Sunday Briefing: Jan 21

Another week closes, and another one opens.

Whereas last week I spent the weekend lamenting in guilt about not working, this weekend I’m feeling the opposite.There’s an intensity of multiple projects right now that’s leading my mind to want to continue on but my body is ready for a break.

One way of keeping an eye out on creative burnout/rest is sleep tracking. I did my research and Amazon primed myself a Fitbit overnight. I’ve tracked a few nights of sleep already and am making some adjustments. If left unmanaged, I could go straight into a quantified-self tailspin. Instead, I use these types of trackers to gauge where I'm at and then abandon them as soon as I've made some necessary adjustments.

I enjoyed reading this bit of openness from blogger and writer part of Kottke.org
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Can I tell you a secret?

I don't know what my work is.

Or rather: I don't know what to call it. Not anything that makes sense.

There was a time when that would have been a very easy question to answer. I'm a reporter who writes about the intersection of technology and media. Or: I'm a scholar who studies the history of comparative media and the stories we tell about it going back forever. Or: I'm a blogger who's trying to figure out what the liberal arts are in a networked age. "
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I think many of us aren't totally sure how to gauge things anymore. Especially as more of us go freelance and take on multiple types of projects. Especially especially those who have been working like this long enough to see industry changes.

Naturally, this uncertainty feels unsafe. It's like you're a sheep way off on your own on the hill while the rest of the flock is in the valley grazing happily.

Is this all going in the right direction? Or a direction at all?

Regarding social media, I’m still just floating in the ocean waiting to strike land or get scooped up in a wave in some exciting way.

One possible option is totally deleting all of my previous posts in an attempt to trick myself back into the "tabula rasa..."

I’ve been lurking on some solid Twitter feeds, notably @naval and @edlatimore for my intellectual curiosity.
I've seen in a long time.

"Hard-work is overrated, Judgement is underrated. Which direction you go is more important than the force you apply. @naval

Twitter is perfect for quick-quote hits, which are good in short doses but can lead to cavities.

My goal of 6 workouts a week was more of a receding dream. But, I’m back to 2-3 a week HIIT training, with my preference being Orange Theory.

The Phantom Thread withDaniel Day-Lewis and Vicky Krieps was phenomenal.There will be blood is a favorite of mine for the cinematography, but this new film has some of the best acting I’ve ever seen in my life. Not for everyone, but beautifully shot and like all great movies; it makes you think about it days afterward. Just know that some parts will move slowwwww.

Smelling the flowers.

I set aside 2 hours this afternoon to wander around and think, without LTE. Mentally clearing the browser history and cache for the week ahead.

Anything you need to share about the closing of last week?

Wishing you all successful days ahead this week, whatever that success looks like to you.

xx David

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