Common Discourse is a weekly briefing designed to help others (and myself) think through creativity, focus, and intentional work. I send this newsletter out every Monday at 9:17am. To receive future briefings, sign up below.

Ideas from me:

I. Who You Know

Life is "all about who you know" because trust is an attractive human characteristic. Being a kind person and easy collaborator will take you much farther than a good skillset alone.

II. Keys to Longevity

Don’t pressure yourself into making noise on the internet because you’re afraid of being forgotten.

Take your time & make something that will last longer than you will even if that means infrequent output.

Trends will get you there now, a unique and original feeling will last forever.

III. The Right Amount of Naivety

Everyone needs the right amount of naivety to believe that you can accomplish all of the things people tell you aren't possible and the right amount of grit to keep going when you face failure.

Quote from somebody else:

Everybody in their lives is really waiting for people to ask them questions, so that they can be truthful about who they are and how they became what they are.

— Marc Pachter

Favorite links this past week:

I was lazy about the Internet this week, but share with me some things you found! I’ll re-share the ones I like best in next week’s newsletter.

Thanks for reading!

My name is Alex Tan and this is my newsletter. I’m a maker & educator, I created MOUTHWASH with my friends, and I own way too many white sneakers. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

Common Discourse is 100% free and only exists because people like you care about the same things I do. If you liked this newsletter, please consider sharing with others who might enjoy it as well.