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 once a month.
I think something we fail to appreciate is how hard it is to put one foot in front of the other. To keep going, to find consistency, to reach flow.
We typically flock to highlights, but the normal days is where the real stuff happens.
— Alex
A few ideas
I. THE RIGHT KIND OF RISK
When we started MW.S, it felt safer to take on a lot of smaller, less creatively fulfilling jobs to keep the lights on. However, it didn’t take us long to realize that those projects weren’t getting us closer to establishing a reputation for creating work that we knew we were capable of.
Taking less steps in the right direction is certainly a risk, but the bigger and more common risk is running in place.
It’s easy to get caught going nowhere fast.
II. FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH
“For what it’s worth” is a nice gesture, but more often times than not it’s taken as a discount, a close-out sale, or last year’s model.
Ideas go further when we start with believing that they’re possible. And not only possible, but that they can make a real difference.
If it’s worth saying, it’s worth getting straight to the point.
III. HOW MUCH DOES A BAG OF GROCERIES COST?
Seems like a silly question. Because, obviously, it depends on what’s in the bag.
What meals are you making? For how many people? Are there any dietary restrictions? Nutritional needs? The list goes on and on…
With a couple answers, you could probably guess how much the bill would be before getting to the register.
It makes sense that creatives have a hard time pricing their work and clients have a hard time understanding the price. Both of which could be solved if we took some time to figure out what needed to go in the bag.
A quote from somebody else
“The strategic reason to be a reluctant strategist is that when you are less expectant and more open, good outcomes seem to happen, whereas when you are desperate and anxious for them to happen, they don’t. I don’t think this is just a bias of perception. Confident people, optimistic people attract better outcomes than those with low-self esteem and limited beliefs in part because their energy is a kind of magnet for the same kinds of people. Doing nothing is a bad strategy, but acting simply to act is also not a great life strategy. To check yourself, you need to ensure your motives are non-reactive. Otherwise, you win the battle but lose the war.”
— The Limits of Strategy, Zohar Atkins
Links worth sharing
🏗 101 things I learned in architecture school, by Matthew Frederick
☎️ Call Me Adele is a data-art piece by Wipawe Sirikolkarn, that analyses conversations during their relationship 4 months in vs 4 months before the break-up.
👁 Kaleidoscope Eyes is an exhibition of augmented reality(AR) artworks that seek to change and expand the way we experience art through immersive technology.
🏙 This website by Anezka Minarikova is set in a window in front of her desk in Bushwick, New York and changes every minute depending on the time of day.
Thanks for consuming!
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