#079 The Seventy Ninth One

Mar 14, 2023

Common Discourse is a project designed to help others (and ourselves) think through creativity, focus, and intentional work—from Alex Tan & Alice Otieno.

Every Tuesday we share words from a journal, a few ideas, a quote from somebody else, and links worth sharing. On Fridays we invite a guest to share images from their camera roll and a sound that resonates with them. Words from the Journal come on the first of every month.

This is the seventy ninth weekly briefing we’ve made. Thanks for sticking around.

I’m heading to ABQ, Santa Fe, and Taos for the first time this week. What should I eat and see?

— Alex

A few ideas

I. KNOWLEDGE VS. KNOWING

There’s a major difference between reading about something versus living through it.

Knowledge is what they told us.

Knowing is what we’ve experienced.

II. WINDOWS

Some of us will prepare our entire life without ever seizing the moment to take action.

Others will jump too quickly on our chances without being equipped to deal with the journey.

It’s equally important to recognize an open window as it is to prepare for the fall.

III. DEEP WATERS

It’s normal for the stakes to go up as we gain a reputation for doing work that is beautiful and effective. Projects naturally look bigger, feel more important, and include more decision makers.

In some cases, the water has gotten deeper. If you’re used to swimming in water that’s 8ft deep, then eighty feet of depth doesn’t feel any different. It’s not more dangerous or difficult, it just feels that way.

In a similar fashion, giving a speech to 20,000 people isn’t 20x more difficult than giving a speech to 1,000 people.

It’s worth remembering that, many times, the work hasn’t changed one bit, just the narrative surrounding it has.

A quote from somebody else

“I learned that just beneath the surface there’s another world, and still different worlds as you dig deeper. I knew it as a kid, but I couldn’t find the proof. It was just a feeling. There is goodness in blue skies and flowers, but another force - a wild pain and decay - also accompanies everything.”

— David Lynch

Links worth sharing

🖊 An interview with Rhea Dillon via Leorosa

🥪 Rotating Sandwiches (that’s literally it)

🗾 Phantom Islands is a sonic atlas that interprets and presents the imaginations of Islands that were sighted, described and explored, but never had their existence verified. In the form of an interactive map, the site charts the sounds of a number of historical phantom islands.

❓If you knew me would you love me (too)

☁️ Cloud watching is a microsite by Chia Amisola that lets you have a day under the clouds, from the comfort of your screen. You can also create your own clouds and send them out into the sky.

🍯 Coogie by Dijon

🟥 Entropic States by Tomorrow Bureau