The Weekly | Issue 04
Creativity, Manifesting like the Legendary Octavia E. Butler, Adam Grant on Givers & Takers at Work and More
🦉 Wisdom 🦉
“The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.” ~ Bruce Lee
I recently started The Artist’s Way 12-week program. The program is outlined in Julia Cameron’s masterpiece book by the same name, and it’s designed to help us tap into our most creative selves. I’m enjoying the program, especially the Morning Pages and Artist Dates. Morning Pages is writing three pages of stream of consciousness every morning. Artist dates are solo outings designed to inspire.
Creativity is a loaded word in our culture and certainly has been in my life. My mother was an graphic artist and set designer who instilled the art bug in me early but was also one of my biggest critics.
Any time I showed interest and ability in visual arts and writing, she’d steer me away from considering anything artistic as a career. While I believe there was a fair amount of envy and competition at play, I know the root of her discontent was her frustration with her place in the world. Bound by four mouths to feed and an unsupportive spouse, her creative spirit was constantly at the mercy of money. And as we all know, what’s sellable isn’t necessarily what makes our hearts sing.
Then there’s our society’s rejection of creativity as a non-serious pursuit or one that guarantees a life of poverty.
What’s missing is the admission that creativity is a core piece of being human. It’s already in all of us. There’s no mystical endowment necessary. All that’s required is commitment to tapping into our well of creativity.
We also often forget that creativity is needed in every discipline. From law to medicine to business, creativity isn’t merely a skill for the arts. It’s a core skill that powers life.
📸 My Week in a Picture 📸
🌟 Best Stuff on the Internet This Week 🌟
40 Acres and a Lie: Part 2, Reveal Podcast, June 22, 2024. Part 2 of the Center for Investigative Reporting’s series on the land that was promised to former enslaved people…and taken away from them. This episode covers Skidaway Island in Georgia, home of The Landings, an exclusive gated community that was once a plantation. 40 acres in The Landings now goes for at least $20 million, wealth that should be in the hands of former enslaved people and their ancestors.
Adam Grant: Are You a Giver or Taker?, Ted Talk.
Project 2025: Know What It Is. Be Very Afraid. Carrie Kaufmann outlines the evil intent in The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. As much as I loathe fear-mongering, this is worthy of every bit. The upcoming national election is a serious lesson in adulting for all of us.
9 Questions to Help You Figure Out Why You’re Burned Out. The burnout is real right now. Between the brutal job market and so many companies forcing employees to take on extra responsibilities, conditions are right for burnout. Use these 9 questions to figure out the root of your burnout so you can make a plan to do something about it.
📚 Book Recs 📚
The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health by Jennifer Frazier, PhD. Required reading for anyone who’s been bullied or those who want to help others who have been bullied. Fraser’s book shows how bullying affects our brains and how we can heal.
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino. A baby is born to a single mother, possessing unusual perception and knowledge of a faraway planet. A fax machine allows her to make contact with her extraterrestrial relatives and report on the ways of Earthlings. This book is sci-fi with a soul.
👀 What to Watch 👀
Happy Valley (AMC+ or Buy on AppleTV). I’m obsessed with British procedurals, but Happy Valley is in a league of its own. The show is set in the West Yorkshire community of Calder Valley. The setting is a character in itself, providing a sweeping and idyllic backdrop at odds with the violence of the storyline and the tumult of its characters. The headline character is Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire, currently playing Julia Child in Max’s Julia), an overwhelmed police sergeant who’s raising her grandson and carrying seemingly everyone around her on her broad shoulders. Her three-season nemesis is the psychopath who sexually assaulted her daughter, leading her to end her life - hence why Catherine is raising her grandson Ryan. Strong, deep characters, incredible writing and top-notch acting. Five stars.
Presumed Innocent (Apple TV). Yes, many of us read this Scott Turow book back in the 80s…1987 to be exact. It was also a movie starring Harrison Ford. Now, it’s been reconstituted in an Apple TV series starring Jake Gyllenhaal. The plot still holds up. Definitely worth a watch.
😳 Hall of Shame 😳
What Is the UK’s Plan to Send Asylum Seekers to Rwanda? BBC Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Parliament have a brilliant plan (sarcasm) to send asylum-seeking immigrants to Rwanda. Just like western nations ship our garbage to other countries who have less than us, Rishi and his chums are treating immigrants seeking a better life in the UK as equally disposable. Disgusting.
Biden Student Loan Relief Halted by Court Challenges. The assault on the middle and lower classes continues. Bailouts for everyone…except ordinary people.
The US Supreme Court Just Basically Legalized Bribery. In the Snyder v. United States ruling, the court keeps it consistent and ridiculous. This doesn’t bode well for the Trump immunity case.
Dell Said Return to the Office or Else—Nearly Half of Workers Chose “or Else.” Dell threatened to not promote employees if they didn’t return to the office. Many employees have chosen not to be promoted and keep their WFH lifestyle.
📅 Workshop & Event Schedule 📅
Building Cohesion & Impact with Outcomes-Based Management | July 11
The 7: The Executive Skills You Need to Thrive | August 2
With love, hope and solidarity ✊🏼 DC
Seriously, fuck going back to an office. I mean, for real. Hey, here’s a thought - figure out how to meaningfully retrofit all these spaces and make housing. How about that?! Ugh. My cousin’s wife is a real estate lawyer in DC and the problem of all of the unoccupied office space is constantly being discussed. No, these buildings weren’t designed for residency, but there needs to be a way to remedy that.