Teachers' Day, Sounds of Vietnam, Magic, and More

Friday, November 24, 2023

Happy Friday everyone!

Here are 10 things I found interesting from the last week or so.

Flowers from my walk today.

Happy Belated Teachers’ Day

To start this week's newsletter, I'd first like to say Happy Belated Teachers’ Day from Vietnam! Last Sunday, I celebrated five years as an ESL teacher. Time is flying!

Teachers’ Day with the crew.

All-Walk On Kick-Off Team

The only thing for sports this week I wanted to share is Texas A&M's All Walk On Kick-Off team. It felt like watching a movie. Maybe one day it will be.

Inspired to Write

A new IG page I recently found I like: @inspiredtowrite by Amy McNee. Lots of heartfelt messages aimed at writers. Worth checking out!

Sounds of Vietnam

Another new IG page I recently found that I also like: @soundsofvietnam. If you ever want a glimpse into what Vietnam sounds like, this page does that.

Ctrl, Altman, Delete

That is one of the best headlines I've ever read. It didn't last that long, seeing that Altman is already back as CEO for OpenAI (*Ctrl Z), but still — well done!

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Trung Phan x Brian Eno

Trung Phan wrote a newsletter about creative lessons from Brian Eno. Phan breaks it up into: What is art actually for?, How to stay in creative mode, Music and the nervous system, Control vs. surrender, Scenius: group genius, Software gives too many options, Beginnings are easy, endings are hard, The importance of deadlines, Rawness vs. polish, The anchor of success, "Don't get a job", and My favorite Eno song. Check out more of his writing on his Substack, Sat Post.

The Work Is The Win

One of my favorite writers, Billy Oppenheimer, announced in his most recent newsletter that he will be publishing his first book in 2025 called "The Work Is The Win." Can't wait to read it!

On the Trade Entering the Body

A new writer I've come across recently that I like is Cole Shafer. He recently wrote a short post about the trade entering the body. Looking forward to reading more of his writing.

Junot Diaz x Hippocrates x Voltaire

I read a quote this week by Junot Diaz I liked: "The whole culture is telling you to hurry, while the art tells you to take your time. Always listen to the art." Diaz's words remind me of the Latin phrase "Ars longa, vita brevis" attributed to the Greek physician Hippocrates which roughly translates to "Art is long, life is short."

You are bound by a finite amount of time. Art is not. Art is long. Art is infinite. Art transcends time. Perhaps taking your time, listening to the art and focusing on cultivating one's own garden, as the philosopher Voltaire wrote hundreds of years ago, is the best way to spend your time.

On Magic

To end this week's newsletter, I'd like to leave a reminder for my future self to remember whenever things aren't going well in the world of writing. Dipen Parmar said, "The magic you're looking for is in the work you're avoiding."

So, be a scenius and grab ideas from everywhere. Understand the work is the win in and of itself. Recognize the trade entering the body and rest accordingly. Take your time. Listen to the art. And remember: the magic you're seeking is right there in front of you. The only obstacle is you.

Enjoy the weekend and see you next Friday.

-Garrett

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