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How a daily writing habit sparked my creativity
5. Million. People. I couldn’t believe my eyes. 5 million people had seen a piece that I wrote. It was spontaneous. I just wrote that post because the topic was interesting to me, and I promised myself I would write something that day. I started blogging when I was 15 years old. I remember nights…
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The other half
There’s a popular article making the rounds, entitled, “There is no such thing as a millennial middle class.” It includes some important points, namely a call to reform the political decisions that have led to Canada’s high student debt loads, unaffordable housing, and stagnant wages. All worthy causes to fight for. This resonates with me…
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Hire yourself
“What if you hire yourself?” There are two ways to interpret this question. First, are you good enough to hire yourself—would you pay your rate to work with yourself? If not, what can you do to get to that rate—what is the outcome you need to provide to yourself that would make your price worth…
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Slowing inspiration down
Receiving a new idea is an incredible experience—to me, the sensation is a whirlwind of hope, opportunity, and excitement. This is a double-edged sword though, because all of us take in new ideas every day, which means if we were to act on all of them, we would perpetually be stuck in the middle of…
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Do Less, Little By Little
Sam wants to gain weight this year. He also wants to cook nine meals per week, so he can support that goal. He’s locked down in the pandemic, so he also needs to find a new gym or arrangement to workout. Sam’s also in a relationship and wants to be more present in that than…
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Don’t make “Bad” the enemy of “Good”
There’s a saying I’ve heard countless times, some variation of, “Don’t Let ‘Perfect’ Be the Enemy of ‘Good.’” (Here’s an example.) I like it, because aiming for perfection is the surest way to a creative block and paralysis by analysis. Aiming for good is a great rallying call to actually get things done—to aim for…
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Audiences in the arenas
It used to be that spectating was the only way to experience creative work. Stadiums, arenas, and theaters are based on this premise. People who spectate are known as the audience. Spectating is still an incredibly popular activity—just look at Twitch. Sure, I listen to podcasts, I watch films and TV, and I read. I…
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Hard Work, Plus
In September 2007, J. Cole stood outside Roc-the-Mic studios in the rain for 2 hours waiting for Jay-Z to hand him a beats tape for American Gangster. The second Jay-Z saw it, he said, “I don’t want that, give it to one of them.” That’s why self-promotion is, understandably, one of the most dislikeable parts…
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Reiterate
Wonder Shuttle is an editorial studio that works with companies to turn their team’s knowledge into additional hires at lower costs. It’s a way to make an impact with content, beyond marketing. I started Wonder Shuttle in 2013 and publicly launched it in 2014. From 2016 to 2018, I worked with Shopify and its enterprise…
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The Museum of You
At the Museum of Innocence in Istanbul, named after his novel of the same title, author Orhan Pamuk proposes a manifesto. Here’s an excerpt: “I am against these precious monumental institutions being used as blueprints for future museums. Museums should explore and uncover the universe and humanity of the new and modern man emerging from…