Vol. 4: Forward is a Pace

A weekly newsletter on our modern Renaissance, the issues and ideas driving today's creative work.

You are a work in progress, and so is your creative output.

From my Substack,?Renaissance Plan.?Read the full article here.

I’ve now written three books. One on the lessons that can be learned from professional comedy. One on mapping a career to how one feels intrinsic “success.” And one on how to reignite creative habits in adulthood.

I spent collectively years gathering insights on these topics, formulating an opinion on them, and constructing mental frameworks to help tell others (and myself) how to operate more effectively. And yet, I am consistently a victim of pitfalls I have told others for years how to avoid.

I chase the wrong stimulus in my work. I fail to make creativity a habit. I pine for outcomes instead of focusing on the journey and what it can give me. I give up too soon. I hang on too late. I fuck up in how I treat myself, letting negative self-talk creep in like an insidious, invisible breeze through the cracks in the windows of my mind.

I should know better, I think to myself.?I’ve written a damn book on how to do this right, why do I continue to fail???

I promise this post isn’t just meant to beat myself up. While my journey of self-exploration hasn’t “fixed” all of the neural pathways that lead me down the wrong road, it has equipped me with the wisdom to know that these transgressions are?normal and ok.

I’m not much for the mantras of yoga, though I do practice yoga frequently and enjoy the escape. Still, one common bit of instructor guidance rings true, when in our shavasana rest at the end of class, they will often say something like “if thoughts come into your mind, acknowledge them and let them go.” This way of thinking about negativity or worry or other pervasive and destructive ideas is profound in my opinion.

Because if you focus too much on how to avoid those ideas ever entering your mind, you’ve set yourself up for failure before the race has even started. I know that I will never rid my mind of negative self-talk. I’ll never stand over a definitively defeated imposter syndrome, raising my flag in triumph! I’ll never complete a work of creative expression and fully believe it to be worthy of the world. But all of that is?normal and ok.

The trick is, you mustn’t let those setbacks or challenging ideas win. You must realize that you are in fact a work in progress. And there will be times when you are not your best, most complete self. Recognizing this as a normal part of the journey, personally and creatively, is a meaningful step toward stripping these ideas of their ultimate power.

It’s why I hate the talking heads on LinkedIn and other business influencer mediums that speak in such absolutes. “Here is how you need to operate your schedule for success.” “This is the diet that will optimize your physical performance.” “Don’t drink alcohol ever or you’ll fall behind.” These people aren’t real. Real people know that sometimes you need cake and a glass of wine. And it doesn’t mean that you are a failure. Dax Shepard, the actor and host of the Armchair Expert podcast, talks about losing his sobriety after many years and how he needed to overcome it. And, I’m paraphrasing here, but he talks about how he had to stop thinking about getting back to the amount of years he had before when he got back “on the wagon.” Because it would take him so long that in that entire time he’d feel like he had?lost.?Instead, he needed to celebrate each day for what it was, a blessing to be healthy and focused.

All of us, regardless of the battles we face in our lives and in our work, can learn from this perspective. One day at a time. When your thoughts or your behaviors don’t live up to your expectations, acknowledge them and?let them go.?Aim for better tomorrow. Give yourself grace.

This week, for me, has been a brutal battle with my own negativity and self-worth. So like all of my writing, this is a reminder to me as much as all of you. Be well, and be kind to yourself.

Read the full article and subscribe?here.

Community thoughts.

From Basquiat to branding: an interview with Erwin Hines.

The newest episode of Monotype 's Creative Characters podcast is now live, hosted by my friend and colleague Kadley Gosselin . This week the team interviews Erwin Hines, who runs an amazing mixed-use creative space in San Diego, focused on the mission of "building accessible space for intentional conversation around collective liberation." It's akin to a favorite concept of mine in the creative world, "arts-based placemaking," which is a way that communities bring artists in to revitalize and reimagine physical spaces in (mostly) urban areas. You won't want to miss this one.

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AI positioning starts to emerge for big brands. Many brands have been tepid about acknowledging how they utilize AI in their tools, trying to listen and learn before making statements that will pin them into a perspective. Now, however, some brands are beginning to share their POV with customers and users, marking a new moment in the paradigm shift.

One such example is Kickstarter, which introduced its "rules" for AI. Among them, two key mandates for creators:

1. Required disclosure of the use of AI for all creators.
2. Required disclosure of data sources for projects using AI in their development.

It will be interesting to see how these rules influence other creative marketplaces in the coming weeks and months. I'm keeping an eye on the continued Hollywood strikes / negotiations as well.

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Wishing you a creative week ahead!