. Whether their approach was effective or not, their voice stays with us. We learn to be rude to ourselves in the…
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Clarify what your career currently supports
Your career can help you solve one problem at a time. It benefits from having a primary focus. Here are some factors I have solved for, either through intuition or intention: Learning: When I started freelancing and grew that business into an editorial studio, I wanted to learn the ropes of starting a business. Earning:…
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The Middle Way
In Buddhist philosophy, the Middle Way is a practice that steers clear of extremes. It involves eight interconnected guidelines. You can consider the guitar string an analogy for the Middle Way: a guitar string needs to be just tight enough—not too loose, or too tight—to sound right. In the world of creative work, balancing art…
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Wisdom starts with walking
One of the more useful practices I’ve cultivated this year is treating stress like a pet dog. When I experience high stress, I imagine a dog who desperately needs to run outside to use the bathroom. It would feel cruel and irresponsible to keep them cooped up inside, and they would eventually take care of…
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Your routines are your opinions
There is a private library in the outskirts of Kyoto, called Kissa Fang. The books are meticulously organized. When you enter, a staff member hands you a wooden block. Any time you take a book off the shelf, you place the wooden block as a placeholder. This routine also enforces two opinions: read one book…
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Bias for novelty
If you’re used to the same routines every day—same route to work, same apps and websites, same friends—then you have a lot to gain by exploring. Try a new coffee shop, restaurant, or bar. Visit a nearby local town. Don’t order your favorite dish, set out to find a second favorite. Don’t be surprised to…