Category: Creativity
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Giving thanks
In the days when most people used to farm, the end of the harvest called for a celebration. One can imagine families finally feeling a sense of certainty—knowing how much food they produced, and the relief that it would be enough to survive the winter—and wanting to express gratitude for making it another year around…
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Three things writing every day has refined for me
Knowing what I want to say, what’s coming from my heart, and what’s not. It’s not refinement in the editorial sense of the word; it’s refinement of sincerity. Practicing immediacy, and not letting myself get in my own head for too long. In other words, refining my senses of preciousness and detachment. Lowering my expectations,…
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Me and you
A comedian loves his audience. He wants to make them laugh. For this reason, he is also afraid of them. If they’re displeased by, or worse—indifferent to—his routine, he may second guess himself. He might not just change his approach; he might take fewer risks. He knows that when that happens, he’s doomed. I remember…
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Pineapples, pizza, and possibility
Do you like pineapples on your pizza? The style is known as a Hawaiian pizza, and it’s a polarizing topic. For example, the former president of Iceland joked that he’d ban pineapples on pizza if he could. When I lived in New York City, I searched far and wide before finding a half decent restaurant…
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Collect underpants → ??? → Profit: A guide to filling in the question marks in your plans
There’s a TV trope called the Missing Steps Plan (it’s also an internet meme). Here’s an example from a South Park episode, which involves gnomes stealing underpants: We are all missing steps in our wishes and dreams. The question is to what degree. For example, someone who hasn’t cooked and wants to cook might have…