#087 Moving Ahead, Slowly. Just How I Like It.

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.

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I write about the same things over and over again because I have more to say.

— Alex

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A few ideas

I. GOOD THINKING

The best pressure test of our own thinking is to write it down.

If it only makes sense in your own head, it’s probably not a great idea. If it can be read aloud and easily understood, it’s probably a better idea.

Writing gives poor thinking nowhere to hide.

II. PERSISTENCE

It’s common for talented people to be unsuccessful, for genius to lack reward, and for the educated to have a lack of application.

But nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.

III. FAILURE

Failure is a poor way of looking at the result of risk. Failure is the end of a road, a start from zero, and an elimination of progress. On the other hand, missteps are a chance to learn.

Steps backward, to the side, and pauses in time usually reveal better paths forward.

What mistakes are you grateful for?

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A quote from somebody else

“Music is a thing—or visuals or whatever you’re receiving as a person art-wise—you’re taking in, and then it means something to you that it wouldn’t mean to anyone else as specifically because your brain is different from everyone else’s. As personal as my art is, I recognize that, when someone else is receiving it, it becomes their own, and that’s a really special thing. What I adore about the whole process is how it can be shared in that way.”

— Indigo De Souza

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Links worth sharing

🦵 Body Synth is an A.I experiment by Google that allows you to make music by moving your body.

💊 Symphony in Acid is an interactive website ****promoting a track from the album Unspoken Words by Max Cooper.

🤳 Ways to Feel Sentimental With Your Phone, by Lai Yi Ohlsen

⏳ Stills for Two Hours by Public Announcement NYC features imagery sent in by readers every Wednesday from April 1st 2020 to today.

⬜️ Did you try it on white?

🧵 Woven in Wa is a living digital archive of woven textiles made by crafts-women in Wa, Ghana. The archive features a growing library of patterns and products, documenting the work of individual as well as weaving associations.

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