There's so much advice out there about how to blog, create content, or manage your life online. A few years ago I was drowning in it. Then I read the Essays In Idleness, by a 14th century Japanese Poet and Monk called Kenkō. He inspired me to rethink my whole approach to content and self-expression, to slow down, and to let the art back into my writing. This episode is a way of giving thank for that inspiration.

Lessons From A 14th Century Blogger - Fernando Gros

The Timeless Wisdom of Kenkō - Smithsonian

Essays In Idleness - Kenkō (Amazon)

The Japanese custom of saying Itadakimasu before eating is a way of being thankful for all the various efforts that go into making the meal possible. Might it be that this humble practice could also help us be thankful for other things we use in our lives, especially those things we sometimes take for granted?

A Thankfulness Of Things - Fernando Gros
What Does Itadakimasu Mean - Tofugo

I was a big fan of melodramatic mid-century love stories, like The Fountainhead. But, the chief protagonist in the story, the architect Howard Roark, is such a cartoon figure of the strong, isolated creator. We don't nee to be like him. Instead, we need to cultivate a garden of meaningful relationships around us and understand the different roles people can play in our lives.

7 Kinds of People You Need In Your Creative Universe - Fernando Gros
The Creative Habit - Twyla Tharp (Amazon Link)
My Three Cornerstones For Success - Chase Jarvis
The Fountainhead (Amazon Prime Link)
Interview With James Victore (discussing mentors) - The Great Discontent
Definition of Consigliere - Merriam-Webster

2018 was the year of simple. My previous annual themes were health in 2016 and focus in 2017. For 2019, which promises to be a year full of change and challenge, I wanted something that could rise to the occasion and in this episode I discuss that theme, how it was chosen and why themes are far more powerful a tool for personal growth than new year's resolutions.

Theme For 2019 - Fernando Gros
Yearly Themes - Cortex Podcast
A New Year Plan For Busy People - Mike Vardy

The rhythm of Christmas, year after year, is a chance to look back and reflect on how we grow and change in our creative process. This episode I loosen to versions of "We Three Kings," a favourite Christmas tune, from ten years ago to this year, and consider what taking the time to slow down at the end of every year can mean for us.

So many of us are deeply frustrated with and worried by the state of the internet today. It seems 2016 was the year of peak digital, when people started to get fed up, and began questioning what their time online was doing to them. As this year ends maybe it's time to take stock and ask what we want from our online life and what role these tools, because they are simply tools, should play in our life.

Show Notes:
Preparing For a Post-Digital Age - Fernando Gros
Quit Social Media. Your Career May Depend on It - New York Times
How Twitter Fuels Anxiety - The Atlantic
How will digital media change our relationships? - World Economic Forum
Facebook Manipulated 689,003 Users' Emotions For Science - Forbes
Relearning The Art Of Concentration - Fernando Gros
Why I Deleted The Twitter App From My Phone (along with 122 others)- Fernando Gros

After a wearying deep-dive into search engine optimisation I found myself in a small, quiet, local cafe. Sadly my favourite sandwich was sold out, but my attention soon turned to the book I was reading and then to how hard to seemed to be to focus and pay attention to the words on the page. It seems I'm not alone in having to relearn how to read deeply.

Lunchtime - Fernando Gros
Quit Social Media - Cal Newport (video)
In the time you spend on social media each year, you could read 200 books - QZ
Electronic Media Use, Reading, and Academic Distractibility in College Youth - Laura E. Levine et al
Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now - Jaron Lanier
Maruyama Coffee