Things I learnt in February
Charm, courage, and creative freedom
01. Art makes me feel alive.
Art isn’t an indulgence—it’s essential. Making it, reading it, listening to it, watching it, talking about it. It connects me to myself and the world. When I lose sight of that, I lose myself.
02. Create the space to be free.
Nick Cave says, order is the antidote to despair. He treats his creative practice like a job. Every day, he puts on a suit and goes to work—whether to write music or make ceramics. Structure gives him the space to be free.
03. Write down an idea immediately.
When an idea comes, catch it before it slips away. David Lynch calls this catching ideas—the first spark, a fragment of a painting, a story, a melody. Catch it, write it down, nurture it, and bring it to life.
04. Learn by doing.
When starting something new, it’s tempting to plan it to perfection, to map out every step before you begin. But in the planning, the thing isn’t being made. Start, play, and let the work guide you.
05. You don’t have to suffer to create, but if you don’t create, you will suffer.
There’s a romantic notion that great art comes from suffering, but perhaps suffering comes from not being able to fully throw yourself into your art.
06. Never dilute yourself.
Sharing your work comes with the fear of saying the wrong thing, of being disliked. Alex Hormozi says twenty percent will champion you, sixty percent will silently observe, and twenty percent will criticise you. Most people fixate on the critics and lose themselves in the process.
07. Find the courage to be yourself.
It is the hardest thing and the most important thing. Alex Hormozi says, "I’d rather be disliked for being me than liked for being someone else."
08. Follow charm.
When moving through the day, choosing between this and that, ask yourself: Does it charm you? If it does, lean in. If it doesn’t, let go.
JYK 🤍
New podcast episode 🕊
This week, Matteo and I sat down to talk about redesigning our life in Sydney—finding new rituals, navigating productivity shame, starting therapy, and having the courage to be ourselves. We share the Big Little Things we’re learning and why, in the end, it all comes down to one question: Does it charm you?
This really resonates with me. Thank you for sharing 👌🏼