The Digest brings together notes, content that piqued my interest, some writing collated using tools that are part of my daily routine - Twos, Voicenotes and Obsidian.
Here’s how this week went down!
The Unexpurgated Version
Find everything I’ve created this week here.
The Short and Sweet Version
What Piqued My Interest
I’ve been writing about a cycle called The Essence Map for around 15 years. During that time, the concept has evolved, new information has come to light or I’ve experienced a download that has filled in some blanks.
This quote about alchemy added a new element to my thinking. One day, I’ll get some time to sit down and bring it all together.
What I Created
From the Archives
It was great to resurface an article by Olivia Reingold this week: A Cold Email Got Me My Job—and an Afternoon with Gay Talese. I enjoyed reading this piece because:
it captivated me from the first sentence: My caller ID read: “Gay Talese.”
who was Gay Talese - down the rabbit hole I went to research him
I found the iconic 1966 Esquire profile of Joe DiMaggio written by Talese
my quests were a little different but I recognised: this is why you cold-email your heroes. Because sometimes, and more often than not, they respond.
I like Reingold’s philosophy: So when the spirit moves me, I act on it.
blended in is the story of how Reingold got hired by Bari Weiss
Reingold’s writing isn’t bland. I liked her style. This wasn’t a throwaway piece. It was a gift that kept on giving.
Best Quote of the Week
I have advice for people who want to write. I don't care whether they're 5 or 500. There are three things that are important: First, if you want to write, you need to keep an honest, unpublishable journal that nobody reads, nobody but you. Where you just put down what you think about life, what you think about things, what you think is fair and what you think is unfair. And second, you need to read. You can't be a writer if you're not a reader. It's the great writers who teach us how to write. The third thing is to write. Just write a little bit . Even if it's for only half an hour — write, write, write ~ Madeleine L’Engle
Review of my Week
Since 5th August, you've continued your daily chores and professional commitments with care and dedication. On the 9th of August, you focused on your responsibilities at the farm, including feeding the hens and checking on the lambs, specifically mentioning Tinkles' improvement from coughing thanks to Phil's intervention. Bambi, who had a tendency to escape, has been staying within the paddock, suggesting a positive change in her behavior. Professionally, you dedicated significant effort to a funding bid for the CIC you work at, aiming to finalize it with necessary tweaks to meet the submission deadline. During this period, you also engaged in your personal projects, albeit at a slower pace due to the workload, but managed to maintain your creative output using tools like Twos and Obsidian. Your reflection on the need for a more balanced lifestyle, considering the insights from a Substack email, indicates a contemplation of incorporating more variety into your life. The week was also enriched by wildlife sightings, adding a touch of nature's serenity to your routine.
This was generated in Voicenotes using the Ask my AI function.