Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice, Vol 4, Iss 17: The Creative Advice I Turn to Repeatedly
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Hi friends! Shana tova to those who celebrate! Last weekend I sat on Zoom with a friend and we put together this Lego set (we each purchased a set for ourselves). It was so nice to not only have friend-time but to also do something that is purely play. Putting together Lego is not exercise, it’s not work, it’s not chores, it’s not any kind of productivity really. It also meant I wasn’t scrolling social media and it was good to just be present.
I often struggle with being present but especially this time of year. I usually start my holiday shopping and planning in summer. My wife’s birthday is around the holidays as well. I also like to send out 100+ holiday cards, which means we also need to pick a photo (or take one) and order the cards and start addressing them, preferably in October. I try to get them to their destinations before Hanukkah ends (which is December 15th this year). The nature of my bookish work means that right now, I’m already starting to think of books that will be published in 2024. I’m already also thinking about 2024 plans for my personal projects, like this newsletter as well as the things I initially had planned for 2023 before the year went to absolute shit.