To produce great creative work, move at pace. Abandon any desire for quality and simply focus on churning out quantity instead. This holds true at every step of the way — the initial glimmer of an idea; a rough first draft; any edits and revisions; and even the final polishing. Of course, this is easy … Read more
No matter how impressive an achievement looks from the outside, it feels hollow if it came too easily. We value what we work to achieve. The satisfaction comes from a recognition that our effort was required. And that it has been well-spent. When you enjoy something that seems easy it’s usually a sign that you … Read more
A river valley doesn’t appear overnight. It’s formed through geological processes that take millions of years. And it goes through several distinct stages in this time. At the start, the river is at the mercy of the environment. It owes its very existence to quirks of geography. The terrain is master of it’s motion and nature. … Read more
In his book, Outlive, Peter Attia avoids discussing the trendy “wonder drugs” that excited influencers are claiming can add years to your life. Instead, he focuses way more on identifying the bad things that are most likely to kill you — then thinking about simple, boring behaviours that can reduce these risks. This is not … Read more
Artists sometimes give us a much stronger sense of what an image is by showing clearly what it’s not. Rather than fill in the detail of what’s there, they focus on clearly delineating the spaces where there’s nothing. This concept of negative space wants to inform how all of us live. It can be hard … Read more
When you look at a painting… Or watch a film… Or listen to some music… Your attention is grabbed by what’s there. But your experience is shaped just as much by what’s not there. A master creator spends at least as much time deciding what to leave out as what to add in. Deliberately leaving … Read more
Forget inspiration. Forget technical skill. Throw all those things to one side for the moment. Sure, they’re important — but they’re also totally subservient to what really matters. The most powerful ingredient of your creativity is not something you’re born with. It’s a habit you develop… An identity you choose to adopt… You need to … Read more
If you care about creative work then you must reject quality. Abandon it completely in favour of sheer, over-the-top volume of output. This seems crazy. After all, what’s the point of going into creative work in the first place unless you care about quality? If you’re not that bothered, just be a craftsman. Turn your … Read more
Simplicity looks timid but plays strong. It produces rare and desirable fruits that complexity can never offer. When you choose to keep things simple, that means only picking a few things to hold onto. The rest gets slung out without ceremony. So you’re immediately forced to confront some deep truths. What really matters to you … Read more
Modern life seems to demand that we take sides. Either join those proclaiming productive work as the only virtuous use of our time. Or aspire to the glittering social media visions of lives filled with nothing but travel, experiences, and indulgence. Here’s my view: You absolutely can and should strive to create plenty of leisure … Read more