A quiet newsletter for reflection, creativity, and moving ideas forward, one small step at a time.
Dear Creativity...renewing the connection
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Dear Creativity, I spent the past week in Austin for my job. This was my fourth year visiting this city to run programs in collaboration with a school. It’s always a busy time: setting up rooms, wrangling technology, fine-tuning curriculum systems, and hosting volunteers. I fall into familiar routines each time I’m there, even though it’s not home. And yet, I’m always surprised by how you show up when I’m in a city that isn’t mine. You’re there in the different landscape filled with murals splashed across walls, twinkle lights strung overhead, and mosaics etched into the ground. You’re there in the signs of the future quietly blending into everyday life: self-driving cars cruising by, small delivery robots navigating sidewalks alongside the usual hustle and bustle of the people that live there and those of us who are visiting. But where you delight me most is in the ritual of feeding myself. The depth of your presence in a well-crafted cocktail. The layers of flavor in the food. The way each dish satisfies not just my appetite, but my eyes and senses, too. Every meal feels like a small reminder of how much care, experimentation, and imagination went into creating it. Being away from home, even somewhere I’ve been many times before, always seems to renew my connection to you. It’s as if distance sharpens my attention. Familiar routines, seen through a new lens, become invitations again. And it has me wondering, Creativity… Innovatively yours, |
Diary of a Wannabe Creative
A quiet newsletter for reflection, creativity, and moving ideas forward, one small step at a time.
Dear Creativity, There’s no shortage of problems to solve in our lives, but the paths we take to find solutions are many and varied. I’ve noticed that the difference between the masses and creators/innovators often comes down to a choice: whether we dance around a problem… or face it head-on and ask for help. Last year, a simple Kickstarter ad stirred something in me. It spotlighted a problem I had been quietly tolerating for years, working on the road with only a small laptop screen. You...
Dear Creativity, I’m almost a little ashamed that it took me eight months to complete this project.And at the same time, I’m deeply proud that I did. Since I was a child, I have been inspired by my mother’s ability to create beautiful things with crochet: quilts, doilies, bathroom covers, tablecloths, and dresses. Her skill level was extraordinary. She could look at a finished piece and figure out how to replicate it on her own. That’s how deeply she had mastered the craft. When she was...
Dear Creativity, Last month, I stumbled upon a praying mantis on my morning walk. It placed itself on the path of the walkway of my apartment complex as I began my journey. It was large, green, completely still, and alert against the gray pavement beneath it. In a world rushing past, it felt almost out of place. I remember wondering how many people would walk right by without noticing. I almost did too. But something made me stop. I’ve been carrying that moment with me ever since. The new...