that moment of connection

an involuntarily smile

a deep laugh

a sense of thrill

a feeling of knowing

what comes next

the art of doing imperfect things

when you don't have resources

when you don't have connections

when you don't feel inspired

when you don't feel excited

-> do it perfectly imperfectly

imperfect is the engine

that drives creativity forward

that drives life forward

we inhabited planet Tartrax in 2080. it didn't have a stable reality like Earth. instead, reality was completely flexible and defined entirely by the active focus of a few people we called 'Weavers.' Weavers were regular humans to start, but they went through an immersive training program for about 60 years before their active work began. weaving was so physically and cognitively demanding that most only wove for around a year and often experienced debilitating cognitive and physical breakdowns afterward. it was a position of extreme trust and vulnerability in society, as Weavers could literally change reality. sometimes, they made mistakes. a few times, like the 'Red Morning' of 2096, they had gone rogue with catastrophic consequence

i don't want to be carefully curated.

i want to be messy.

i want to be chaotic.

i want to take risks.

i want to be alive.

some of us are stuck on repeat in life. we're listening to the same song over and over. we're too afraid to evolve and grow and experience something new. hit next! it might be beautiful. it might open you up to a whole new world of opportunity and possibility. of course, it might also be country. but hey, you don't have to stop there. keep going!

maybe it's not gross. maybe it's just telling a good joke. maybe it's just telling a good story. maybe it's just creating pleasant intrigue. maybe it's just good communication. maybe it's just compelling imagery. maybe hooks have been around forever since people first communicated with each other

hooks. hooks. hooks. you need to hook. you need to make better hooks. social platforms are highways. highways lined with people all holding signs. every sign competing against its neighbors to grab and hold the attention of scrollers as they speed by on their way to nowhere. give me your attention. i demand your attention. i need your attention

she has candy bar vibes. at her core are delicious layers of love, kindness, strength, courage, and an appreciation for humanity and life. around that core is a rather crunchy layer of pure sarcasm, wit, and a little bit of provocateur mixed in. bite carefully

the 4th floor of the abandoned factory immediately felt different. they both noticed the sensation at the same time. J glanced over at V and raised her eyebrows. V nodded, and they slowly began working their way across the massive room - a full city block long. they weren't really sure what they were looking for, but all their research pointed here. they were about halfway through the room, and then, it was there. from behind a concrete column, a small orb of light suddenly appeared, drifting toward them slowly

he loved driving alone at night. the world shrunk to a few feet of worn pavement, illuminated only by the soft yellow pool of light that danced ahead of his truck. on all sides, the pitch black of the desert threatened to swallow him. he flicked his headlights off and felt the infinite nothingness surround him. a moment later, the pool of light reappeared. he smiled to himself

i love people that aren't confident but still do the thing they believe in. wobbly but moving forward anyway. let's go

life can feel like a sort of ping-pong game. we are the ball, and the players are tragedy and triumph. back and forth we go, experiencing the thrill of one, then the agony of the other. who wins?

the arrow landed in the doorframe, inches away from his head. V heard the impact and felt the shower of wood splinters hit his neck. he reacted instantly, dropping down and diving sideways back inside the cabin. his coffee cup did the same, dumping its contents across the room. in the corner, Jens was cackling loudly - apparently, near-death situations were amusing to him

the thriving life is

1) doing the things that are right for you, and

2) doing them in the way that is right for you

the journey and adventure of life then is learning and experiencing your unique flavor of these things

he hung there, suspended in excruciating tension, arms stretched wide. but it was his own grip that held him there - one hand grasped tightly to his fears, the other to his dreams. unwilling to release either, he remained bound, paralyzed, tortured, year after year

i often feel

an internal anxiety

when i create.

i am not sure what it is.

maybe it is creative energy.

maybe it is fear.

maybe it is excitement.

i am curious

will i still feel this in 10 yrs?

maybe it will be gone.

maybe it will change.

maybe i will know it better.

ever since the discovery, people moved with a new energy and optimism. they had a vitality and aliveness about them. they were more united, more interested in building together. there seemed to be a freshness and clarity to the shared human experience. many were reporting that they woke up each day with a sort of visceral delight for life

he was tired

tired of himself

tired of the same thoughts

the same feelings

the same day

that just kept repeating

year after year

he resolved

to think new

feel new

do new

and in that moment

a new life was born

within a decade, a machine will be able to do every single thing you do but better

the only thing a machine will never be able to do is be you

fortunately, people want you, the experience of you

so get good at being you. lean into your unique genius, your unique way of living, your unique way of being

i'm not saying 'try' to fail publicly. we don't have to be masochists

but i do think that, in order to reach our potential in life, we have to embrace doing a ton of creative output - in the public sphere - while knowing full well that it is not our best work